The UT National Alumni Association began the Big Orange Tailgate Tour in 2002. It consists of tailgate parties starting three and one-half hours before the kickoff of away football games at the stadium where the game is played, as well as at events before bowl games, major away basketball games, and other away sporting events.

In fall 1998 the Student Alumni Associates initiated the practice of wrapping trees along the Vol Walk path (walk of the football players and coaches from the Brenda Lawson Athletic Center and Anderson Training Center to Neyland Stadium for home games) with orange satin ribbon and affixing orange satin bows to trees along the way.

On February 1, 2012, the campus launched a new branding campaign for UT. Central to the UT brand was the tagline Big Orange. Big Ideas. The Office of the Chancellor announced the launch, saying, “This phrase captures the energy, achievements, and enthusiasm of our vibrant and ever-changing university and its students, faculty, staff, and alumni.” … Continued

The official UT orange is a specific color in the Pantone Matching System—PMS 151. In 1982 the official UT orange was standardized as Pantone Matching System 021. In the late 1990s, in order to be more consistent with colors used by the Athletics Department, the shade was changed to PMS 151. Prior to 1982 UT’s … Continued

The phrase Big Orange Country was originally a marketing scheme by the men’s basketball coach, Ray Mears. The Marlboro Country billboards and the nickname of an Ohio team called the Big Red inspired the phrase. Working with Tom Rechenbach, who owned a bookstore on Cumberland Avenue, billboards sprouted the term Big Orange Country in 1965. … Continued

The first annual Bike Day was held on the pedestrian mall on September 2, 2009, a collaborative effort of the UT Outdoor Program, Make Orange Green, and the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization. It was aimed at educating the UT community about the advantages of alternative transportation methods, with cycling as the main focus. The … Continued

The SGA and the UT Outdoor Program teamed up to initiate a semester-long bike rental program, which began in fall 2011. Twenty Kona bicycles were made available for rent at $40 for the semester. Students renting bikes received a bike, helmet, lock, access to the UT bike shop, and a safety instruction course at the … Continued

First occupied in the spring quarter 1962 and originally known as the Yale Avenue Dormitory, Gibbs Hall was built to house 248 male athletes. Prior to construction of Gibbs, athletes had lived in East and South Stadium Halls. The total cost of the facility was $1,175,000. Construction was financed by a $670,000 loan from the … Continued

A Billy Graham Crusade was held in Neyland Stadium on May 22–31, 1970. In early 1969 Ralph Frost and A. C. Masingill Jr. headed a Laymen’s Committee to invite Dr. Graham. A petition with 129,000 signatures collected in shopping centers, restaurants, department stores, banks, factories, sports arenas, and on college campuses served as the invitation. … Continued

A $10,000 grant from the green power fee, imposed by students upon themselves in 2003, provided start-up funds for the effort to use waste oil from UT Dining Services to power a fleet of 11 campus vehicles. The program was an effort of the UT Student Chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers. The program … Continued