Athletics to give extra $1M yearly to UT

In time when many athletic departments around the country are asking more from their universities, Tennessee is giving back.

Athletic director Mike Hamilton announced Tuesday that the athletic department has committed an additional $1 million a year to the university for the next 15 years, bringing the total direct contributions from the athletic department to more than $8 million in fiscal 2009.

The athletic department's total contributions for fiscal 2010 are projected to exceed $11 million.

Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, who attended Tuesday's press conference in the lobby of Hodges Library, said the athletic department does more for the university than most realize.

"If you look at the total contribution from athletics, I think it's one of the most significant, one of the leaders in the country," Cheek said. "We've got a great athletic program, and I think they're maintaining that relationship with giving back to the campus. It's one of the top (programs) in the country as far as giving back to academics."

The annual $1 million gift announced Tuesday comes directly from the new 15-year television contracts with CBS and ESPN that the SEC signed last summer.

The SEC, which distributes funds to member schools, has not released the terms of the new deals, however media reports put their combined value at more than $3 billion over the next 15 years.

Hamilton stressed that the athletic department will budget to make sure it is able to meet its additional $1 million contribution to the university.

"We've committed to this, now we need to make sure that we've budgeted on the front end to provide that over the 15 years," Hamilton said. "We are providing this for 15 years because that's the length of the SEC's television contract. And then somebody else will sit down with the chancellor in year 16 because I'm going to be retired. I can promise you."

Cheek said that $800,000 of the athletic department's gift will fund about 40 graduate assistantships, while $100,000 will go to the Student Success Center, which provides tutoring and counseling services to all students. Another $100,000 will be distributed to the Tennessee Teaching and Learning Center, which provides faculty on the Knoxville campus with professional development.

The impact of that money is significant, Cheek said.

"This is just $1 million out of the SEC contract," he said. "You look at the total amount of money they give us each year, it's a great amount. It makes a significant difference on the campus. We're going to do a better job communicating what all the athletic department does for the campus in this next year."

To that end, Cheek said UT will rename $1.375 million worth of non-athletic scholarships to make sure students know the funding comes from athletics.

The athletic department also plans to contribute $2.7 million from the newly introduced Tennessee Fund in 2010, an additional $375,000 for the Lake Loudoun Boulevard Campus Beautification Project as well as other contributions.

"The good thing is, this is cash so we get to use it each year so you can see the benefit of it. My hope is in 15 years, after we've won several national championships," Cheek said with a laugh, "that the SEC contract will even increase and this will continue and it will be a part of the University of Tennessee."

Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.