Today On Rocky Top: Martin & Vols Working On New Contract by Zach Ragan

Jan 12, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; General view of the 2013 NFC divisional playoff football game between the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Angie Walton-USA TODAY Sports

Non-conference neutral site games are becoming a yearly deal for most collegiate programs.

The Tennessee Volunteers, who are already scheduled to play Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016, are reportedly finalizing a deal with West Virginia to play in Charlotte in 2018.

This is according a report from the Charleston Gazette.

Luck said in the future WVU will have to face a schedule that presents a challenge each week — a la the NFL. Toward that end, he’s whittled down a previously announced series with East Carolina and is finalizing a neutral-site game against Tennessee in Charlotte, N.C. “We’re close to finalizing a deal to play Tennessee in Charlotte in 2018,” Hammond said. “That would give us a marquee game in a marquee venue. It would be exciting for the fans and the team.”

Tennessee has never played West Virginia before, although they do have some ties to the Mountaineers.

Vols head coach Butch Jones was the wide receivers coach from 2005-2006 at West Virginia, while UT running backs coach Robert Gillespie served in the same capacity at West Virginia from 2011-2012.

Strength and conditioning coach Dave Lawson also spent seven years at West Virginia.

The Vols do not currently have any non-conference opponents scheduled in 2018. They do, however, have a home-and-home series scheduled with UCONN that was pushed back to accommodate the “Battle at Bristol”.