Pregame Showcase Kicks Off Twenty-sixth Season in McClung Museum
The popular Pregame Showcase will kick off the 2015 season in the place where it began twenty-six years ago—the auditorium of the McClung Museum in Circle Park.
In 1989 the College of Arts and Sciences launched the Pregame Showcase in the McClung Museum Auditorium in Circle Park. Seeking a venue more central to campus and game day activities, the program relocated to the University Center where it has attracted a strong following for twenty-five years.
With the construction of new buildings across campus, particularly the new student union building, the heart of game day activities has shifted to Circle Park and the Fan Zone located just across the street in the Humanities Plaza. Joining the synergy and adding to the game day experience, the Pregame Showcase will return to the McClung Museum in the fall of 2015 to kick off its twenty-sixth season.
In true Vol spirit, McClung Museum is extending a warm homecoming welcome to the Pregame Showcase program and its loyal audience. Guests who attend Pregame Showcase will find the McClung Museum auditorium is a great space for faculty presentations and they will be intrigued by an array of engaging and informative exhibits throughout the building. Just steps away from Neyland Stadium, the location could not be more perfect for enjoying all of the Vol game-day traditions.
Even though the location is changing, guests can still expect the same great faculty presentations and program amenities. The Pregame Showcase features some of the college’s finest teachers and scholars who have developed talks about their areas of expertise with a general audience in mind. The topics are lively and engaging and reflect the passionate interests of the faculty presenters. Topics this year include music appreciation, spaceflight, movies, politics, archaeology, extraterrestrial rocks, and sleep health.
All presentation are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required, although some long-time followers of Pregame Showcase make a point of arriving early to secure a favorite seat.
Hosted by the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Pregame Showcase programs start two hours before each home game and is carefully timed for forty-five minutes to allow guests to enjoy the program and still get to their seat in the stadium in time for kick-off. Each speaker offers a thirty-minute presentation and takes questions from the audience for another ten to fifteen minutes. After the formal program, guests are welcome to stay for light refreshments to interact with the speaker, the dean, and other guests. A door prize drawing each week adds fun to the event, and the winner takes home gifts from UT Athletics.
As you make game-day plans for the 2015 season, we invite you to join us this fall as we start a new game-day tradition – Pregame Showcase at the McClung Museum.
For more information about the Pregame Showcase and a complete roster of this season’s speakers, visit pregameshowcase.utk.edu
To learn more about the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, visit mcclungmuseum.utk.edu
