Athletic departments to see some changes; football short $2.2M of projected revenue

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.''

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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