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The time for what University of Tennessee men’s athletic director Mike Hamilton described as “uncomfortable choices’’ is at hand in a collegiate landscape of escalating costs.
While UT’s athletic budget remains sound, Hamilton told the spring meeting of the Athletics Board on Saturday that rising costs will force the university to examine its “institutional priorities” relative to successful athletics.
“Our directive is to run a first-class, model program for college athletics and what that means is to compete for championships,’’ Hamilton said.
“And that comes at a cost.’’
The cost for fiscal 2009 will be $86.3 million.
Football ticket prices that have been hiked for 2008 will “without question” go higher down the road.
Some of the “uncomfortable choices’’ have included asking students to pay for season tickets for the first time and reducing the discount for staff and faculty.
Donations from the athletic department to the university’s academic budget could be another issue to be re-considered.
“If you have the directive of producing championship teams and not having a deficit budget,’’ Hamilton said, “it’s clear you have to make decisions that are uncomfortable sometimes.’’
The Vols and Lady Vols had another good year on the field and in the bank account.
Men’s basketball, long an under-achieving revenue source, has become a welcome cash cow the past three years since coach Bruce Pearl arrived.
UT sold a record 15,891 season tickets for the 2007-08 season, averaging 20,267 in attendance per game.
And they’re buying popcorn. Concessions at men’s basketball were up 22 percent last season.
“You’ll continue to see incremental growth over the years,’’ Hamilton said, “but the largest gap we had in revenue production has now been closed.’’
Two of the costs that impact athletic budgets the most are coaching salaries and facility improvements.
Hamilton said he expects to finalize contract revisions with Pearl and football coach Phillip Fulmer in the next two to three weeks.
UT’s upcoming budget will show significant debt service related to a number of facility projects, including a $100 million-plus facelift at Neyland Stadium.
A $39 million extension to the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center will break ground in early 2009. It includes new dressing, training and weight areas and will make room for 110 employees being displaced from the closure of Stokely Athletics Center.
Improvements at Thompson-Boling Arena include the Riverview Club, a new elevator and a bridge from the G-10 parking garage to the concourse level.
Volleyball will play in Thompson-Boling Arena in 2008, which is a “stop-gap” measure according to women’s athletic director Joan Cronan.
Eventually, a new facility for volleyball and indoor track will be built but the athletic department must wait for the university to allocate space.
Cronan and Hamilton said UT is the heaviest-taxed program in the nation due to state and local taxes that total 14.25 percent.
Other items of note:
n Thirteen secondary NCAA violations were self-reported, including four in football. UT hasn’t had a major violation since 1986.
n Men’s basketball absorbed the loss of one scholarship in 2007-08 due to falling short of the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate. The Vols can return to 13 scholarships in 2008-09.
Hamilton said UT is appealing an APR penalty against baseball.
n At men’s basketball games, student attendance increased 14 percent to 1,918 per game. The average was 575 in 2004-05.
n UT has entered a marketing agreement with DISH Network that will include a year-long tribute to the 1998 championship team.
n The SEC’s negotiations for a new TV contract are being closely watched. Tennessee is one of a few league schools that generate significant revenue from the “secondary” rights (pay-per-view, Internet streaming) that the conference might absorb in the new contract.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by pdhuff on April 19, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
BOHICA.
Posted by newtonrail on April 19, 2008 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't understand why Stokely has to be torn down. The office space and Lady's volleyball can utilized for many years, with minor upgrades necessary to save on H/AC, etc.
Posted by dvols27 on April 19, 2008 at 3:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Make a BCS Bowl every once in a while and there shouldn't be any budget choices.
Posted by GerryOP on April 19, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yup, BOHICA -- and again, and again, and again ... it is a business.
Wonder what a SEC championship, BCS bowl, and ... shhhhh ... NC would add to the coffers?
Posted by bugman on April 19, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
it's easy. take 1 million from fulmer
Posted by Mr_Bandman on April 19, 2008 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm as big a UT football fan as anyone, and I am still a grudging supporter of Fulmer, but to suggest he's done more for UT athletics than Pat Summitt is absurd. She's as recognizable, as associated with the whole Big Orange thing, more succesful, and more universally respected outside the UT community (& I'll bet inside it, too).
Posted by GerryOP on April 19, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ahh ... a few years ago there was also a gentleman by the name of Robert Reese Neyland, aka General Neyland. He kind of helped put Tennessee football on the map.
Posted by tennecwingrider on April 19, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Quit spending more than you take in and expecting us to pay the bill.
Posted by jlight on April 19, 2008 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Oh no, that building is almost _____ years old. We had better build a new one!"
I'm sorry, but if you feel like you're recruiting is so reliant on having new facilities, then your coaches aren't great at recruiting. Sorry, but the new aquatic center was needed about as much as another Bush term in the White House.
Posted by hcjournals on April 19, 2008 at 5:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
jlight-
Tap on the brakes....The surge is working. Oh....by the way....Sorry, but McCain will be the next president. Everybody hates Hil and Obama is wet behind the ears....Thanks for bringing politics in here...not necessary.....
Posted by 02champs on April 19, 2008 at 6:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Time to cut the Lady Vols loose of their 1 million dollar handout and cut the associate athletic directors back...we have more associate and assistant AD's than anyone in the country. We couldn't see this coming.??? Time to stop taking it out on the fans..!!!!
Posted by VOLstuckINky on April 19, 2008 at 6:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
pay up boys and stay the course. Hamilton cares about the fans .. don't worry.
Take away the Lady vols championships and you have ...... zero in the last 10 years.
Posted by fulmersbelly on April 19, 2008 at 6:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You know, I personally did not welcome the upgrades at Neyland at all. Well, the "addition" of the club seats anyway. Essentially what happened was money was spent to remove seats from the stadium, reducing the total capacity to make way for more expensive seats that generally go unused because all the fat cat boosters are too busy stuffing their faces with catered food, watching games on screens. Hows about you guys go down to the UC and eat a super expensive meal and watch it on the TV there and let fans who want to see the game live see it?
Not bitter.. at all.
Posted by philfan on April 19, 2008 at 6:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thirteen secondary NCAA violations were self-reported, including four in football. UT hasn’t had a major violation since 1986.
We should be proud of that statistic more than any other. Some of us are not too fond of Fulmer, but we should be proud of his almost squeaky clean image and genuine honesty. If he could win a SEC trophy for a change, I would be ecstatic.
Posted by General_Watermelon on April 19, 2008 at 7:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There are enough rich donors to cover Fulmers' and Pearls' salary increases and Hamilton's new buildings and upgrades. Trust me. If you boys are too poor to pay up to watch the #1 team in the nation, I suggest investing in a TV and watching from home. Today's college sports is all about business. Big Business! Pay up or shut up is the way it is going to be. Hamilton is just too nice to say it out loud, but the writing is on the wall. I support him 100%. The only way that we are going to comepete with Florida, ALabama, Georgia, and LSU, is to outspend them.
Posted by pdhuff on April 19, 2008 at 7:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gen F, when is Phil scheduled to return his 2nd mil? After UCLA or Fla?
Is that like a reverse mortgage?
Posted by weisgarber2003 on April 19, 2008 at 7:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by dvols27 on April 19, 2008 at 3:25 p.m.
"Make a BCS Bowl every once in a while and there shouldn't be any budget choices."
That clearly isn't going to happen with the "big one" in charge of FB. Giving him a pink slip would be a step in the right direction, but Mikey Twirp doesn't have that power.
Posted by General_Watermelon on April 19, 2008 at 7:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
pdhuff - Fulmer will own both Florida and Alabama this year and will be worth every penny of his multi million dollar package. He will also look good holding up the Sears Trophy this year.
Posted by General_Watermelon on April 19, 2008 at 7:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
pdhuff - I recently inquired about a reverse mortgage. The Banker laughed at me and said you have to actually have principal in your home before you can take one out. Who knew? I'm so depressed I could eat a big fritter.
Posted by BigSwitch on April 19, 2008 at 8:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've recently found Mike Hamilton's tone interesting. When Mike first took the job as AD, he said on Sportstalk that he expected the football program to WIN a SEC Championship twice every ten years. Now his current tune is we "compete" for championships. What ever happen to the expetation of winning them Mike?
Posted by jasvol on April 19, 2008 at 10:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
General Fritter: sounds like you think we will lose to Georgia. IF were to win the Sears Trophy how many loses will we have and to whom?
I'm with you; I want to win it as well but....
I already know Georgia won't win the NC because they are heavily favored to. Florida or us seems realistic but we have to finally get a win in the SEC championship game (0-3 since 2000). I don't see us getting by LSU unless... gulp, coaching aka Clawson puts us over the hump.
Posted by utchris2003 on April 19, 2008 at 11:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Newton..
You mentioned Stokely. The Fire Marshall ruled that they are no longer allowed to hold any events in the building. I believe that they can practice in there, but can't hold any events. That said, the people that are located in there (office wise) as well as the Lady Vol Training Room, Weight Room, and Locker Rooms all needed updating.
Additionally, I wonder if the escalating budget could bea product of the possible addition of more sports within the next 2-3 years. (Even since my time working as a student in the UTAD several years back there was mention of this, but has yet to happen. I was talking to a pretty prominent booster and he was telling me Hamilton had indicated that new teams would be on the horizon in the next few years.)Tennessee has always boasted one of the better men's soccer (UT CLUB) teams in the nation and with its growing popularity in the SEC, and there is a push to jump in. To add it, we would have to add a women's sport as well. This sport would be Women's Lacrosse. Currently Vanderbilt has the only team in the SEC, but Auburn and Florida are set to transition into NCAA competition over the next two years.
Posted by General_Watermelon on April 20, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jasvol - This team's depth is the only thing that concerns me. In the 4th Qtr, when our opponent is putting in fresh legs, will our 1st teamers be able to hang? Will our backups step-up? I sincerely believe that our 1st team can play with anyone, but we've got some backups that need to work like heck to get better.
Posted by pdhuff on April 20, 2008 at 8:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gen Fritter - tks for the info. As far as 4th quarter "legs" go, Phillip will study the charts and say 4 punts will get us thru. The NC is ours.
Might even call a patented 4 yard curl on 3 and 8.
Will they let Dupree hold the Sears Trophy ala the Florida recruit?
Posted by tngeoff on April 20, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What's the next money making scheme? The Mouses Ear performing nightly at Student Center? Get a grip.
Posted by SFOrange on April 20, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'd like to see UT add a few men's sports that could push us into east/northeast exposure---soccer and lacrosse. In the landscape of college sports likely a couple of the least expensive (relatively speaking) programs to launch.
Posted by tngeoff on April 20, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SFOrange.
Good points. Even moreso...bring back wrestling.
Another area where we developed a top notch program and then dropped it, right out from under one of the most famopus wrestlers and wresrling coaches of all time.
Gray Simons:
"Simons began his coaching career at His alma mater, Lock Haven in 1964 where he remained there until 1970, winning two NAIA Championships, earning Coach-of-the-Year honors in 1966 and 1967 and amassing a 59-10-1 record. He then moved to Indiana State, where he led the Sycamores to a 42-21-0 Record from 1970-75. Simons next post was at the University of Tennessee from 1975-1986 where he compiled a 92-56-2 record and trained ten All-Americans before the sport was eliminated from Tennessee's program. The year that the Vols program was dropped, the team was ranked eighth nationally."
"The year the progarm was dropped Tennessee was ranked eight nationally." Most have no clue what an accomplishment that was. Next time you get a chance, watch the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and quietly thank Coach Simons for all he did...AND FOR WHAT? A good ol' Tennessee PhD. from Screw U.
Posted by SFOrange on April 20, 2008 at 6:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yep. I graduated early 80s and had a couple of wrestlers as roomates--Eathan Reeve for one.
UT needs to round out its mens program...and adding soccer and/or lacrosse would allow UT to be seen beyond the South and nationally in football/basketball/track. Ohio States soccer program and lacrosse (last week drew 29,000 (yep) to a game vs Denver) are great balances to other traditional sports.
Posted by tngeoff on April 20, 2008 at 7:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SFOrange.
NO WAY! Ethan was a great guy and a great wrestler! That is amazing. I wrestled early 70's but was around much longer. Coach Simon and I were pretty good friends. I was from a top New Jersey wrestling (and football) high school and he knew my coach. When I was at Tennessee, Bob Davis (Center for '51 National Championship team) and Joe Boone (Third in the Nation at Oklahoma State - great guy - battled cancer several years back and I hope he's okay - he wrestled for the famous Granby High School in Virginia for Billy Martin and brought a few Granby guys to Tennessee) were the coaches. Joe Boone strated the program building that Coach Simons took stellar. I'm guessing you were in Gibbs Hall. What sport did you participate in?
Posted by tngeoff on April 20, 2008 at 8:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mike Hamilton is considering the following according to inside sources. Revenues are all that matters now anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZrX37...
Posted by pdhuff on April 20, 2008 at 8:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tngeoff, had a little echo from the doldrums. This should buoy your spirits!
Are you ready?
An "in-the-box" Odd Ogg has appeared on ebay.
Vahalla!
Let me know if you're interested, I don't want a bidding war.
Go Vols.
Posted by SFOrange on April 20, 2008 at 9:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tngoeff:
Cool. Ethan and I and another wrestler (Bob-- can't remember his last name) lived in the Student Apts next to Morrill Hall. Very cool guys--that was '81. Yep, I'd agree to add wrestling back on the "new sports" list. I'm in California now (thus the SF). Cheers.
Posted by tngeoff on April 20, 2008 at 10:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SFOrange.
My wife and I moved back to Knoxville from San Diego.
I don't know off hand who Bob (big guy or little guy?) might be (I'm older now)...but Ethan was a really good guy. Stay safe out there.
pdhuff.
No way! I'll have to check the Ogg out! Thanks Bro'! You gonna bid?
Posted by mparker on April 20, 2008 at 10:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm going to state this flat out: Mike Hamilton is/has done a good job as AD.
He can operate in today's tough environment. I wish it was like the old days, but it really isn't. It's a nasty business climate, tons or rules and regs, and I don't envy him.
Look, guys, I live way out of state now, so I'll tell you something in a way you may not thinK: Big Orange sports is one of those 'constants', and you don't have many of those in life. Friends come and go, jobs, locations, even spouses....but evefy year their are the Vols in fottball, baskeball, baseball, track....
So, enjoy it, and be happy for having a pretty-much topnotch overall sports program.
Posted by pdhuff on April 20, 2008 at 11:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
mparker 10:22 pm good post-lot of truism, just wish one of the "constants" wasn't never winning the SEC. getting a little old......
Posted by camoman270 on April 21, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jlight..........or about as needed as another Clinton in the whitehouse you demo poc.
Posted by volboy81 on April 21, 2008 at 10:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
start giving the schools that GENERATE the money a bigger cut when the SEC dishes out the dough! Let the ones that dont pull their weight suffer the consequences.
Posted by 98reax on April 21, 2008 at 10:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Big Orange fans have much to be happy about. Stop whining. If you can't afford the tickets, stay home. No one is forcing you to go out to the games. Most are on TV. Go spend your money on something else.
Whatever you do for entertainment will cost you more. Get used to it. You have caused this rise in prices by being greedy. You insist on being the best and having the best. You go and go, and you spend and spend because you can. You always have. You always will.
You blame everything on someone else. "Take away his or her salary" you say. Well why don't you just give up yours? Everyone except you thinks you are overpaid, anyway.
We are Volunteer fans. That means we support the folks that make games happen. Nuf said!
Posted by BillVol on April 22, 2008 at 1:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good to see the wrestling chat on here. I got to know Ethan Reeve when he was weight coach at McCallie School in Chattanooga. Great guy. I wish we could have wrestling back at UT. I would rather we add wrestling to our program than soccer. Come on over to outermonvolia.com and let's talk some UT wrestling. I believe Gray Simons also wrestled at Granby for the great Billy Martin.
Posted by tngeoff on April 22, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
BillVol.
Indeed. Coach Simon did wrestle at Granby also. I'm on a trip and may have trouble hooking up at outermonvloia, but I will try. Next week is even more grueling for me...but...always remember...wrestling is where it's at!
Posted by tjmshm on April 22, 2008 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ASHLEY Thanks for the shout out to Monday's Vol Historian blog. Glad to see someone took note. Nothing really changes, does it?
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