OT - "At Tennessee, Big Orange battles red ink"

[MikeSU02]

Now, after staggering to losing football seasons in four of the last five years and seeing attendance drop to levels last seen in the 1970s, the Vols find themselves mired in more than $200 million of debt, the most in the SEC, with reserves of just $1.95 million, the least in the conference.

The athletic department spends a startling $21 million a year on debt payments, $13.5 million of which comes from the school’s stressed $99.5 million athletic budget and the rest from donations.

It’s an ugly financial picture for one of the nation’s strongest football brands, the kind of financial hole that SEC football giants aren’t supposed to be in, brought about by expensive coaching buyouts and costly improvements to Neyland Stadium and other athletic facilities, just as the losing seasons set in.


http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/01/28/Colleges/Tennessee.aspx

 

[44PRIDE]

Maybe the B1G can try and poach Tennessee now.

In all seriousness, this is the flip side to the argument "We need better facilities...to attract recruits...to win games".

 

[Hoov50]

Look at their coaching hires! Get rid of Fulmer after a bad year (they won 10 games his second to last season) with no plan at all. Sounds familiar... we were just fortunate enough that Marrone was a better for than Cooley for try #2.

 

[kirbivore]

Look at their coaching hires! Get rid of Fulmer after a bad year (they won 10 games his second to last season) with no plan at all. Sounds familiar... we were just fortunate enough that Marrone was a better for than Cooley for try #2.

Also an SEC school would not allow Grob to hang around for 4 years.

 

[Hoov50]

Also an SEC school would not allow Grob to hang around for 4 years.

Probably, but they let Cooley hang around well after it was obvious he wasn't very good.