A college sports season runs from September into mid-June, but for some fans it doesn't last past the bowls.

They don't want to hear about an all-sports trophy. A few extremists don't even want to hear about basketball.

You might know a one-sport fan like that. You might be one yourself.

And if you're also a Tennessee fan, you could miss quite a year.

The first successes occurred while the football team was struggling through a 5-6 season. UT's women won the SEC and regional cross-country championships, the Lady Vols made the Final Four in volleyball for the first time in school history, and the soccer team won the SEC regular-season and tournament championships on their way to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.

The success has continued since football season ended.

The Lady Vols are unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the country in basketball. The gentleman Vols are unbeaten and ranked No. 23 in the country.

It will be an upset if the women don't make the Final Four. And just six games into a season, the men's team has won over its fans with its inspired play in Bruce Pearl's first season as head coach.

Fans look at the Lady Vols and envision a national championship. They look at the men's team and see hope for a program that been marked by inconsistency and failure.

Coach Pat Summitt's team won't be the only one contending for a national championship in 2006. The softball team returns all but one of its starters from a third-place finish at the Women's College World Series.

"We've been fortunate to have some of the most outstanding coaches in the country," Lady Vols athletic director Joan Cronan said. "Our goal is to be in the top 10 in all sports."

They came close last year. Eight of their 11 teams finished in the top 10, and all 11 finished in the top 25. The track team won the national indoor title and finished fourth outdoors. The golf team was sixth, and the rowing team was eighth.

With all those nationally ranked teams, it's no wonder the Lady Vols won the SEC all-sports title for the second consecutive year. Don't be surprised if they make it three in a row in 2006.

The men's programs can't match that success but they should give their fans plenty to cheer about the rest of the school year. The basketball team already has.

After Saturday's upset of No. 6 Texas, optimistic fans are actually wondering if their team could make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001. That might be a stretch, but a winning season and an NIT bid would be a step in the right direction for a program that lost 17 games last season.

The men's track team doesn't have the point potential of the women's team but it could still finish in the top three of the SEC and in the top 20 nationally, as it did last year.

Baseball is the wild card. Despite losing so many prominent players from their College World Series team, the Vols could field another strong team. Sophomore pitcher James Adkins and sophomore catcher J.P. Arencibia already have been honored as third-team preseason All-Americans.

Pitching should be the team's strong suit, and not just because of Adkins. Sean Watson will return to anchor the bullpen, and Craig Cobb started 15 games and went 7-4 last year. Joining those veterans will be several promising recruits.

Josh Lindblom was a third-round draft pick of the Houston Astros but chose college instead. Ty Pryor, who was drafted in the 27th round out of high school, transferred to UT from South Florida, where he was 5-4 as a freshman last year. The revamped pitching staff also will include Deunte Heath, a transfer from Lake City Community College.

UT's successes won't be confined to campus. Fans can celebrate the accomplishments of ex-Vols as well.

Former UT sprinter Justin Gatlin is recognized as "the world's fastest man" after winning the 100- and 200-meter championships at the world outdoor championships in 2005, a year after he won Olympic gold in the 100 meters.

While Gatlin goes for another world championship in 2006, former UT quarterback Peyton Manning has his Indianapolis Colts on a Super Bowl course.

And if Manning wins a Super Bowl, how can UT fans say football season was a total loss?