The Story of the Vol Navy

It started with one boat.

In 1962, longtime Tennessee radio broadcaster George Mooney had a simple problem: game-day traffic.

Rather than fight Knoxville traffic to get to Neyland Stadium, Mooney and a friend climbed aboard his small runabout and traveled up the Tennessee River. They tied the boat up near the stadium and made their way to the game.

Neither of them could have known that this simple decision would become one of college football’s most recognizable traditions. 

Other Tennessee fans soon followed.

What began as one boat became a fleet, and eventually the Vol Navy—a floating community of Tennessee fans who gather on the river, tailgate together, and arrive at Neyland Stadium by water.

Today, hundreds of boats can fill the Tennessee River for a home game. Some arrive days early, turning game weekend into a full-blown floating tailgate.