Responding to tough financial times, Tennessee's athletic department detailed at the spring meeting of the Athletics Board continuing measures to avoid a deficit.
"Our goal is to break even and not have to dip into reserves at all,'' Bill Myers, senior associate athletic director for business operations, said of the 2008-09 budget.
Toward that end, further consolidation of administrative areas of the men's and women's athletic departments is in progress.
By July 1, compliance, development, event management and sports information will be united.
The overall departments will remain separate in that Joan Cronan will continue as athletic director for women's sports and Mike Hamilton for the men.
"We looked at how we could work better together,'' said Cronan. "We did not want to lose anything that made Tennessee unique, such as the Lady Vol brand and the Lady Vol logo.''
Prior to the announcement that football fell $2.2 million short of its projected revenue in 2008, the new head coach popped in for a brief introduction.
"We are committed to the whole student-athlete,'' Lane Kiffin told the board, mentioning his 5 a.m. running policy for anyone late to class or tutoring sessions.
Football fell $1 million short in ticket sales and another $1.2 short because the Vols did not play in a bowl as projected.
There was also a $1.9 million transition price tag to replace Phillip Fulmer with Kiffin.
Among other money-saving measures in the $87.5 million budget outlined were travel restrictions for competition and conferences and the elimination of an associate athletic director position.
Hamilton said the economy will determine much of UT's long-range planning on facilities.
Neyland Stadium renovation continues on pace, he said. The first phase will be done Aug. 26. More work will resume after the 2009 season and be completed for the 2010 opener.
The stadium JumboTron will be replaced as part of a recent extension of UT's media-rights deal with IMG.
Hamilton said UT is negotiating with equipment and apparel provider adidas in hopes of extending the contract which has one more year to run.
The pedestrian bridge from the G-10 garage to Thompson-Boling Arena will be completed this year.
The athletic department has learned it has to vacate Stokely Athletic Center by Dec. 31, 2012. A long-term solution for volleyball and indoor track has not been reached.
Hamilton cited tennis and basketball as men's highlights this year.
He said he looked for tennis to "win or compete for a national championship in the next 12 to 24 months.''
Of basketball, he said: "How far have we come in basketball in a short time when 21 wins and an Eastern Division championship is disappointing to some?
"It's not disappointing to us.''
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 26
Volsfan75 writes:
1st
gaVOLman writes:
You gotta spend money to make money. Kiffin will do his part to ensure the football program makes its share.
DennisVols writes:
I must be the only one who could not go the the game
DennisVols writes:
Maybe not
GOBIGO72 writes:
"We are committed to the whole student-athlete,'' Lane Kiffin told the board, mentioning his 5 a.m. running policy for anyone late to class or tutoring sessions"
And this is relative because.............
How about a 5 a.m. running policy for anyone that goes over budget maybe....that's probably what he said and KNS just misquoted.
gaVOLman writes:
Its relative because if the players don't do well in class they have to pay for it by running at 5 am.
DennisVols writes:
This is more proof that the change was necessary. Apathy had set in last year. Fans felt that nothing was going to change in the football program. A couple of good, not great, years then another year like '05 or '08. In this tough economy you have to give customers something to be excited about. Todays attendance at the O&W game is proof that the excitement is back on Rocky Top.
CoverOrange writes:
UTAD was in the black for 2007-08 by the narrowest of margins compared to the rest of the SEC. Seems reasonable to me that Hamilton pulled the trigger on Fulmer when a winning season was no longer possible and a payoff bowl out of reach. Kiffin needs to get UT to a bowl next season or UTAD is in deep kimchi.
GOBIGO72 writes:
oh....ok.....now I get it...thanks....awesome the way they captured that quote - made all the difference.
highVOLtage writes:
What are you even talking about?
ugloc35#561911 writes:
maybe Phil could give back some of the buyout or give up his secretary to help out
EaTn writes:
College football is really a business, then run it like one. What do business do in this situation? They cut costs, overhead, expenses.
Ringleader writes:
Nope, That would be another secondary violation. You cannot disclipline using athletic improving work unless it is voluntary. Your disclipline has to be in the academic field using academic counselors. If you disclipline by running, the time has to be deducted from practice time, part of the 20 hours per week.
We still need to read the rule book.
floridavolsfan writes:
Hammy cannot handle money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!He gives raises for no reason! What a dream boss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
teampenny#658108 writes:
AD should be on hot seat. Less winning, less money coming in and bad baseball hire. go vols
Colliervol writes:
One more little note about the excitement being back. The line to get in the Fan Day event was so long that I didn't even bother. It stretched down the entire block and around the corner continously for two hours. It kept moving but people just kept getting in line and it never got smaller. It was nice to see after the apathy that I saw last year.
rudy123 writes:
Not to worry!!! Once we begin winning again, the attendance will improve. We will get bowl revenues also.
Once Fulmer has received his last paycheck, we will be in
better shape also.
Winning will cure the financial issues!!!
spoonerism writes:
Well, the $300,000 + they made today should help. O&W tickets ($5 each) and fan packs ($15 each) add up when 51,000 + show up for a practice!
JohnsonCity_George writes:
I saw nothing today that would indicate I will not get my money's worth this fall.
Waldorf writes:
Yet another great legacy left at UT by Foolmore.
Good riddance.
TommyJack writes:
Most gator fans I know are ashamed of you. I told them to relax, you're not really a gator.
pventimi#592480 writes:
I love how you won't respond to this in the other thread! But I'll post it here as well:
"Since when is earning $2.2 million less in revenue than projected the same thing as losing $2.5 million dollars?
If I expected to earn $100,000 dollars last year, but only earned $80,000, does that somehow mean I am $20,000 'in the red'?
Do they print UF diplomas on toilet paper, so that they reflect what they are worth? Get a life gatorz. Or, at least get a calculator!
UT is one of the most profitable athletic departments in the NCAA, and is one of only two Div. I athletic departments to receive absolutely no public funding or taxpayer dollars.
Come back and talk to us when your athletic department stops being a tax-leech..."
Come on lil-gator, where are you?
pventimi#592480 writes:
You know who else used to do acrostic poems? My girlfriends in junior high.
Seriously, though, that's veeeery good, you get a sticker!!!
*Pats RBT on his helmet, and wipes away drool from the corner of his mouth*
murrayvol writes:
rockybottom's days (hours) are numbered. Or at least they should be.
RockinTop writes:
This is a great point....but you left out one important thing....they fire under performing employees and hire one's that will produce results.
Yeah, ok, Kiffin hasn't won a game yet....but I can guarantee you one thing....sales of UT stuff is already up! I havent bought anything UT in about 5 years now...and I cannot be alone and these numbers prove it. Revenue is down!....but just wait till the numbers come in for next year.....that number will change.
Personally, I give cudos to the powers that be at UT....to fire a legend is a tough call....but numbers don't lie....and cudos to them for having the courage to fire the legend and watching the balance sheet to see where the problem was. Football revenues is what carries UT. Like it or not.....
So what they had to pay Kiffin and Co. more.....just watch.....these numbers will change dramatically......
Off to buy some UT stuff.....
ONUV writes:
go with nike
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