Tennessee has announced plans to “checker” Thompson-Boling Arena for next Sunday’s highly anticipated men’s basketball game against defending national champion North Carolina.
Fans planning to attend the sold-out showdown, which tips off at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, are encouraged to visit CheckerTBA.com to learn whether their seats are in a section designated to wear orange or white. VolShop locations are offering t-shirts in both colors; the shirts feature the state outline filled in with a checkerboard.
“First, we’re excited about the opportunity to play a great team like North Carolina at home in front of a sold-out crowd,” Vols junior Admiral Schofield said. “But to envision playing that game in front of a human checkerboard of more than 21,000 fans… we can’t wait to see it. I know Thompson-Boling Arena is going to be electric.”
Tennessee football has created stunning visuals with “Checker Neyland” games in recent years at Neyland Stadium, but UT’s very first attempt to “checker” the crowd at one of its athletic events was a men’s basketball game. Thompson-Boling Arena’s lower bowl was impressively transformed into a human, orange and white checkerboard when the Vols hosted rival Kentucky on March 1, 2006.
-UT Athletics
