Tennessee football is building two new pillars outside of Neyland Stadium that are set to debut in the fall of 2026, the athletic department announced Thursday.
The program is building bronze pillars to honor former head coaches Doug Dickey and Phillips Fulmer outside the southwest corner of Neyland Stadium. Pillars of Dickey and Fulmer will accompany the General Robert Neyland statue that will find a new home in “Championship Corner.”
“The new Championship Corner stands as a powerful tribute to three of the most influential figures in our storied gridiron history,” Tennessee Director of Athletics Danny White said in a statement. “With the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, we have created a prominent space that celebrates our championship legacy. This impressive area will be accessible to Vol Nation throughout the year, showcasing our commitment to honoring those who have shaped our legacy in a truly fitting manner.”
Doug Dickey was Tennessee’s head coach from 1964-69 when he led the Vols to a 46-15-4 record and a share of the 1967 National Championship. The Vols went 9-2 in the 1967 season, dropping their opener to UCLA 20-16 before reeling off nine straight wins to the regular season. Tennessee then fell to Oklahoma 26-24 in the Orange Bowl to end the season.
Litkus ranked Tennessee No. 1 and named them national champions following the season while the Associated Press ranked the Vols No. 2 behind 10-1 USC. Tennessee did receive 11 of the 49 first place votes. The Vols won the SEC Championship outright that season, earning rivalry wins over both Auburn and Alabama. Dickey was the SEC Coach of the Year in 1965 and 1967.
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There’s no debate who won the 1998 National Championship with Tennessee knocked off Florida State 23-16 in the first ever BCS National Championship game. Led by Fulmer, the Vols finished with a perfect 13-0 record and ranked wins over No. 17 Syracuse, No. 2 Florida, No. 7 Georgia, No. 10 Arkansas, No. 23 Mississippi State in the SEC Championship game and finally Florida State. The Vols also knocked off SEC foes Alabama and Auburn.
Fulmer served as Tennessee’s head coach from 1992-2008, leading the Vols to a 152-52 record and their best stretch in the modern era. He also led Tennessee to SEC Championships in 1997 and 1998.
Both Fulmer and Dickey went on to be Tennessee’s athletic director though Dickey’s run as an administrator was much more successful than Fulmer’s was.
Neyland is the greatest coach in program history, leading Tennessee to a 173-31-12 record, five SEC Championships and National Championships in 1938, 1940, 1950 and 1951.
Tennessee dedicated a statue to General Robert Neyland in 2010 that has been on the west side of the stadium. They have moved the statue outside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex over the last 15 months as the stadium has undergone renovations. They will relocate the statue to the southwest end of the stadium to complete the championship corner.
