Photo: “Walnut Street Bridge, Chattanooga, Tennessee” by Snickersnack30, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped.
There’s something special about college football on a crisp fall Saturday. In Chattanooga, you get it with a downtown stadium, a mountain skyline and a whole weekend of things to do before and after kickoff.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs play in the Southern Conference (SoCon) at Finley Stadium, just south of downtown. Under head coach Rusty Wright, now in his eighth season, the 2026 Mocs have had a competitive start, including a 41–7 home win over Wofford in September.
Remaining 2026 Home Games
- Saturday, Oct. 31 vs. VMI – 1 p.m. Senior Day, plus “Halloween with the Mocs” and a Scrappy pin blind-box giveaway. Come in costume.
- Saturday, Nov. 7 vs. Mercer – 1 p.m. Homecoming and Fan Appreciation Day, and the final home game of the season.
Both are 1 p.m. kickoffs, which makes for a perfect fall afternoon and leaves your evening free for dinner downtown. Tickets are available through the official athletics site, GoMocs.com.
Road-trip bonus: the Mocs close the regular season at Alabama on Nov. 21 in Tuscaloosa. If you’re making a long weekend of it, Chattanooga makes a fun first stop.
A Perfect Game-Day Weekend
Friday: Arrive, settle in and head to the Southside or Main Street for dinner and live music. If you’re in town early enough, catch the sunset from Sunset Rock on Lookout Mountain.
Saturday morning: Grab breakfast downtown, then make your way to Finley Stadium. Wear navy and gold, find the tailgates and look for Scrappy, the Mocs’ mascot.
Saturday night: Celebrate (or commiserate) on the North Shore, then walk back across the Walnut Street Bridge with the city lit up over the river.
Sunday: Brunch, then a slower day: Ruby Falls, Rock City or the Tennessee Aquarium before you head home.
Not a Football Family?
Late October and early November is also peak fall-color season around Chattanooga, and Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights opens Nov. 13. There’s something for everyone in your group, whether they’re cheering for the Mocs or just along for the view.
Your Game-Day Headquarters
Our two-bedroom, two-bath Chattanooga residence is downtown, a short ride from Finley Stadium and close to everything else you’ll want to do. Set up the pregame (or the other games on TV) in The Tailgate, keep the soundtrack going in The Groove, and make it your crew’s home base for the weekend.
Game weekends go fast.
Lewis Jones is the founder of The Highmark Collection, a boutique collection of thoughtfully designed short-term rentals in Asheville, Chattanooga, and Greenville. After a career in leadership roles with IBM and Kyndryl, he created Highmark to bring the same focus on service, detail, and consistency to the guest experience.
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