By Grant Ramey, grant.ramey@knoxnews.com

The Celebration of Life service for Pat Summitt will be a first-come, first-serve memorial at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"We are encouraging the public to arrive early," Erin Freeman of Ackerman Public Relations, spokeswoman for the Summitt family, said during a news conference on Monday.

"The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and we would like everyone to be in their seat with their cellphones silenced by 6:30."

Summitt, the former longtime Tennessee women's basketball coach, died on June 28 at age 64, after a five-year fight with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Admission and parking for the celebration of life, estimated to last 90 minutes, is free. All parking lots on Tennessee's campus will be open and available.

Shuttles from the Ag Campus will begin at 4:30 on Thursday, dropping off at Thompson-Boling Arena, and will run after the event.

All gates to Thompson-Boling Arena typically open for a basketball game will be open for the service, with the only exception being Gate A.

Photography, live streaming of the event via cellphones — Facebook Live, Periscope and others applications — and signs are prohibited inside the arena. If fans bring flowers, Freeman said, they should be dropped off at Summitt's statue at Pat Summitt Plaza.

Photographs from Tennessee staff photographers will be available on the UT athletic department website (UTSports.com).

"We totally understand that it's going to be impossible to police the use of cellphones," Freeman said. "However, we want them to be silenced. We don't want flash photography.

"We want to make sure this is an enjoyable event for all those who attend. This is for the fans as well as for the family and friends. We want to make sure everyone can enjoy the celebration of life."

A livestream of the service will be available on UTSports.com. The event will also be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and SEC Network. Some local television affiliates will also carry the broadcast live.

"If you can't attend in person," Freeman said, "you will be able to see the event."

The security measures are the same as any other Tennessee sporting event, with backpacks and large bags prohibited. Diaper bags are allowed when accompanied by an infant.

Seating inside the arena, set up as it would be for a graduation ceremony, will be general admission, with family and "the VIPs" seated on the arena floor.

"The public is in the bowl (of the arena) itself," Freeman said, "that's where we encourage the public to go."

If the arena is filled, an overflow crowd will be directed to Cox Auditorium inside the Alumni Memorial Building, 1408 Middle Drive.

"When appropriate, that decision will be made if we need to direct people to the overflow location," Freeman said. "There will be a video screen so people will be able to enjoy the event."

"We're doing our best to plan for Thompson-Boling to be filled to capacity, and use that overflow location as necessary," Freeman added, "but we'll just have to wait and see."

Freeman stressed to those that plan on attending that this isn't a standard Thompson-Boling Arena event.

"We totally understand that this is taking place in Thompson-Boling Arena, but as you can imagine this isn't an athletic event," Freeman said. "This is the Summitt family's public memorial for Pat Summitt.

"Pat always conducted herself with the highest level of class and dignity. I have no doubts that those that will be in attendance in the celebration of life will do the same."