Tennessee Vols morning report: Buyout expense news
A new report showing the Tennessee Vols leading the nation in severance expenses leads our Volunteers news for Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019.
We’re nearly halfway through the month of August, and while football season is a week and a half away, the start of Tennessee Vols football is two and a half weeks away. And yes, we continue our coverage of the season about to begin.
However, our morning update on Rocky Top leads with a couple of stories about UT’s comparison to the rest of the country. The lead story is actually a pretty embarrassing one, as it’s not something any program plans to lead the nation in.
Outside of that, we have a story doing a series of comparisons among schools. And we have a recap of the first fall sport event that happened Monday. So there’s plenty to cover, starting with the story about what the Vols lead the nation in.
UT athletics leads nation in buyout expenses – Blake Toppmeyer, Knoxville News Sentinel
The Tennessee Vols came in at No. 15 in total revenue for the 2017-2018 financial year at $143,545,115, according to the USA TODAY database of public institutions’ finances. However, they had over $150 million in expenses, and that included leading the the nation in buyout pay, with $13.8 million in severance expenses. They were the only school with over $13 million in buyout expenses, which was obviously brought on by getting rid of their football coach and athletic director.
"Tennessee fired coach Butch Jones in November 2017, and none of his assistants were retained beyond February 2018, causing the severance costs to pile up. Football staff buyouts accounted for $11.5 million. Tennessee also was on the hook for a $2.2 million settlement with athletic director John Currie in March 2018 after he was placed on paid suspension on Dec. 1, 2017, amid his chaotic football coaching search."
UT football a top 10 program in SI all-time rankings – SI.com
The Tennessee Vols football program was ranked No. 9 in the SI all-time top 10 programs, a list they did as part of the celebration of the 150-year anniversary of college football. UT also made the top 10 with its fight song, Rocky Top, its mascot, Smokey, its location, Knoxville and its stadium, Neyland Stadium.
"From Pop Warner to Nick Saban, from Rutgers-Princeton to Alabama-Clemson, from no helmets to leather ones to state-of-the art, college football has come a long way since its inception in 1869, evolving from a campus oddity into a national fascination. In honor of the sport’s 150th year, we at Sports Illustrated have put together 15 lists of college football’s greatest—everything from programs to pizza joints to individual performances."
Soccer wins exhibition opener – UTSports
Tennessee Lady Vols soccer, beginning the year ranked No. 10, got off to a good start to the season in exhibition play Monday. They shut out Loyola-Maryland 4-0.
"Three of UT’s four scores came from the Vols’ highly touted freshman class. Following 21 scoreless minutes of action, rookie midfielder Isabella Cook put Tennessee on the board with a 20-yard dribbler into the lower right corner of the net off a service from classmate Claudia Dipasupil. Senior forward Salera Jordan closed the opening frame with a great individual effort, skating past a Loyola defender and burying a shot into the upper right corner with 20 seconds left in the half."