Recruiting Forum Football Talk IV

[Smyrna ATL Vol]

Fine. I’d rather have only 10k fans in the seats who want to be there and show it, than 100k who mostly only make noise when they’re whining and complaining.

Of course, I don’t have to pay the bills. And watching your kids play instead is a totally different situation.

And that would crush other sports. You do realize football supports a lot of other sports right? If 10k show up, then we are losing millions. Those losses would be absorbed by other sports either not being retained or less funds. You can’t have football bad at a university like UT. Once the fans and donors get fed up, you are toast. And it is getting worse every single year now.

 

[MrVolton]

I’m glad you’re saying this because everyone assumes I am being too pessimistic when I bring it up.

There’s a mutiny brewing behind the scenes. Danny has total control right now because Donde, and to a lesser extent Randy, are totally behind him.

If football doesn’t start winning, or one of the names above is gone and can’t be used as protection, things will turn and turn quickly.

You can’t make changes like he’s implementing and not have success coupled with it.

Mutiny behind the scenes seems to be a constant at UT, and lot of the reason why we continue to suck at football. I don’t agree with seating price changes while the on the field product is so poor, but maybe it’s high time everybody at the top shut up and got in line anyway.

 

[SpringBokVol]

I was riding HB, but to be fair, I did say he sucked last weekend when he played and owned up to being wrong.

I own up when I'm wrong, but I'm a prick if others don't apologize when I'm right and I get **** on for my opinion

ALSO, to be fair, you didn't have to apologize, because I only meant the ones that lit me up...you, as far as I'm aware did no such thing.

I did not light you up. But still felt it was required- I thought Milton was going to save us.

 

[Devo182]

Ole Miss has to face Bama and Arkansas before us. Not sure it will make any difference, but maybe they can take it to Corral and leave him a bit worse off.

 

[TrippieRedd]

I did not light you up. But still felt it was required- I thought Milton was going to save us.

After last season, I’m negative almost all the time now. It sucks.

 

[Smyrna ATL Vol]

Some of you are finally realizing and (correctly) pointing out that Heupel isn't an upper tier coach.

Now get to the part where our program is buried and this is the best for us for at least 5 years.

I literally don’t think anyone is saying that. I am hearing that we don’t have players (true) and recruiting sucks because our admin did an idiotic thing and we have sucked for over a decade.

 

[Vols2DaWall]

Mutiny behind the scenes seems to be a constant at UT, and lot of the reason why we continue to suck at football. I don’t agree with seating price changes while the on the field product is so poor, but maybe it’s high time everybody at the top shut up and got in line anyway.

They may do that if we hired better over the past few years. That whole mantra about Saban and Alabama gets used a lot but he was a NC winning head coach.

You can’t hire Butch Jones or Josh Heupel and demand that everyone shut up and get in line

 

[MrVolton]

Yes, the TV revenue is lessening the reliance on donor support. UT has been alienating donors for a while. It's all about the bottom line. Spreadsheet decision-making and a new revenue model.

Seems like that’s the kind of thinking that got Hamilton in as AD, and allowed him to continually drive the program further into the ground.

 

[Vols2DaWall]

Ole Miss has to face Bama and Arkansas before us. Not sure it will make any difference, but maybe they can take it to Corral and leave him a bit worse off.

I wouldn’t put much hope in that. Corral is the best QB in the SEC. If we make Jones and the Pitt QB look like Heisman winners—we are gonna make Corral look like Tom Brady

 

[InVOLuntary]

They could have phased it in. UT is positioning this as a "fan experience" improvement. And that does need improving. I'm all for making attendance more affordable for families and providing a better experience for more fans. But this doesn't really do that.

Losing fatigue has caused attrition. I think they're banking on long-time donors grumbling, then caving and paying whatever they ask. And if they don't, they think they can upsell lower-level donors with better seats and transition the donor base with younger fans. IDK how well it will work. But I know some really good seats will be available for those who want to pony up.

It all comes back to supply and demand. Demand low, prices are low. Demand high, prices are high. I just don't see demand as being high. Ask yourself this question... why is someone paying the kind of money to retain a quality seat in Neyland? I'd bet you most would say something along the lines of "They've been our seats for a long time and we don't want to lose them." If they had the option of not getting them for a few years and then getting them back when they wanted them, I bet many would. That's why many get them and then sell them.

 

[KPT_VFL]

If I'm positive the kid will be instant impact sure. But I'd rather have the kid I can build myself from the ground up.

There definitely is a difference. If a kid leaves do you change and is productive it’s different than say the kid from Ohio st who quit mid game. At this point it’s a depth thing for us I think. Especially at OL.

 

[Vols4us]

I think the data they're putting into those spreadsheets may be flawed. They were creative when the basketball ticket wasn't sought after and it was pretty dang successful. I figured something similar might work for football but they decided to throw caution to the wind and try and hit the larger donors more. I don't disagree with the overall plan but I'm questioning the timing. You raise prices when demand is high. Demand is anything but high.

I would be more about getting butts in all the seats.

It's somewhat like the lodging industry. If the room isn't rented, no money is coming in, but expenses continue. You lose the concession and gear sales. Future donators and season ticket holders are sitting in the cheap seats as younger people.

Not smart IMO.

 

[KPT_VFL]

I’m glad you’re saying this because everyone assumes I am being too pessimistic when I bring it up.

There’s a mutiny brewing behind the scenes. Danny has total control right now because Donde, and to a lesser extent Randy, are totally behind him.

If football doesn’t start winning, or one of the names above is gone and can’t be used as protection, things will turn and turn quickly.

You can’t make changes like he’s implementing and not have success coupled with it.

Then Tennessee is dead. We will never be good with all these loser egos forming a mutiny every tine things don’t go their way. Same ole ****. Maybe it would do us well to see these cancerous egos walk away. Money isn’t a problem for UT whether they donate or not.

 

[volbeast33]

They are. And they're counting on people rushing to buy these good seats that long-time season tix holders are giving up.

As @InVOLuntary pointed out, it's harder to find a new customer than replace an existing one. But they're banking on higher revenue-- not filling every seat. Capacity and attendance may go down, but they want the bottom line to go up. Turnover vs. loyalty isn't a variable they're prioritizing.

Isn’t it true though that a lot of these tickets were grandfathered in at different rates than other season ticket holders?

 

[SouthKnoxVOL]

I keep watching that Callaway drop on 4th down....and keep thinking what could've been

 

[Leeleesteeth]

Did some encouraging things. Playing harder. Schemes are miles ahead of last year. Still see a good possibility of 7 wins with continued improvement. On track rebuilding, but 3 year rebuilds usually take 3 years.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

There definitely is a difference. If a kid leaves do you change and is productive it’s different than say the kid from Ohio st who quit mid game. At this point it’s a depth thing for us I think. Especially at OL.

I would like to point out, we got 3 transfers last year. One a corner who never plays. An OK linebacker, and a QB with potential who sucks. 0/3.

 

[KPT_VFL]

I keep watching that Callaway drop on 4th down....and keep thinking what could've been

Yep. Not saying we win but you give your team a shot going into the 4th.

 

[LA Vol]

In what scenario do we have to suddenly start a true freshman next season? Pretty sure Hooker will be around and he's playing really well, especially considering just how little help he's getting.

Hard to guess who'll still be around since this season could play out so many different ways. But I think the coaches are more likely to portal fish for an experienced QB than start a FR. And the coaches still like Milton and what they think he can bring to the offense. It would be surprising to see CJH give up on Milton, since he handpicked him. And Hooker has time to develop, too.

 

[volbeast33]

I’m glad you’re saying this because everyone assumes I am being too pessimistic when I bring it up.

There’s a mutiny brewing behind the scenes. Danny has total control right now because Donde, and to a lesser extent Randy, are totally behind him.

If football doesn’t start winning, or one of the names above is gone and can’t be used as protection, things will turn and turn quickly.

You can’t make changes like he’s implementing and not have success coupled with it.

That’s the issue too many boosters thinking they have too much power…. It is why we are in the condition we are in….

 

[MrVolton]

They may do that if we hired better over the past few years. That whole mantra about Saban and Alabama gets used a lot but he was a NC winning head coach.

You can’t hire Butch Jones or Josh Heupel and demand that everyone shut up and get in line

Which came first, chicken or egg type thing IMO. Got to get everybody pulling in the same direction and ponying up in order to make one of those top tier hires. Don’t fault the Huepel hire as I feel the brand was in too bad a shape at the time to make a big hire regardless of the money.

Dooley is the one hire I felt we really went cheap and picked a guy that should t have even been on the short list.

 

[KPT_VFL]

I would like to point out, we got 3 transfers last year. One a corner who never plays. An OK linebacker, and a QB with potential who sucks. 0/3.

I understand your point. It’s still a gamble. I think In the long run it’s better to recruit high school kids that you’ll have for 4 years.

 

[MrVolton]

Which came first, chicken or egg type thing IMO. Got to get everybody pulling in the same direction and ponying up in order to make one of those top tier hires. Don’t fault the Huepel hire as I feel the brand was in too bad a shape at the time to make a big hire regardless of the money.

.

 

[KPT_VFL]

Hard to guess who'll still be around since this season could play out so many different ways. But I think the coaches are more likely to portal fish for an experienced QB than start a FR. And the coaches still like Milton and what they think he can bring to the offense. It would be surprising to see CJH give up on Milton, since he handpicked him. And Hooker has time to develop, too.

Hooker is better than Milton. Was better at VT than Milton at Michigan. Joe is who he is.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

I understand your point. It’s still a gamble. I think In the long run it’s better to recruit high school kids that you’ll have for 4 years.

Yes. And Heupel is pretty much guaranteed 5 years unless he does something really dumb. So it's smarter for him, imo to go after high school kids