Today On Rocky Top: Vols Delicately Adding Neutral Site Games

Mar 16, 2014; Bristol, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones signs a Battle at Bristol poster before the NASCAR Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Tennessee and Virginia will play a football game at the speedway on September 10, 2016. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

From The Daily Times

"One by one, as the reports have trickled out, Tennessee’s future schedules have gotten a little farther away from Knoxville.First it was the ‘Battle at Bristol’ announcement last October, with the Vols scheduled to play Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway in September 2016, a game that’s expected to break a world record for attendance at a football game.In February Tennessee announced it will open its 2015 schedule at Nashville’s LP Field against UAB.In early April, the Vols and West Virginia were reportedly close to finalizing a deal to play a game in Charlotte, N.C. Tennessee wouldn’t confirm the report when it surfaced and, a month later, the deal has yet to be formally announced by either school.Read more at The Daily Times"

From The Times Free Press

"New Tennessee basketball coach Donnie Tyndall’s task of replenishing the depleted roster he inherited got a boost late Thursday night.That’s when Jabari McGhee, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward from Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, committed to the Volunteers while on an official visit to Knoxville, and Tyndall’s first pledge as Tennessee’s coach signed with the program officially on Friday.McGhee was committed to Auburn out of Monroe High School in Albany, Ga., before attending prep school.“It was definitely Coach Tyndall,” he said by phone Friday afternoon, “and the way he looked me in my eyes and told me he was ready to work and that he’s going to push me as hard as I’ve ever been pushed and that I could benefit from that.“He was just like, if I work my tail off, then I’ll play,” McGhee added. “He kept everything real, 100 and straightforward. You work your tail off, you do what you’re supposed to do and you’ll be successful here at Tennessee, and we will win games. That’s enough for me.”Tyndall and assistants Adam Howard and Chris Shumate recruited McGhee while at Southern Mississippi, and McGhee knew assistant Al Pinkins, who recruited while on the staff at Ole Miss.Before visiting the Vols, McGhee, who averaged 24 points and 15 rebounds for Hargrave this past season, took visits to Western Kentucky, Louisiana-Lafayette and Florida Gulf Coast, and he’d received late interest from Ole Miss, Georgia Tech and South Carolina but said he didn’t want to take any more visits.Read more at The Times Free Press"

From WBIR

"Behind a 128-pitch gem from senior right-hander Nick Williams, a four-RBI night by Christin Stewart and a 3-for-4, two-RBI performance from Derek Lance, Tennessee bounced back to even the series with No. 25 Kentucky with an 8-2 win on Friday night.The Vols improved to 27-17 overall and 9-14 in Southeastern Conference play with the victory, while the Wildcats fall to 28-18 overall and cling to a one-game lead on UT in league action at 10-13.“I’m proud of our guys,” said head coach Dave Serrano. “They took ownership of what happened last night and all you can do is come back the next day and lay it on the line between the lines and I thought we did a good job of that.”Williams battled on the mound to earn his fifth win of the season, giving up just two runs while striking out a season-high eight over a season-high 128 pitches. It was the second highest pitch total of the senior’s career and the fifth time he’s hit the 100-pitch plateau this season. Freshman Kyle Serrano came in to earn his first career save, giving up just one hit over three shutout innings.Read more at WBIR"