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Tennessee football: It’s the 100th anniversary of Shields-Watkins Field’s first game

The stadium wasn’t known as Neyland Stadium at the time. Tennessee football was 17 years away from its first national championship, 12 years away from becoming a charter member of the SEC and five years away from hiring Robert Neyland as head coach.

On Sept. 24, 1921, the Vols played their first game at Shields-Watkins Field. They had been playing their home games at Waite Field since 1908, and before that they were playing at Baldwin Park and Chilhowee Park, according to the UT website.

Part of what the new stadium signified was entering a new era, as they were a year away from leaving the SIAA to joining the Southern Conference, which was a precursor to the SEC.