To get to 98,205 took some work Saturday.
That was the announced attendance for Tennessee's home opener against UAB.
But for anyone that was at Neyland Stadium, that number seemed as inflated as a blimp.
The announced attendance includes tickets sold and anyone that steps foot in the stadium, including stadium personnel, players and coaches.
The lower level of Neyland Stadium was mostly full, other than a smattering of empty seats in the UAB section.
The upper level was another matter. It looked little more than 50 percent full except for the upper level student section, which was almost empty.
Actual attendance was estimated to be 80,000 to 85,000.
UT athletic director Mike Hamilton disagreed with such estimates, saying he believed the crowd was close to the announced attendance.
"I thought it was a good crowd," he said.
Hamilton said he knew coming into the game there wouldn't be a capacity turnout.
Approximately 1,500 student tickets went unsold and UAB only purchased 800 tickets from its 9,500 allotment.
"Couple that with the gas shortage and the fact it's on television in hi-def now," Hamilton said. "Frankly, when I got into the stadium for pre-game, I thought 'This is a pretty good crowd.' "
Heat was also a factor as temperatures rose above 90 degrees with a heat index that was even higher.
"The heat was so bad we had people dropping out right and left," Hamilton said. "Our first-aid stations were real active."
Hamilton said he has considered installing a scanning system like the one used in Thompson-Boling Arena to determine a more exact attendance.
However, he has decided against it for now because of the $500,000 price tag. He said it could be implemented in the next two or three years.
Morley Suspended: UT coach Phillip Fulmer said junior safety Demetrice Morley was suspended for the first quarter for an unspecified violation of team rules. Fulmer declined to elaborate.
Morley entered the game in the second quarter.
With Morley out, UT slid starting sophomore cornerback Dennis Rogan to safety and played sophomore Marsalous Johnson at cornerback.
Rogan has proven to be one of UT's most versatile defensive backs, playing safety in UT's nickel and dime package as well as cornerback in its base package.
"He's probably like the Reggie Bush of defense," safety Eric Berry said. "He plays nickel back, cornerback, safety. He does it all.
All that despite a pulled abdominal muscle that sidelined Rogan for much of the opener at UCLA.
Sophomore cornerback Brent Vinson saw limited time in UT's nickel and dime package. Vinson was suspended for the opener after a violation of the class attendance policy.
Still, Vinson has been lauded by coaches for his practice intensity even as he was mired on the third team.
"Today just put the exclamation mark on everything," Vinson said of his return.
Lapsing Luke: Tight end Luke Stocker had three drops, one of which would have been good for a long gain before halftime.
Despite his other two drops, the Vols scored on both drives.
"If we would have lost and I had those drops, I'd be blaming myself," Stocker said.
Stocker admitted that once he dropped a pass, it was hard to keep from dropping another.
"It's tough to keep it out of your head, it really is," he said.
Offensive coordinator Dave Clawson wasn’t dwelling on Stocker’s drops.
“He’s as strong at his position as any player on our team,” Clawson said.
Injury Report: Offensive guard Anthony Parker was ill and needed two IV's at halftime. His snaps were limited in favor of Vladimir Richard.
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
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Comments » 119
ncvol17 writes:
B.S. Poor play+ charging students for game tickets cause empty seats.
If we play the way we did in the 1st half it will be a Florida blowout loss again this year.
Warren and Creer looked god.
ncvol17 writes:
Heat.. I sat through the UCLA game that topped 100 degrees and killed Smokey. They ran out of Ice and water. Fans still stayed because it was a good product on the field. Using the heat as an excuse is B.S. propaganda smoke.
MANVOL writes:
Hi-DEF, Gas, Heat,ETC???? Got any more excuses? How about that contract; do you think that had anything to with it? You agreed to a contract that the people who pay the bills over didn't agree with and we showed you what we thought of it!!!!!When its time, you sir can pay the buy out...
TommyJack writes:
hi-def my azz. He's in denial too.
imjustafan writes:
He charged students for tickets this year and they showed that they aren't going to come. The students make the game special. Hamilton said once before that he would be able to sell those tickets the students didn't buy...looked pretty empty to me and I was there!!
GO VOLS!
snowvol writes:
I've always liked Mike Hamilton, but this is too much. He's absolutely full of it on this attendance thing.
ClockworkOrange writes:
THIS IS THE DEAL FOLKS: Observations from Eliz. TN
1. Crompton is slower than my grandpa (who has been dead for 20 years). He is a serious detriment to our team. Actually makes me pine for the days of Casey Clausen!
2. 85000 in attendance is a joke and should be a wake up call.
3.Our running offense had better be at its best next week, you know FL is going to key in on it and make Crapton beat them.
4.The UCLA score is a killer-from a mental standpoint.
Granted, I attended ut from 1997 through 2001, so I tend to hold UT to a pretty high standard, but why can we not recruit a decent QB? Ainge was mediocre at best and crompton would be 2nd or 3rd on either GA or FL!
TommyJack writes:
Plus it was over 90 degrees....lol.. Wise up folks!
LifeTimeVOL writes:
hottest game of my life, and I've been going since I popped out. A lot of other students did not show up because it was a million degrees outside and we had one of the most embarrassing losses of my lifetime to UCLA - who lost 59-0 today BYU today... No more excuses, that was just a pathetic showing on the west coast again, UCLA is NOT GOOD. But, if we continue to RUN THE FOOTBALL, we will be ok as long as we continue to "work like heck to get better" and "play better".
ClockworkOrange writes:
Did he really say "gas shortage" ??? That is an insult to our collective IQ; the gas situation didn't even factor in until yesterday afternoon. Anyone who had a long drive to Knoxville and had tickets would have already been on the road before this was a factor.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Spin it Mikey, spin it.
You will soon discover that people do not believe that BS.
"Actual attendance believed to be 80-85 thousand."
20,000 or so stayed away.
ClockworkOrange writes:
BTW,
Did the U of T really start charging the kids for tix this year, and if so what is the fee? When I was there it was called an activity fee or something to that effect. Do other SEC schools do this now?
VolFan1012 writes:
Does anyone else think that the little WR screen we ran to Lucas Taylor (12 times) would have been a pick six against most any team from the SEC???
tulelakevol writes:
Hamilton is so full of it is not even funny. Give a solid product on the field, and you will have a full stadium. Chris Low mention's the UCLA gut stomping by BYU in his blog today. Way to go UT, florida will spread our guts all over the field. Fire Fulmer!!!
fantn writes:
Set DirecTV DVR up to record the Chattanooga station feed of the game. First half looked like the game was played in a snowstorm due to the picture quality. Early in the third qtr the local signal was lost for the rest of the game. So much for avoiding radio and TV until later.
xvolx writes:
now we know there is no shortage of hot air.
ONUV writes:
hambone just toeing the company line. he's a puppet for fulmer, haslem, thunder, etc.
creepykev#228270 writes:
I was pleased Raycom had hidef here in Knoxville. I hope they do the basketball game the same way.
creepykev#228270 writes:
I got Comcast. It looked great.
creepykev#228270 writes:
Crompton didn't look any better in Hidef though.
ncvol17 writes:
What is the per game cost to students for tickets?
In my day you paid a quarterly activity fee that was good for all UT activities including Football and basketball tickets. One person could bring 10 different student activity cards and get grouped seats together for the football games.
ZacharyUTK writes:
Students pay 90 dollars for season football tickets. On top of the Student Activities Fee.
I wonder when basketball will follow suit?
VolNWA writes:
Haters.... remember these three things. We lost to UCLA by beating ourselves, in addition to a bad call on a safety. We were there big game. And if BYU looks impressive, remember just last week only a bad call by the ref kept them from going into OT with a horrible soon-to be 0-3 Washington team. That will motivate you to play better every time. Each team is different from week to week! Last year, USC somehow lost at home (not on the road) to a Stanford team that won a total of 3 games, and they still had a decent season. I just don't think you can look into it. September 20, just like Sept. 27 and Oct. 11 are whole new games where there score starts out at 0-0.
SFOrange writes:
is Hamilton on crack? flat team, deflating upset loss in game one, cupcake no name opponent = falling attendance. no excuses. if the fans felt compelled by any glimer of positive spin on this team, they'd be in the stands. drops in attendance like this don't happen overnight. this program has a problem. if UT gets blown out next week, then loses @ Auburn--how will he explain the 65K in the stands vs. Northern Illinois?
JacksonvilleVol writes:
Yup. Students pay $90 for tickets now for the football games each season. For "Orange Nation," the student booster group, they have to pay even more to ensure seats close to the action!
It's sad that once they start a payment process, UT will never take it out. The student section will not get larger for the majority of the home games.
UT4ME writes:
After observing Fulmer's shocking sense of urgency during today's game, & then reading these ridiculous comments from Hamilton, I really think that both of these guys are finally feeling the heat. Empty seats...in the 10's of thousands...for the home-opener. First time under 100K since 1989 is what they said on the broadcast, & they were referring to the "official" announcement of 98K, which was obviously some 15-20K above reality.
I have NEVER seen the sense of urgency that was displayed by Fulmer today, especially not with UT ahead by 2 or 3 touchdowns, no matter how bad we sucked. Certainly saw no emotion when we were on ESPN Monday night...but I think many, many folks did see that after UCLA scored with 31 ticks left, Fulmer visibly quit on his team when he removed his headset & handed off the playbook. He's been the butt of so many jokes in the sports media world, & not just since the UCLA meltdown. Seeing the UCLA coaches being very animated and active DURING the game...& comparing that with Fulmer & Clawson in the booth...was simply embarrassing.
It seems as if even the KNS has just given up...with "It is what it is" and other recent articles resigned to the fact that Fulmer has been signed on forever; mediocrity is the best we'll ever see.
The excuses from Fulmer since 2005 have been so repetitive & resulted in many, many "Fulmerism's". The "8-win extension/raise" clause in Hambone's ridiculous contract might have been the tipping point. What I'm saying hear is that, for the first time ever, Fulmer looks & acts like he is worried during a game today. Hamilton's excuses for having 80k fans in a stadium that has averaged 104K for home openers over the last 20 years sound desperate. So what exactly is causing this obvious change? I mean, losing 59-20 at Florida is worse than a 3 pt OT loss to UCLA, right? The only thing that's different in September of 2008, versus every September of this century, is that Neyland was over 20% empty for the home opener. UT Football has been a huge cash cow for a long time, irregardless of the product being "sold". Today, at least for me, there were visible signs of concern from Fulmer & to a lesser degree, Hamilton. After 10 years of no championships, consistent mediocrity & poor coaching, etc., I just don't believe it was one (of very many) loss to UCLA that has Fulmer so "animated" on the sidelines. I think the massive sections of empty seats seen today, which has NEVER happened before under Fulmer's watch, has finally gotten his attention. For those of you who long for a change "at the top", today might have been the beginning of the end.
law_vol writes:
Charging students for their tickets is not that big a deal. Most other big programs already do it. Also, a significant number of students bought their game tickets and didn't go to the ticket office and pick them up. Hamilton's numbers included purchased student tickets, not alotted student tickets.
Having said that, the stadium was more empty than I can ever remember against any team. That sucks. Also, while Crompton has flashes of playmaking ability, any time he gets pressure it is hit or miss, with a miss being a bonehead interception across the middle. So, hopefully our running game continues to improve to keep the pass rush off of him enough to beat FL.
law_vol writes:
From a football standpoint - did anyone else notice that on at least five plays, our linebackers were so busy talking to the other defenders on the field to seemingly figure out what each other should do that they reacted late to the snap?
wagee12 writes:
Hamilton, you are making a total fool out of yourself. Do you think every Tennessee fan and alum in a braindead hick? Stop with the whining and excuses already, this is really becoming the laughing stock of all who write, talk about and follow college football across this nation. It would be better for you, Hamilton, to keep your mouth shut and let everyone wonder if you are a fool rather than open your mouth and prove that their suspions were correct! Please, I beg you, don't insult our intelligence again!
govols22231 writes:
why is he making the students pay they arnt gonna come of they have to pay. And if they dont come it wont nearly be as loud as it has been they are the ones that make the games loud and fun to watch. Why are we changing everything so much now its ruining Tennessee football!
wagee12 writes:
And one more thing, if there were 98,000 people there today, then let me sell you, Mr. Hamilton, the Brooklyn Bridge. We have already heard estimates of 85K, which is much closer to the actual attendance than your inflated numbers. What are you going to do when Urban Meyer flattens Foolmurr and goes to 4-0 vs. your coach? If you think it was a light crowd today, get ready, you ain't seen nothing yet.
chrisw2967 writes:
sounds like to me the fat lady just might be warming up
xvolx writes:
where will the wake be held after the fla. game, because this team is going to be dead.
eduardo writes:
Let's try this again mr. hamilton if this team goes 6-6 or 7-5 is there a decision to be made? Boy oh boy are the 90s a long time ago!
Orangebrewbasher writes:
Is Hamilton one of those stupid people who think everyone around him is as stupid as they are. Those excuses sounded worse than fulmer's are.
Feared_Mustang_Package writes:
foreverorange,
Just the opposite. Sounds like to me he thinks any kind of quote he throws out the masses will take as the gospel. Hamilton is starting a record with thinking the Tennessee fan base are short in the IQ dept. While I will admit every fan base has their idiot factor it doesn't take a man of scholar to see the writing on this wall.
BuckheadVol writes:
workinglikeheck.blogspot.com
budd#207344 writes:
mikey hamilton probably does think that is was a good crowd for the phooey he is allowing to go onto the field. But after the Florida debacle to come he may change his mind when he starts to figure out what those empty seats will cost him
FLAVOLS writes:
I have to say that this could become really nasty. I'm tired of excuses. I think there is just as much heat and hi def TV's in Florida and they had 61,000 at their televised spring game and sold out their home opener vs. Hawaii.
The writing is on the wall. The hopes for success in 2008 have faded with the loss to a pitiful UCLA team and we can only try to get behind this team that has very inadequate coaching and hope that a miraculous turnaround could be near.
chrisw2967 writes:
I think the whole AD including Fulmer and Chavis sit around and take turns about making up excuses for the media and the fans and I actually think they believe people will buy into all this bs
heck Cutcliff has Duke avg. more points than we are and thats Duke. we all know they dont have the athletes the vols have. nobody can say its because they havent played anybody but neither has Tn. but thats about to change in 7 days.
eb502us#225637 writes:
The simple answer for the poor turnout.....
UCLA 27 UT 24
BYU 59 UCLA 0
More and more fans are starting to realize that Fulmer and his staff are a joke, especially given the talent level we have over both UCLA and BYU. Maybe Hamiliton one day will see it as well.
Feared_Mustang_Package writes:
eb502
Hamilton sees it. He just can't admit it.
churchinthecurve#538620 writes:
I have always been a supporter of Fulmer and Mr. Hamilton but to be honest those comments were so idiotic I can no longer support or believe in their leadership.
BigOrangeVol writes:
Hey Mike threw out the company spin just as you would expect any and every AD to do. So should his answer have been that the attendance was low because the UCLA game sucked and UT is now gouging students that barley have enough money to buy chicken pot pies, frozen burritos and a six of cheap beer? Hey, it could be worse, we could have idiot AD’s like Malfunction Moore, Mitch Barnhart, Eric Hyman, Jeff Long, Jay Jacobs, Pete Boone or Greg Byrne.
Surely you folks aren’t naive enough to think that any AD speaks the truth unless it benefits them!!!
The real question is do any of you think it would have made any difference if Dickey was saying it; because he has said exactly the same thing before when the team wasn’t up to par and the attendance was affected? Gas, heat and Hi-Def do make a difference for some folks but 20,000… no, I don’t think so. But Mike did sit at the feet of the SPIN MASTER! How do you clean-up the mess Doug made with firing Majors, several NCAA investigations, Shaklee, phone fraud, academic fraud accusations by a fruit-loop prof, a pseudo-illegal summer camp, a ticket scandal, Wade Houston v. Cherokee Country Club, and on and on… and still come out smelling like a rose? If Gotti was the “Teflon Don” and Clinton the “Teflon President” then Dickey was the “Teflon AD”. Mike doesn’t have that skill set yet so quit trying to make him as slick as the “Tall-One”.
I complained to Dickey once that the price of a football ticket jumped almost 50% one year and that it was difficult for my girlfriend and I to make games because of it (along with gas prices soaring at over $1.00 a gallon, $40 hotel rooms, meals, ect…) – he just looked down his nose at me and said, “I guess you need a cheaper date.” and walked off. Now there’s a guy that really cared about the young little-guy alumni.
I never got too worked-up over his leaving in ’69. The guy grew up in Gainesville, played QB at U of F and got his degree there. The only reason he was ever a coach at UT was because Woodruff was his coach at Florida. He didn’t do as well at U of F as he did here and was fired to make way for Charlie Pell; that’s humiliating enough on its own!!! Dickey mad some great business moves for UT, put the Power T on the helmets and had the Pride of the Southland band form the T for the players and coaches – beyond that…not much other than feather his own bed. Mike isn’t nearly as intelligent, devious and lacking in character as Dickey.
junder13 writes:
Hahahahaha, gas shortages and hi-def tv are the reasons behind UT's worst attendance in a home opener in nearly 20 years?!?!? Did you really say that?!?! Ham-isms! If Fulmerisms weren't enough, now we have Hamisms too!
Hambone, I like you even less than Foolmer and I'll take seeing his horribly coached team for the 7 remaining years on his contract if it means you leave UT forever! It's a shame you get credit for the Pearl hire (Ernie's hire).
Hamilton, you just spat in the fan's faces with these ridiculous comments and excuses. What an insult to my and the alumni intellegence!!!! If I had even a morsel of respect for you before this, it's gone now. You're a disgrace to UT athletics and you're bring our football down to your pitiful level!!!
junder13 writes:
Yeah, ok ButchIsBack. We're all dumb, whinny, pessimistic rednecks who don't know our history. If our crowd is so great--we'll leave out the fact that it's obviously over-reported 15 to 20k--then can you tell me the date of the last opener we had so many (few) fans?!?
You're fine with mediocre or average UT football, but not everybody else is. That doesn't make us bad fans, as a matter of fact, mindsets like yours of accepting status quo, in my opinion, makes a bad fanbase! We've had the same coach since '93! I don't see a coaching carousel going around. This isn't a matter of coaching change after coaching change (except O-Coord., lol). A university does not need fans who support a head coach regardless of production. We have had the same head coach, same excuses, and same DISAPPOINTMENTS for the past 8 years!!!
So, ButchIsBack, perhaps its best if you go back to wherever you supposedly came back from. You're not helping the situation! You talk about how this crowd was great and obviously you don't know the history of UT fan support at Neyland, otherwise you'd shut your mouth. Also, the 80,000 or so fans who were there were just as listless as those who didn't show! People respond when motivated to do so, and fans are just fed up w. foolmer and his disappointing teams. This is sports and it's for entertainment, NOT OBLIGATION! Go to a UT basketball game if you think there's a problem with the UT fanbase. That'll prove you wrong! The problem is UT coaching and self-righteous fans who mistake what being a fan really is (like you)! Imagine if Florida stuck with Zook or if we stook with Buzz. Attendance at UT bball games dropped to embarrassing #s before Pearl. Looks like that's what it'll take to make a change w. our fball team too! So much for your tirade...
chrisw2967 writes:
butchisback:its for sure they wasnt 98k fans there maybe 85k and you sound as pathetic as hamilton and fulmer. your just one of these so called fulmer lovers that will take an 8 win season for him to get his extra 20 years.and who cares how many people were at the LSU game.
it just shows you buy into the bs , very easily
junder13 writes:
If we lose to Florida & Auburn, what will Hambone's "Hamisms" be for the poor crowd turnout at the Northern Illinois game?
In case he needs them (which he probably will), I've went ahead and prepared a few that should be on a similar level of intellegence to the delightful ones he provided today:
1. "Well, there are always a couple weddings early in October"
2. "Vandy had a home game this weekend against Auburn and it was a doosey"
3. "Rain was in the forecast today" (there's always at least one channel that'll say this, so...)
4. "A flu epidimic hit Knox County last night and people were afraid it'd spread."
5. "Traffic on I-40! All the fans were just dying to get here but the roads were backed up for miles. It beat all I ever saw!!"
6. "There's been a huge increase in the number of boats in the Vol Navy--I'd say at least 10,000 more fans are on the river this year compared to last season. We're actually considering taking out part of the end zone section and manholing the river to the edge of the stadium. It's only fair to the fans! We'll have a new ticket price for all boats on the river at game time, to be announced later."
7. "It was a bit warm today and most people have put their summer clothes away and probably didn't want to get them back out. That's a no-brainer!"
8. "Class midterms are coming up in 3 weeks, and our students are preparing, as they should. Students have collectively said the new $90 ticket price this year is not that big a deal. It's only 3 or 4 cases of Natty anyway..."
9. "Northern Illinois doesn't have a fan base and we forgot to resell their allotated tickets they returned."
10. Well, those d@mn East TN gas prices and cable companies that only provide HD for UT games! Jeez, if we only had a level playing field to work with..."
and if all else fails:
"Well, there was a rumor Jonathan Crompton was going to be in the UT theater's "Nutcracker" ballet production and 10,000 counterfeit tickets were sold for a Saturday showing. Turns out it was a prank but everyone seemed to fall for it. Not sure why..."
Better start thinking of some quick, Hammy. You may need 'em! Feel free to use one of my suggestions if you have a brain fart like you apparently did today.
I gave my all for UT today!
VolPowers writes:
Mike Hamilton is now officially Baghdad Bob.
Fulmer's your friend...we get it. It's gonna cost you....
want_2_be_a_vols_fan writes:
WOW you guys win and the coaching staff can't shut up and say way to go team. Would someone please get phill and chavis a binky if I wanted to hear all this whyning id go spend the day at a day care.
And I'm really starting to understand why there is no IQ from your coaches they all went to Cracker Jack University.
Please don't insult my intelligence on why no one was at the game today, if you give into all the money spending in Knox you are paying phill's pay check.
There is going to be a change in the United States in 08 maybe UT needes to jump on this same band wagon and Change the coaching staff.
Cant wait to hear the excuess next week keep up the chrap great pumpkin
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