Traveling by Car

Parking Information

For your safety and convenience, all vehicles using UT parking facilities must provide vehicle identification information and a license plate number. We will also need to know the team with which each vehicle is registered. You will be given a Vehicle Identification Voucher during registration that must be displayed on your vehicle’s dash throughout your stay. Parking for residence halls is not necessarily adjacent to each hall, but is nearby. Information about the closest available parking to your assigned residence hall will be available at check-in. Hotel guests may park at their hotel and use the shuttle for trips to campus. If you are staying on campus and participate in a Challenge located off campus, you can ride the shuttle and use the prop delivery system.

At no time will parking be permitted in any staff lots. Because parking at many Challenge sites is limited, we encourage you to park your vehicle upon arrival and use our shuttle system during Global Finals. Oversized vehicles and vehicles with anything in tow must fit in 1 or 2 standard parking spaces. Please observe vehicle clearance heights in parking garages. 

Directions to TRECS Center

Your first stop once you reach Knoxville will be TRECS, for Registration and Orientation. Knoxville is accessible from I-40 West and East and I-75 North and South, as well as Highway 129 from the McGhee-Tyson Airport. Once you are on one of the above interstates or highways, it is an easy drive into Knoxville and Global Finals Registration at the Tennessee Recreation and Exercise Center (TRECS), 2116 Andy Holt Boulevard, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, on the Campus of the University of Tennessee.  

Points North of Knoxville

Follow I-75 South to I-275 South into Downtown Knoxville. At the junction between I-275 and I-40, follow the exit for I-40 West towards Nashville and Chattanooga. Take Exit 386B off I-40W to Alcoa Highway US 129 South. Proceed along Alcoa Highway 129 South and stay to the right in order to take the exit ¾ of a mile ahead onto Highway 158 Neyland Drive and the University of Tennessee. At the traffic light at the end of the exit ramp turn left onto Neyland Drive on Highway 158 South. Follow Neyland Drive Highway 158 South for ¼ mile to the second traffic light and turn left onto Joe Johnson Drive. Once on Joe Johnson Drive, continue straight through the next two traffic lights. After the second traffic light, the street name becomes Andy Holt Blvd. Follow Andy Holt Blvd. and you will see large parking signs where you will receive temporary parking instructions for the team check-in process at the TRECS Center.

Points East of Knoxville

Take I-40 West into Downtown Knoxville. Take Exit 386B off I-40W to Alcoa Highway US 129 South.  Proceed along Alcoa Highway 129 South and stay to the right in order to take the exit ¾ of a mile ahead onto Highway 158 Neyland Drive and the University of Tennessee. At the traffic light at the end of the exit ramp turn left onto Neyland Drive on Highway 158 South. Follow Neyland Drive Highway 158 South for ¼ mile to the second traffic light and turn left onto Joe Johnson Drive. Once on Joe Johnson Drive, continue straight through the next two traffic lights. After the second traffic light, the street name becomes Andy Holt Blvd. Follow Andy Holt Blvd. and you will see large parking signs where you will receive temporary parking instructions for the team check-in process at the TRECS Center.

Points South or West of Knoxville

Take I-75 North until it joins I-40. Follow I-40 East into Downtown Knoxville. Take Exit 386B off I-40E to Alcoa Highway US 129 South. Proceed along Alcoa Highway 129 South and stay to the right in order to take the exit ¾ of a mile ahead onto Highway 158 Neyland Drive and the University of Tennessee. At the traffic light at the end of the exit ramp turn left onto Neyland Drive on Highway 158 South. Follow Neyland Drive Highway 158 South for ¼ mile to the second traffic light and turn left onto Joe Johnson Drive. Once on Joe Johnson Drive, continue straight through the next two traffic lights. After the second traffic light, the street name becomes Andy Holt Blvd. Follow Andy Holt Blvd. and you will see large parking signs where you will receive temporary parking instructions for the team check-in process at the TRECS Center.

From McGhee Tyson Airport

Take Highway 129 North (Alcoa Highway) for approximately 12 miles to the Neyland Drive Exit. Turn left at the traffic light at the bottom of the exit ramp onto Neyland Drive Highway 158 South. Stay in the left lane in order to turn left at the next traffic light onto Joe Johnson Drive. Once on Joe Johnson Drive, continue straight through the next two traffic lights. After the second traffic light, the street name becomes Andy Holt Blvd. Follow Andy Holt Blvd. and you will see large parking signs where you will receive temporary parking instructions for the team check-in process at the TRECS Center.

Traveling by Plane

Helpful Hints for Airport Travel to Global Finals

• Knoxville and Atlanta are in Eastern Standard Time (EDT).
• Nashville is in Central Standard Time (CDT). Please take note of this in making your travel arrangements.
• Travel times from airports (all times are approximate):
  Nashville – 3 hours (i.e., if you left Nashville at 12:00 p.m. CDT, you would arrive in Knoxville around 4:00 p.m. EDT)
  Atlanta – 4 hours

Airport Transfers

Airport Transfers Can be purchased at www.ShopDI.org.

From Knoxville Airport

Destination Imagination, Inc., in cooperation with the University of Tennessee, will make airport transfers available to those purchasing Global Finals housing and meal packages. Transfers from Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport to Registration and then to your housing locations are available on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Return transfers from your housing location are available on Sunday only. Service is available for all arriving and departing flights. Please see the Rate Chart above for applicable charges.

Guests purchasing any Airport Transfer service will be met in the Baggage Claim area of the airport by UT staff and given instructions on boarding the appropriate bus.

Space must be reserved and paid for each transfer (both arrival and departure) at least 14 days in advance. No refunds will be given after Monday, May 7. To purchase Airport Transfers, visit www.ShopDI.org or purchase them during your online registration process. Once you have purchased your Airport Transfers, you will receive a receipt that provides you with a Web address. You must then visit that website to submit your itinerary. After your reservation is received, a detailed confirmation will be e-mailed to you. This e-mail will contain a 24-hour contact number for you to use during your trip in case you are delayed on your way to Knoxville. Please remember to carry this contact number with you. Do not put it in your luggage. For questions and/or more information on Airport Transfers to or from Global Finals, please call (865) 974-0263.

From Other Airports

Both the University of Tennessee and Destination Imagination, Inc. desire to keep team travel costs low. There are alternate airports within 200 miles of the campus that offer event airport transfers. Use of one of these airports may reduce your travel costs. Transfers from these alternate airports require a 14-day advance purchase. These transfers begin on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. and depart approximately every 3 hours. Return service is available on Sunday only. Return transfers are scheduled at Registration and start as early as needed. There is a minimum of 7 persons per transfer (10 per transfer to/from Atlanta), but every effort will be made to combine groups to achieve this minimum. Complimentary bottled water will be provided on each out of town bus.

Note: All prices listed above are discounted by $5 for Tuesday arrivals. For questions, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Airport Transfers are nonrefundable, unless the team or individual cancels by Thursday, May 3, 2012 11:59 p.m. EDT, or the airlines change a team’s itinerary with a late arrival or destination airport change.

Traveling By Bus

Complimentary Transfers to Campus for Teams Arriving in Knoxville via The MegaBus!

The MegaBus stop for all arrivals and departures is located at the Knoxville Transit Center, 301 Church Avenue. Please visit ShopDI to reserve your transfer.