
Tennessee basketball announced a new renovation project to Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Friday morning.
The renovation project includes two major components including a new center court jumbotron and the creation of the “Riverside Club.” The Riverside Club is a new area whose access will be granted for purchase of premium seating. Tennessee is building the club on the south side of the floor level concourse.
While only certain fans will enjoy access to the Riverside Club, all fans at Thompson-Boling Arena will enjoy the new video board. Tennessee is in need of a new video board with the university installing the current video board in 2008.
In addition to the jumbotron, Tennessee is replacing the four corner video boards in the arena and the LED ribbon that runs around the arena.
The renovations will begin this offseason and Tennessee expects to complete them by the start of the 2025-26 men’s and women’s basketball season.
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Tennessee promised renovations to its basketball arena in the fall of 2023 after agreeing to a 10-year contract with Food City Center which gave the southwest Virginia based supermarket naming rights to Thompson-Boling Arena. The 10-year deal exceeds $20 million.
Tennessee upgraded the Ray Mears Room last offseason as the first part of renovations but this offseason’s project will be much larger. It is unclear if Tennessee has further plans to upgrade Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center after this project.
Thompson-Boling Arena opened in 1987 and has been the home to Tennessee men’s and women’s basketball since. It held the same name for its first 36 years before adding the Food City Center name as well in 2023. The arena is also the home to the Tennessee volleyball team who started playing games there in 2008.
Both Tennessee men’s and women’s basketball currently reside in the AP Top 25 in Rick Barnes’ 10th season as the Vols’ head coach and Kim Caldwell’s first season as the Lady Vols’ head coach.