University of Tennessee fans and the city of Nashville had a lot to celebrate after the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.
The Vols beat the Nebraska Huskers 38-24 Friday in the Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium. Bowl officials said 68,496 people attended the game.
Fans walking out of the game said there was a great atmosphere and they had a lot of fun.
“It was a good turnout,” said Derrick Cannon, a Tennessee fan. “We stayed until the end. It was a good game.”
Many of those fans came to Nashville early, and planned to stay late.
“We came in on Wednesday,” said one Nebraska fan. “We even got in on some free barbeque today which was amazing. The fans have been great on both sides.”
The Music City Bowl was the grand finale of several days of activities for fans. Many spent a lot of time on Lower Broadway.
The Fan Zone closed Broadway between 1st and 5th Avenues. It featured food, music, drinks and other football festivities.
Both schools faced off in the Battle of the Bands, and fans watched the Hattie B's Hot Chicken Eating World Championships on Thursday.
Friday events included pep rallies and free concerts before and after the game.
“It has been a lot of fun,” said Michael McDade, a Tennessee fan. “Nebraska has some good fans. They brought in a lot of people.”
Music City Bowl officials said the 2015 Bowl had a $15.7 million direct economic impact on Nashville's economy. The Bowl has produced over $284 million in total direct economic impact for the city in its 18-year history.
