The City of Knoxville will again offer free game day parking at two of its downtown garages during the University of Tennessee's football season.

Free parking will be available at the Market Square and State Street Garages. Tennessee clashes with Western Kentucky University in the season opener at Neyland Stadium on September 5. It's one of eight home games the Volunteers will play this year.

Other city-owned garages will still feature pay parking on game days.

Football fans and fans of downtown are encouraged to arrive early and stay late on football Saturdays to take advantage of all that downtown has to offer including great places to eat, drink, shop and be entertained - before and after the games.

Until last year all city-owned garages, which are managed by the Public Building Authority, had pay parking during UT's home games.

Offering free parking at the Market Square and State Street Garages on game days provides an opportunity to introduce downtown Knoxville to football fans. 
 
"We had a lot of success with it last year and it was a good experience for a lot of people," said Hannah Parker, downtown coordinator with the city's Department of Policy & Communications. "It's just a great way to help showcase downtown Knoxville." 
 
Parker added, "In this economic climate anything free is something people are excited about."

The State Street Garage is located between Central Avenue and State Street with additional entrances on Clinch and Union Avenues. The Market Square Garage is just west of the square with entrances on Wall Avenue and Walnut Street.

If fans don't make it to downtown early enough to take advantage of a spot in one of the free garages there are convenient paid parking opportunities in other city and county-owned parking garages including the Main Avenue Garage, Dwight Kessel Garage, Poplar Street Lot and the City County Building Parking Garage.


From Downtown anyone can ride KAT's football shuttles to and from Neyland Stadium.