In June 1980 fair officials, led by Jack Proffitt, head of the Community Relations Department, met with presidents and representatives of 10 area colleges to discuss how much residence hall space could be made available for visitors to the fair and for housing of performing groups brought to the fair. UT agreed that some housing would be made available in June, July, and August—after the requirements for summer school and other commitments were met.
State Senator Ben Atchley and Representative Loy Smith successfully sponsored legislation in the Tennessee General Assembly to allow colleges and universities to house overnight visitors during the fair without losing their tax-exempt status. In fall 1981 East Stadium Hall residents elected to keep the hall open during spring 1982 despite the work on Funland and the actual opening of Funland nearby. In April 1982 residence hall officials announced their expectation of generating almost $1 million from housing fair visitors, with most of the money to be used for purchase of the new campus phone system and improving safety systems in residence halls. Gross revenues were projected to be around $3 million, but costs such as $2 million for linens and expenditures for salaries would consume $2 million.
Greve, Massey, Dunford, and Hess residence halls (none of them air-conditioned) were devoted to groups of 40 or more. North and South Carrick Halls were reserved for summer school students. Strong Hall was rented on an individual basis only to persons associated with the university. Strong and Presidential cafeterias served fair visitors staying in residence halls, and summer school students ate in Morrill Hall. Cancellations after the opening of the fair from tour groups ran 10 to percent, and Greve Hall was closed, with visitors accommodated in other halls. The residence halls conference program housed a record sixty thousand visitors during the summer of 1982, mostly people intending to go to the fair. The number of guests staying in dorms was up approximately 450 percent.