What we saw, heard at Memphis football’s fan fest ahead of 2026 season

By
admin
-
0
1

Memphis football’s season opener is only three weeks away.

The Tigers held a “Fan Fest” event on Aug. 8 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. It was a rescheduled event that was supposed to take place in the spring but was postponed because of weather, and it was also the first time for a lot of Memphis fans to see the 2026 team in action.

Advertisement

Coach Charles Huff had warned beforehand that the portion of practice open to the public wouldn’t exactly be groundbreaking stuff. It was mostly special teams drills, and it took place a day after the Tigers held a scrimmage.

Still, it was a reminder that the season is close. Here’s what we saw.

1 / 74

Take a look at the Memphis Tigers Fan Fest ahead of 2026-2027 season

Head coach Charles Huff looks on as the Memphis Tigers football team held an open practice and signed autographs for fans afterward on August 08, 2026 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn.

(Stu Boyd II-The Commercial Appeal)

Air Noland, Marcus Stokes both take QB reps

It’s not surprising in any way that the quarterback competition between Air Noland and Marcus Stokes is ongoing, but this was the first chance to see them in action. Fans got to see a few seven-on-seven drills in which each got chances with different sets of receivers.

Advertisement

Noland connected with Brady Kluse for a score in a red zone drill, while Stokes found Stonka Burnside for a touchdown despite a defensive holding call.

“He’s a good person, but also we push each other,” Noland said. “Iron sharpens iron, at the end of the day. I wouldn’t want it no other way. He brings the best out of me, and I bring the best out of him, regardless of who’s on the field.”

Memphis spent most of the practice portion open to the public doing individual or special teams drills. Manny Covey, Jermane Hayes and Ellis Ellis were among those returning punts during that period of the practice.

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium renovations continue

The event took place exactly four weeks before Memphis’ home opener against Arkansas State on Sept. 5. While Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium has been undergoing renovations for the past two years, those projects are still not totally complete.

Advertisement

Memphis officials took the media on a tour of the renovated west tower in July, but plenty of progress has been made since. There are seats installed in most of the suites, and the Landers Plaza below them is starting to take shape. There are also ongoing renovations to the east tower and the seats throughout the stadium.

The north tunnel remains a work in progress, and Memphis athletic director Ed Scott has said that’s the last thing that will be finished. There were still piles of dirt behind the entrance to the tunnel during the event.

“I haven’t looked up yet,” Huff said. “I’m waiting for the first home game to look up. I’m not one of those people that when you build a house, you go by and check it every week. I trust our administration wholeheartedly. But to me, it’s going to be a moment the first time I run out of that tunnel.”

What next three weeks look like for Tigers

Memphis will be off on Aug. 9, and Huff said the coaching staff will use the day as a “middle of the semester assessment.” That will include an evaluation of who’s going to play on special teams and which parts of the playbook they want to continue drilling the next few weeks.

Advertisement

“We’re the professors,” Huff said. “We have our curriculum. What do we need to make sure we get in? Everything that we want to do, we might not be able to do because of our personnel. What do we need to make sure we get in, and then what can we cut?”

Memphis opens its season on Aug. 29 on the road against UNLV.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What we saw, heard at Memphis football’s fan fest ahead of 2026 season

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR