Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols at 2022 SEC Media Days

2. No complaints about NIL

Perhaps this is proof that Tennessee football is benefitting from name image and likeness more than anybody else, but there were no complaints from anybody about the business on Thursday. While other coaches try to cap the pay or ask for a standard, Josh Heupel was on stage doing nothing but touting what it does for players.

Heupel first touted what Hendon Hooker has done with NIL opportunities, noting a scripture book he co-wrote. He then consistently referred to it as “empowering” and wouldn’t back away from that amidst all the times people tried to press him on it. Here’s a bit of what he said.

"“I just go back to myself as a player. Certainly the most powerful thing that I had was my teammates and the logo that I was playing for. At the same time, though, I think I was creating some value there, too. I would have liked to have had an opportunity to have been afforded to take part in NIL. Would have liked to have worn my starting left tackle jersey or worn his shirt.”"

Rather than complain about the way the NIL is handled from state to state, Heupel also said the most crucial factor in supporting players with it is having the right culture in-house. You could tell his feelings on this were genuine, and it’s what gave Hooker the freedom in another interview to come out against the cap Kirby Smart proposed on it.

When asked on the SEC Network set about any potential rules changes to address it, Heupel backed off again and just talked about supporting the players. Taking all of that into account, it’s pretty clear that Heupel is a fan of it, and that means Tennessee football stands to benefit.