UNC’s Rants: Loyalty Ain’t Premium: Vols Fan Priced Out After 6 Decades

Thomas Bailey ain’t new to this. He’s been posted up in Section 120, Row 18, Seats 9 and 10 since the damn arena opened. Sixty years. Two seats. Same row. Same soul. And now, after building a lifetime of memories, Tennessee told him to cough up nearly $3,000 more or hit the road.

This wasn’t just tickets. This was tradition. This was father and son walking into Thompson-Boling (now the Food City Center because we needed more grocery stores in our stadium names), catching tip-off side by side, and locking in for every orange bucket and Rocky Top chant.

They said it was for life.
Now it’s for sale.

The Numbers Don’t Lie. But They Do Sting.

Last season?
Bailey paid $1,480 for his two seats.
This season?
$4,400+. For the exact same view.

At 88 years old, he’s on a fixed income. He’s not trying to compete in an arms race with boosters named after car dealerships. He’s trying to see his damn team.

“I’ve been doing this forever,” Bailey said. “They told us in the ‘80s that our donation meant these were ours for life.” Spoiler: they lied.

His son, David, tried to keep it together. But you could hear it in his voice. “This ain’t about the price,” he said. “It’s about the time. I’m not gonna be able to sit next to my dad and watch Tennessee the way we always have.”

Section 120 Was a Family. Now It’s a Luxury Suite

The Baileys didn’t just sit in those seats. They built something in that section. A crew. A family of fans who came back every year. They yelled, they laughed, they aged together in orange.

Now that row is gone. Or rather, sold.

Tennessee offered them “comparable” seats higher up in the rafters. The Baileys declined.

“Insulting,” David called it. “He’s 88. We’re not gonna be doing this another 50 years. Let him keep his damn seats.”

But the arena is changing. Food City Center just got a facelift. Video boards, new sound, and a bougie new Riverside Club. That club alone converted 1,500 lower-bowl seats into premium lounge seating, with drinks, fancy food, and a social hour before tipoff.

Translation? Make room for the wine and charcuterie crowd.
Tradition costs extra now.

$20 Million in Upgrades. One Priceless Loss.

The university says this is just part of the future. A $20 million renovation plan, spreading out over a decade. But to folks like the Baileys, it just feels like the bill came due for being loyal.

And now? After 60 years of being in the building?

They’ll be watching from the couch.

“I just love being there,” Thomas said. “The crowd. The energy. I’m gonna miss it all.”

UNC’s Final Word:

College sports love to throw the word “family” around. Until it’s time to pay. Then it’s “premium access only” and the lifetime guys get shuffled to the nosebleeds or the living room.

Tennessee upgraded the arena but downgraded its soul. You can install all the Riverside Clubs you want but it ain’t gonna replace Section 120.

Not for the Baileys.
Not for the real ones.

Source: WBIR