Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXX

[jave36]

We were getting tv money before SECN came into existence. There's been extra money spent on going to the SECN as well.

People just can't stand to give Hart credit. He did the heavy lifting and combined the athletic departments that was a complete waste of money to be split in the first place. We were bleeding out money over there. Hammy was wasting money.

Football should eat first, then men's basketball, then everything else.

You're really going to say that the SECN provided no additional revenue?

I'm not saying Hart didn't improve out finances, but the majority of our financial improvement was because of a massive increase in cash from SECN, not from Hart taking better care of the money.

 

[BigZiti09]

You're really going to say that the SECN provided no additional revenue?

No. I'm not saying that.

I'm saying that we didn't go from $0 to $30m

 

[jave36]

No. I'm not saying that.

I'm saying that we didn't go from $0 to $30m

Tje incremental $ was double digit millions.

Edit in the first year the incremental revenue was 6.8, and has gone up from there.

http://gridironnow.com/how-much-money-did-sec-network-make/

It's a lot easier to balance the budget with about 7M more coming in than the year prior, and that number is a lot higher now.

 

[BigZiti09]

He did but when you are bringing in $70M in profit on the football program it's astonishing that your reserve is so pitifully low. The profit of the whole AD is not very impressive. Having to support all the non-revenue sports has a lot to do with it I'm sure.

The reserve Hart inherited was non existent. The reserve we have is from the Hart era.

Reserve is growing and will continue to grow.

 

[zhangliao04]

I don't think the administration necessarily doesn't give their all or doesn't want UT to be on Alabama's level, it's just that they are incompetent. They are very bad at their jobs and have bumbled every opportunity given to them over the last ten years time and time again. They want to succeed. Who doesn't? They just happen to be idiots. That's why these admin hires now are so important.

I ca agree with this as well. I've been wondering how long this would go on and what would happen once the fanbase really started talking about what they could do to get the attention of the admin. Obvious first thought is boycotting games and apparel. That'll get their attention real quick, but you have problems with doing this. Recruits will notice as well as coaches. And you also have those within the fanbase who will still go and pay to let their kids see games for dirt cheap. That will still get money into their agenda.

 

[InVOLuntary]

I'm not putting any stock in this new chancellor helping out the AD right now. I'm just going to assume what is normal for UT and she will just leave it alone or make it worse. I'm waiting until we hear who gets the AD job. That will be the biggest factor, IMO. However, this year has made me think about some stuff pertaining the fanbase. Some would call it a bad way of going about it, but picture only a small percentage of the bowl game UT tickets being sold this year? Everyone in this fanbase is fed up with this carousel. I'm not saying do it, but I personally couldn't blame anyone who decided not to go because they want to make a statement that enough is enough.

I'm taking a wait and see approach as well. I will say this, if there truly looking to make a big-time AD hire which some have said is the reason they are looking past David Blackburn, that tells me they are serious about upgrading sports at UT. I am a big David Blackburn fan and that would be the easy hire for the administration. Now they may totally screw this up but it tells me about their motivation.

 

[BigZiti09]

Hart has taken better care of the money than his predecessor.

I don't think he is a genius. I'm making the point that the reserve is low because the UTAD became a mess in the Hamilton era. Hart got us heading in the right direction.

I don't see how anyone can argue differently.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

After this year, ticket sales and gear sales will be down. No one will believe 2017 is "the year" or Butch is "the guy" after losing to USC and Vandy. We all bought in on 2016, but I guarantee you sales of everything will be down next year.

I agree everything will be down in 2017 but I'm not talking about for just 1 year. I'm saying stop supporting football in general until the admin starts showing that they care. If butch get fired after 2017 then more than likely the admin will go cheap like they have been and won't spend the money on a proven winner. When they hire a new coach fans need to not show up until that coach wins. If fans had waited until after the 2016 season to decide wether or not to support butch and the season went the way it did don't you think it would be more important to the admin to go get a winner. If ever couple of years the admin can rely on a coach getting the fan base pumped up and record or near record ticket sales and attendance then why should they care because they know they're going to get their money.

 

[zhangliao04]

I'm taking a wait and see approach as well. I will say this, if there truly looking to make a big-time AD hire which some have said is the reason they are looking past David Blackburn, that tells me they are serious about upgrading sports at UT. I am a big David Blackburn fan and that would be the easy hire for the administration. Now they may totally screw this up but it tells me about their motivation.

I don't care about their motivation. It's like saying, "Aww, well at least you tried?" Make the right hire. That may sound extremely insensitive, but as a fan I'm tired of watching crap go on and on with this university. Who cares who it is if they are the perfect fit for the job and will do well? It doesn't have to be the biggest splash hire in a millenia. Just make the darn right hire lol. IMO, with my untrained eye, it's Blackburn.

PS: I did not mean for that post to sound rude towards you. Just having a good fan to fan talk over this debacle. :hi:

 

[volinbama256]

We are going to end up in the Taxslayer bowl again vs North Carolina.
Orgeron is about to kill everyone in recruiting.
Speaking of recruiting, I will be shocked if ours doesn't slow to a crawl and we will not end strong.
The only way to fix this money/coaching situation everyone is going back and forth about is to simply quit donating, quit filling the seats, and don't go to the bowl game.... money talks folks, and not having it speaks volumes.... As long as the fans continue to pay, the Admin will continue to do their half ass thing.

 

[Catbone]

nm

 

[jave36]

Hart has taken better care of the money than his predecessor.

I don't think he is a genius. I'm making the point that the reserve is low because the UTAD became a mess in the Hamilton era. Hart got us heading in the right direction.

I don't see how anyone can argue differently.

But any average AD could have done the same thing in his situation, it's tablestakes that you're lauding him for.

We got SECN money AND the school agreed to suspend payments from the AD back to the university. That's 13M or so that he had to work with over what Hamilton had. Any average or even below average AD could have fixed our financial woes with those two things happening for them.

 

[HankHill]

Is this the year Bo Pelini gets another Power 5 job? Youngstown state is in the playoffs and he did some good things at Nebraska.

 

[zhangliao04]

Hart has taken better care of the money than his predecessor.

I don't think he is a genius. I'm making the point that the reserve is low because the UTAD became a mess in the Hamilton era. Hart got us heading in the right direction.

I don't see how anyone can argue differently.

I'm with you on this. He got us back into the positive and did some right things. However, he did some wrong things and one thing he will always be remembered for is dividing the womens athletics.

 

[zhangliao04]

We are going to end up in the Taxslayer bowl again vs North Carolina.
Orgeron is about to kill everyone in recruiting.
Speaking of recruiting, I will be shocked if ours doesn't slow to a crawl and we will not end strong.
The only way to fix this money/coaching situation everyone is going back and forth about is to simply quit donating, quit filling the seats, and don't go to the bowl game.... money talks folks, and not having it speaks volumes.... As long as the fans continue to pay, the Admin will continue to do their half ass thing.

We can't go to the Taxslayer Bowl this year. Have to be out of it 2 bowl seasons. Next year is the next time we could go.

 

[volinbama256]

Am I the only one who thinks this is absolutely disgusting? I mean, it almost makes me sick. No wonder we have been a laughing stock for so long. They don't care about winning as long as we bring in revenue.

It is pretty pathetic and pisses me off as a grad and a fan...

 

[BigZiti09]

But any average AD could have done the same thing in his situation, it's tablestakes that you're lauding him for.

We got SECN money AND the school agreed to suspend payments from the AD back to the university. That's 13M or so that he had to work with over what Hamilton had. Any average or even below average AD could have fixed our financial woes with those two things happening for them.

Do you read my posts before you respond?

 

[SeanJean]

The fact that Blackburn wasn't hired as AD as soon as possible, which was as much of a golden slam dunk opportunity as any for the mind blowingly incompetent UT administration, is all I need to know. They'll screw this up. They can't do anything right, even the most basic and obvious things.

 

[Volator]

A nationwide search is a good thing as the goal should be best AD possible (Captain Obvious) While Blackburn could be good, I think his resume pales in comparison to Barnhart and Byrne. Will be interesting to hear what other names surface

 

[VolGee4]

But any average AD could have done the same thing in his situation, it's tablestakes that you're lauding him for.

We got SECN money AND the school agreed to suspend payments from the AD back to the university. That's 13M or so that he had to work with over what Hamilton had. Any average or even below average AD could have fixed our financial woes with those two things happening for them.

But Hart made sweeping changes and pissed some people off. You say that he could have just sat and done nothing and still built the reserves. But that's not what he did.

There are some things that Hart probably deserves criticism for, but I don't believe the financial changes are one of them. He made some tough decisions that financially helped the department.

 

[Lovesomebigorange]

Did Fort really say that football is no longer a priority at UT? My god our worst nightmares have come true. How can the boosters just idly stand by and accept this?!!!! This chancellor is going to bring us down even more I'm afraid. They just want Tennessee to be a great academic institution for research and if we win a game or two fine. Makes me sick and all the fans deserve better!!!!

 

[McGeesPub]

I'm with you on this. He got us back into the positive and did some right things. However, he did some wrong things and one thing he will always be remembered for is dividing the womens athletics.

Will have a complicated legacy for sure. If he was really trying to be a catalyst for more institutional competitiveness, that's as big as any financial maneuverings he's done in my book, especially with the padding of the conference money.

But his coaching hires have been abysmal to...average?

 

[Glitch]

I think some folks need to take a few days off or at least refrain from posting. This place is downright depressing. I know we just crapped the bed on what should have been a fantastic season but there are so many factors that contributed to that crapping. There is plenty of blame to go around but us rehashing it over and over only drags us further into the gutter. A lot of folks want to claim the title of realists on here so here is the real deal:

1. Butch will be our coach next year.
2. We will see some turnover at the position coach level and maybe the OC if Debo retires.
3. We lose a lot of talent but should have multiple players drafted after a drought of no NFL draftees.
4. We will be in a bowl game again which comes with extra practices, more opportunity to improve, and a chance for the seniors/juniors to leave on a positive note instead of a loss.
5. Recruiting has been slow all year so saying it will slow down is silly. We've got some opportunities to close some big names and improve our class. Seeing certain posters drop twosies in every recruit thread certainly doesn't help if those kids read their threads, which they probably do.
6. We still have a lot of talent on this team and they should be hungry for redemption next year.


It's always a long off season but the never ending whining and complaining will only make it longer. Try to find something positive to latch onto and maybe we will be able to get through this offseason without to many posters jumping off the ledge.


Also, prayers to east Tennessee and all those affected by the fires.

 

[Catbone]

Did Fort really say that football is no longer a priority at UT? My god our worst nightmares have come true. How can the boosters just idly stand by and accept this?!!!! This chancellor is going to bring us down even more I'm afraid. They just want Tennessee to be a great academic institution for research and if we win a game or two fine. Makes me sick and all the fans deserve better!!!!

That is not what Fort said verbatim im an idiot and quoted the wrong thing, but basically that is what it sounds like. Not everyone is on the same page in the administration for sure

 

[VolGee4]

Rick Barnes is literally just collecting a check. There couldn't be a more "meh" basketball program in the country right now.

We shall see in 2 years. For all the complaints about Barnes' recruiting, he has several young players that could be really good. Just have to develop.