Jenny and Randy Boyd, UT System president, with Stephen Mangum, dean of the Haslam College of Business; and John Zomchick, provost and senior vice chancellor, celebrate the lifting of the final beam during the Haslam College of Business topping off ceremony on April 17, 2026. Image submitted by UT News

KNOXVILLE - The new Haslam College of Business building on the UT campus will be named for UT System President Randy Boyd, pending UT Board of Trustees approval. Leaders hosted a topping off ceremony, celebrating the placement of the final structural beam at the highest point of the building.

The new facility, located across Volunteer Boulevard from the college’s two current buildings — the Haslam Business Building and Stokely Management Center — will expand the college’s existing footprint, allowing it to meet the needs of its growing student population and the larger business world. “The new Haslam College of Business facility will provide state-of-the-art instructional and collaborative spaces to the students of the University of Tennessee’s largest college by enrollment, preparing them for the workplaces of today, tomorrow and the future,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick. “It’s an exciting development — one of many — on the campus that is moving to the next level."

Building to be named for Boyd

Zomchick announced during the ceremony that the new building will be named Randy Boyd Hall, pending approval from the Board of Trustees.

“As a proud graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, I’ve experienced firsthand the impact this institution can have on a student’s life,” said Boyd. “This new facility is about expanding that opportunity, equipping more students with the tools, experiences and connections they need to succeed.”

Boyd has a long history of giving back, both to UT and to the Haslam College of Business. His named gifts have included the Boyd Venture Challenge — a student entrepreneurship competition in the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation — and the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research. Both centers are housed in the college.

Boyd was the first in his family to graduate from college and earned a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis on industrial management from UT.

New building to support growth, continued excellence

The new building will serve more than 10,000 students, faculty, staff and guests weekly. Its design promotes collaboration among students, faculty and industry partners. The investment creates the capacity UT needs to educate more Tennesseans and a learning environment in which students can thrive.

“Our growth has been fueled by the impact the college has made in the lives of students from Tennessee and beyond seeking an exceptional education and strong career prospects,” said Mangum. “This gift from longtime supporter and alumnus of the college Randy Boyd speaks to his belief in our mission and signals to students for generations to come that their next steps may also be marked by success and meaning. We are grateful to Randy and excited to see what the future holds as the Haslam College of Business continues to attract and define excellence across education, research and industry.”

The past decade has been transformative for the college, which has experienced unprecedented growth. Undergraduate enrollment has more than doubled in the past decade to greater than 9,700 students, and graduate enrollment has grown by over 35 percent in the past five years. Four of the eight largest majors at UT are housed in the college.

The facility will support continued excellence in the college, which remains among the country’s best. The graduate program in supply chain management is ranked No. 2 among public institutions in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools.

The university broke ground on the five-story, 243,800-square-foot facility in 2024. It will feature 18 classrooms, three research laboratories, two academic research centers and two 300-seat auditoriums as well as a food service option, offices, meeting spaces and common areas. The building is scheduled for completion in fall 2027.