Campus Alert Archive
Tennessee

Lightning Within 10 Miles Pushes Back Tennessee's Home Opener at Neyland

TNsevere stormadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Lightning struck within about 10 miles of Neyland Stadium roughly 15 minutes before the scheduled kickoff of Tennessee's September 9, 2023 home opener against Austin Peay, delaying the game from its 5 p.m. ET start. Per Tennessee's protocol, the upper bowl was cleared while the lower-bowl concourses sheltered fans, with Thompson-Boling Arena available as designated shelter.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Public R1 · TN
~36,000 studentsUT Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTPA System
Approximate reconstruction292 chars
Lightning has been detected within 10 miles of Neyland Stadium. Kickoff will be delayed. Fans in the upper bowl should move to the lower concourse or seek shelter. Thompson-Boling Arena is available as a shelter location. Play cannot begin until the area is clear of lightning for 30 minutes.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Tennessee notifies fans by the 15-mile mark and stops/holds play when lightning is within 8 to 10 miles; the lower-bowl concourse shelters the lower bowl while the upper bowl, except the Tennessee Terrace, must empty.
Reconstructed from press reporting of the protocol and delay; no verbatim official archive was located.
UPDATETwitter/X
Approximate reconstruction185 chars
Tonight's kickoff vs. Austin Peay remains delayed due to lightning in the area. We will announce an updated kickoff time once conditions allow. Please continue to seek shelter. Go Vols!

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

A holding update issued while the 30-minute lightning clock ran; reporting noted the delay from the originally scheduled 5 p.m. ET start.
Reconstructed wording, isVerbatimConfirmed false.
ALL CLEARTwitter/X
Approximate reconstruction115 chars
Weather has cleared and play is set to begin. Fans may return to their seats. Thank you for your patience. Go Vols!

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Genuine all-clear: returns fans to seats and starts play rather than maintaining shelter.
Reconstructed text; the exact official wording was not preserved.
Context

Background

Neyland Stadium seats more than 100,000, and Tennessee's weather plan notifies fans no later than the 15-mile mark and stops or holds play when lightning is within roughly 8 to 10 miles. As WBIR explains, the lower-bowl concourses can shelter the lower bowl, the upper bowl (except the Tennessee Terrace) must empty, and Thompson-Boling Arena is the designated shelter. On September 9, 2023, lightning struck within 10 miles roughly 15 minutes before the 5 p.m. ET kickoff of the home opener against Austin Peay, delaying the start; Rocky Top Insider tracked the delay in real time before the Vols played on to a win.
Analysis

Key Findings

Tennessee notifies fans by the 15-mile lightning mark and holds play when strikes are within 8-10 miles
The lower-bowl concourse shelters the lower bowl; the upper bowl (except the Tennessee Terrace) must empty, with Thompson-Boling Arena as designated shelter
Lightning about 15 minutes before the 5 p.m. ET kickoff delayed the home opener against Austin Peay
Alert text is reconstructed from press reporting, so it carries isVerbatimConfirmed: false
Outcome
Kickoff was pushed back from its 5 p.m. ET scheduled time after lightning cleared the area; Tennessee defeated Austin Peay.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Tennessee-Austin Peay kickoff time updated after weather delay - On3
    on3.com
  2. News
    How does UT prepare for a weather delay at Neyland Stadium? - WBIR
    wbir.com
  3. News
    Tennessee football in weather delay against Austin Peay - Rocky Top Insider
    rockytopinsider.com
Tags
severe-stormlightningweather-delaystadiumtennesseegame-dayshelter-in-place
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion