Fan fest gives Memphis Tigers faithful first glimpse into Huff era
The renovated Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium opened to crowds for the first time on August 8, 2026 at the Memphis Tigers football fan fest. (Wes Hale/Special to the Daily Memphian)
Bobby Sanford attended his first Memphis football game in 1970, five years after the stadium was built, when he was 13 or 14 years old.
Bobby Sanford has been to 204 home games since his first game in 1970, five years after the stadium was built. (Courtesy Bobby Sanford)
Sanford, who has attended 204 home games, has seen every iteration of what is now called Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. He witnessed every minor and major improvement to the 61-year-old stadium. But Sanford hadn’t seen a transformation quite like the one he saw when he walked into Liberty Stadium for Saturday’s fan fest.
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Memphis Tigers Football Fan Fest Charles Huff Subscriber OnlyThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
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Frank Bonner II
Frank Bonner II covers the Memphis Tigers. He is a top-10 APSE winner who covered Oklahoma State for the Tulsa World before joining The Daily Memphian in 2021. Bonner is a native of Indiana, where he started his career covering high school sports.
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