Recruiting is to college football what breathing is to life.
It doesn't come cheap and cutting corners will only cost you more on the field.
Recruiting high-school football players is big business, especially in the Southeastern Conference.
A recent story in the Huntsville Times revealed Tennessee spent more money the past three years on recruiting than any SEC team. The Vols spent an average of $1,154,802 over those three years. The vaunted 2007 class that landed Heisman candidate Eric Berry cost the Vols $1.3 million.
Continue reading at The Tennessean.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 27
Phowell23 writes:
In other news, in order to win football games you must have a higher score then your opponent.
doh writes:
man i hate when the news is slow. i think everyone probably knew this about this relationship.
PennVol writes:
Can someone call Coach Kiffin and tell him that recruiting is important? He needs to know about this asap.
DennisVols writes:
Rebuilding the Reputation of a team and a coach: Lane Kiffin and the UT Volunteers.
http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/Denn...
CoverOrange writes:
Ease up guys. How many of you knew UT spent $1.3M on the 2007 class. How many of you knew Florida has no Tennessee players on their roster and Bama has only one significant contributor from Tennessee. Obvious conclusion, yeah, but facts to make it true rather than mythbusted.
Want assertions with not facts, read JA.
roobomb writes:
That nearly brought a tear to my eye...
OrangeMandM writes:
No subscription. Think you could give us a lil copy and paste action? :)
HighlandVol writes:
Wow Captain Obvious, I almost didn't recognize you without the cape.
shoalcreekvol writes:
Man, Ed Orgeron is gonna FREAK when he finds out about this...
tnbanker_govols writes:
I can hear Madden now.....
"In order for this team to win more games this year, they must learn to accumulate more points than the other team."
Hayezb writes:
Why?
Why even post this story?
gnm53108 writes:
We better keep this under wraps.We wouldnt want saban or urbie finding out about this.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Some nice stuff on here and a good read overall, but can I proof-read your next piece before you publish it?
the10sevol writes:
anybody hear anything else on the "big fish" rumor of a big time qb transferring to the Vols?
VolSkins writes:
didnt know if you guys had seen this...six foot two 185 lbs
Volunteers land ESPNU 150 Watch List wide receiver Markeith Ambles
Highly-touted Markeith Ambles (McDonough, Ga./Henry County) has committed to sign with Tennessee's Class of 2010, ESPN's Tom Luginbill reports.
As a junior, he caught 53 passes for 993 yards (18.7 average) and 13 touchdowns.
chazoid1#255970 writes:
From the land of Hollywood, new football coach Lane Kiffin has brought with him the maxim that "there is no bad publicity."
His use of that principle has infuriated SEC coaches, their players, and made nervous the SEC Commissioner, Slive. So much so that Kiffin has picked up already without ever playing a game some minor "secondary" violations claims under the SEC's "speak no evil of another program" policy. Kiffin went specially recently to reassure the Commish that he is not developing a "rogue bad boy" Oakland Raiders type program.
If Pearl is the "good twin" version of publicity, some may feel that Lane must be the evil twin; but with his honest, All-American looking face and family, he doesn't look the part. His latest is to put up UT billboards in the front yards of opposing SEC schools such as Florida. Of course, older sports fans not of the MySpace generation are horrified over making opponents mad with the extra incentives of locker room blackboard material.
Kiffin views all of this as a recruiting tool and the fact that he had a top ten recruiting class, though he came late to the recruiting season, suggest he may be vindicated. Time will tell. But sports conservatives seem to fear that future SEC gatherings and games will start to sound like replays of the World Wrestling Federation by Vince McMahon, with the Hulk and the Rock slinging insults at each other, more that old time SEC football.
Pearl created the same responses in the sports media and SEC bb coaches with his antics, but he is laughing all the way to the bank, and his recruits are rated higher and higher every year, this year resulting in the top point guard in the nation committing to the Vols. He made UT basketball relevant and ESPN hang on his every word waiting for the next headline. This by a guy who started with a handful of cast off players no one else wanted. Pearl could now get offers from about any program in the nation, and that may be Lane Kiffin's goal---- but some say that unlike Pearl, Lane Kiffin will be gone at the first good opportunity.
For those who may wonder if Kiffin has Vince McMahon on speed dial, Bruce Pearl, Lane Kiffin, Pat Summitt, and yes Sarah Palin, understand one thing as much as any. It's a Hulk Hogan--American Idol world. You don't like this? "HEY, YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME!????"
GaytorsSuckAndBamaBlows writes:
There is something going on in Knoxville. I sure wish we could find out what it is!! Great get with Ambles.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Always thought Biddle had a mind like a steel trap.
How is Dupree?
volatil writes:
Joe Biddle went to High school with Spurrier,he constantly takes shots at UT. Im from middle Tn. and you can hear him on the radio always putting UT down. He had a contest where you pick the winners of Sat. games, if you won you got a "I beat Biddle" bumper sticker, needless to say they ran out every year.
utvols1969 writes:
Some basic isms:
1. The team with the better players win the majority of games.
2. To get the best players nationally, you must recruit them in their homes and in their schools and not by mailing them colorful literature.
3. Traveling all over the country incurs expenses.
4. Duh!!!
CoachFulmer writes:
Why does everyone have to be so cynical of writers that get thier threads posted on this site?
BigOrangeVol writes:
According to the Bama forum Markeith Ambles is a huge mistake. They are so happy that he didn't accept their scholarship offer because he evidently has ego, grade, character and attitude problems. That's why Bama; Fla; UGA; Ole Ms; Aub; Ark; Sou Car; UK; USC; Cal; UCLA; GT; FSU; WV; Clemson and Tulsa "backed-off" him even though they were all still offering until today. How unfortunate for us!
BigOrangeVol writes:
Oh, ...and Biddle is just the defunct Nashville Banner version of Climer. If it were possible to meld their minds together the outcome would still only be a half-wit mongoloid. If either ever have an original thought it will be the first time for each.
Biddle scoured the newswire for what someone else did the leg-work on finding out what the recruiting costs were and tried to write an article around a Gentry Estes blog written 9 days ago. Thanks for that scoop Bibble. At least the Editor made him credit The Huntsville Times, just not the actual author, so Ole Joe couldn't be accused of blatant plagiarism. This is just another example of why Middle Tennesseans are on GVX.
http://blog.al.com/press-register-spo...
douglasawilliams#582863 writes:
MOTO (master of the obvious)
jamesarobertson#633301 writes:
As a Vol graduate and fan living in Athens, GA, it is discouraging to see week after week four and five star players consider UT but sign with another school. Take UGA they already have 18 committmentsfor 2010 and are ranked no 3 in nation. That are loading up with lineman. UT better sign more lineman or get used to .500 wins or less.
volatil writes:
"Joe Biddle stabs people in the back". Signed George Plaster
seventysevenvol writes:
huh?
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