Tennessee’s Orange and White spring football game remains in flux, this time due to construction on the south end of Neyland Stadium.

UT has not announced a date or location for the event, but all options are on the table.

The Vols could play the spring game in Neyland Stadium with limited capacity if the construction schedule permits it. They could play it on the practice field but close it to the public. They could consider playing it in another venue or city.

Those options have been utilized or at least considered in recent years. And a plan B for the spring game will be needed again.

“Yeah, (Neyland Stadium construction) is going to have an impact. We’re still trying to figure it out,” UT athletics director Danny White said on WNML 99.1 The Sports Animal on Jan. 24. “And I know that it’s late January, so we’re hoping to have something we can communicate out very soon on the spring.”

UT is set to begin spring practice during the week of March 18, following the university's spring break. The Orange and White game likely will be held in mid or late April.

Why spring game has been altered five straight years

For decades, there were few changes to the Orange and White game. Fans penciled it in to finish spring football at Neyland Stadium almost every year.

But this will be the fifth consecutive year it’s been altered.

In 2020, UT’s spring game was canceled due to COVID restrictions. In 2021, it was played at Neyland Stadium with social-distanced seating due to COVID.

In 2022, the spring game was played on the practice field and closed to the public because of Neyland Stadium renovations. Only media, recruits and players’ family members attended the scrimmage.

In 2023, it returned to Neyland Stadium with limited capacity due to renovations. But a crowd of 58,473 still packed the open areas of the stadium.

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What’s left for Neyland Stadium renovations?

Construction continues throughout Neyland Stadium, mostly on the south end. Phase 1 is set to finish in 2026 and cost $337 million. The project will be fully paid for without tuition or tax revenue.

But the renovations threaten to move the spring game or limit fan attendance.

“It’s a challenge. It’s the cost of progress,” White told The Sports Animal. “… There’s cranes involved and just a lot of obstructions. We can’t put ourselves in a position where we slow down construction and put the possibility of having it ready for the first game in the fall, we can't put that at risk.”

Here's what else is planned for phase 1 over the next three years.

2024

• Full stadium-wide Wi-Fi connectivity

• Stadium kitchen, commissary and loading dock

• New southeast elevators vertically connecting all concourses

• New Gate 4 entry plaza

• More brick cladding around passageways into bowl of stadium

• Renovations, upgrades complete for all stadium skyboxes

• Initial construction for the westside Founders Suites

• New restrooms and concessions on north concourse two

2025

• Expanded south concourse 1, including more restrooms, enhanced concessions, wider concourse

• Completed Founders Suites

• Tee Martin Drive to shift south of the Gate 10 ramp

2026

• Completion of entry plazas

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Neyland Stadium renovations could alter Tennessee football spring game