University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Have Outback Feast After Practice
December 19, 2007 | Football
Outback Bowl representatives hosted the Tennessee football team and coaching staff Wednesday for lunch at a north Knoxville Outback Steakhouse. The Vols play Wisconsin on Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium.
Tennessee completed its next-to-last Knoxville practice inside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center, working for 90 minutes on the game plan for the Badgers. The Vols enter at 9-4 as winner of the SEC???s Eastern Division, while Wisconsin compiled a 9-3 record and finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference.
Glen Shamblen from the Outback Bowl welcomed UT to Outback Steakhouse and promised that Wednesday was only the beginning of the festivities for the 22nd annual game.
"We???re excited to have Tennessee come back," Shamblen said. "We had a ton of fans last year and super weather until gameday -- hopefully we can get that fixed this year. It???s a great time and the whole community is behind it and the community is excited to have Tennessee back.
Wednesday???s event was an opportunity for Knoxville media members to visit with Outback Bowl representatives as well as the Vols' staff and players. In addition, Outback Steakhouse treated all attendees to lunch.
Tennessee also played in last year???s Outback Bowl, dropping a 20-10 decision to Penn State. The Vols own a win in the Tampa event when it was called the Hall of Fame Bowl, defeating Boston College 38-23 in 1993 in head coach Phillip Fulmer's first bowl appearance. Wisconsin has won nine of its last 12 bowl games, but a pair of Outback appearances against Georgia account for two of those losses -- 33-6 in the 1998 game and 24-21 in 2005.
The Vols and Badgers have met only once in football, a 28-21 Tennessee victory in the 1981 Garden State Bowl.
Tennessee closes camp Thursday with a 10 a.m. practice All players and staff are scheduled to report to the Tampa Hyatt Regency on Christmas night, with practice beginning the next day at the University of Tampa. Kickoff on New Year's Day is 11 a.m. Eastern time, with the Vol Network and ESPN carrying the action.
BIG ORANGE TAILGATE TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI EVENTS AT OUTBACK BOWL
Vol Walk by the Bay Pep Rally Kicks Things Off Dec. 31
The UT Alumni Association travels to Tampa for the New Year???s Day football game versus Wisconsin. The full slate of events for Tennessee alumni, friends and fans are described below. For more information, click here.
Monday, Dec. 31
VOL WALK by the Bay Pep Rally (Sponsored by: UTAA and UT Athletics)
2:15 p.m. ??? gates open.
3 p.m. ??? 3:30 p.m. PEP RALLY
Tampa Bay Convention Center (outdoors). Rain location (TCC Ballroom B) Front Drive/Channelside Entrance, 333 South Franklin St., Tampa, FL 33602
FREE event. Join UT alumni and fans as they join the football team, coaches, band and cheerleaders and form the VOL WALK! Cash bar and concessions available. Awarding of door prizes begins at 2:30 p.m.
New Year???s Eve Party (Sponsored by: Tampa Bay Alumni Chapter)
8 p.m. ??? 2 a.m. -- $50/person
Boston???s (Tampa Bay chapter???s TV party location), 9316 Anderson Rd., Tampa, FL 33609
Tuesday, Jan. 1
Big Orange Tailgate Tour ??? Outback Bowl Edition!
(Sponsored by: UTAA, Moon Pie, and Dodds Athletic Tours)
The official UTAA tailgate party! Full breakfast buffet, UT band, cheerleaders and Smokey???Door prizes, including trip for two to the 2008 UCLA game. Two tickets to a 2008 home football game.
$25/person; $15/children (3-12 years)
8:30 -10:30 a.m.
Raymond James Stadium (East side) ??? between gates B & C
All events open to UT alumni and friends. Reservations can be made on-line through Dec. 27 (credit cards) at www.utalumni.utk.edu/bott.
Contact: Kris Phillips (865-974-3011 after 12/22/07 865-599-5898).
