'26 VA OL Darius Gray

[85SugarVol]

Ergen, Boyd, Haslam, Thornton, Sansom, Anderson, & Jones say what's up.

Ergen is a billionaire alum, but is he a billionaire booster?

 

[BelievetheHeup2022]

Ergen is a billionaire alum, but is he a billionaire booster?

I have no clue what he donates personally. Besides, that's not what was inferred. Everyone on that list has donated large sums of money over the years to the university. The 'money issues' is one of the more ignorant takes I have seen on the message boards in awhile, and that's really saying something.

 

[Weezer]

Ergen is a billionaire alum, but is he a billionaire booster?

I have heard that Ergen gives to the University, but not to the AD. I don't know if that's a fact, but it is something I've heard.

 

[Heupel's Offseason Beard]

I have no clue what he donates personally. Besides, that's not what was inferred. Everyone on that list has donated large sums of money over the years to the university. The 'money issues' is one of the more ignorant takes I have seen on the message boards in awhile, and that's really saying something.

I never said anything about money issues. Just that it seems like Tennessee doesn't have that guy who has a ton of money who is willing to overpay for certain football players like Larry Ellison at Michigan and Cody Campbell at Texas Tech. Spyre is a well run operation and Tennessee has a fairly strong donor base, but we are just going to miss on some elite players because we operate within a budget while other teams have people pouring in donations to snag as many elite players as possible before rev share/ further limitations emerge in the NIL era. Is Tennessee's operation sustainable? Absolutely, but I just don't see Tennessee paying what other teams are willing to pay Gray since they just committed multiple millions of dollars to David Sanders, and hundreds of thousands to our guard transfers and our elite tackles in this class. Like if we want to talk basketball donations, I'll meet you in the basketball forum. If we want to talk donations to the business school, medical center, and the stadium, we can talk in the Off Topic thread. But this is the football recruiting forum, and I'm just inferring based on things that I've read. I see articles about Phil Knight and Cody Campbell "committing large sums of money to boost the NIL fund" but I've never seen one about a Tennessee fan doing the same ya know. Are they just working in the shadows?

 

[85SugarVol]

I have heard that Ergen gives to the University, but not to the AD. I don't know if that's a fact, but it is something I've heard.

He’s given millions to the University. That is a known, known.

I have no idea if he’s given to the AD. A known, unknown. Hence the question.

 

[85SugarVol]

I have no clue what he donates personally. Besides, that's not what was inferred. Everyone on that list has donated large sums of money over the years to the university. The 'money issues' is one of the more ignorant takes I have seen on the message boards in awhile, and that's really saying something.

University vs Athletics seems a relevant distinction, in this case.

And the implication was that they were all Athletic donors.

 

[BelievetheHeup2022]

University vs Athletics seems a relevant distinction, in this case.

And the implication was that they were all Athletic donors.

Well Ergen's name is on the Sprye chalk board as of last week. So you can do with that what you will.

 

[BelievetheHeup2022]

I never said anything about money issues. Just that it seems like Tennessee doesn't have that guy who has a ton of money who is willing to overpay for certain football players like Larry Ellison at Michigan and Cody Campbell at Texas Tech. Spyre is a well run operation and Tennessee has a fairly strong donor base, but we are just going to miss on some elite players because we operate within a budget while other teams have people pouring in donations to snag as many elite players as possible before rev share/ further limitations emerge in the NIL era. Is Tennessee's operation sustainable? Absolutely, but I just don't see Tennessee paying what other teams are willing to pay Gray since they just committed multiple millions of dollars to David Sanders, and hundreds of thousands to our guard transfers and our elite tackles in this class. Like if we want to talk basketball donations, I'll meet you in the basketball forum. If we want to talk donations to the business school, medical center, and the stadium, we can talk in the Off Topic thread. But this is the football recruiting forum, and I'm just inferring based on things that I've read. I see articles about Phil Knight and Cody Campbell "committing large sums of money to boost the NIL fund" but I've never seen one about a Tennessee fan doing the same ya know. Are they just working in the shadows?

Not trying to be mean here, but your research isn't the be all end all. What you have seen or heard is irrelevant to where Tennessee currently stands financially. Even all of these bizarre top 10 NIL lists that continue to pop up with their eyebrow raising metrics has Tennessee as a top 10 program in the nation in generating NIL money. Your comment was, you wish Tennessee had more billionaire 'fans'. Off the top of my head, I listed 6 or 7 along with a couple of guys close to a billion that have or are currently donating to the athletic program. You named a few big money donors from different universities, now name the other billionaires from those same schools that also donate to that same school. Tennessee doesn't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to support to our athletic department. Even in the down times when the university was poorly ran before Boyd, Plowman, and Danny White took the helm, Tennessee still had donors meeting with the BOT to right the ship. Ergen, Haslam, Anderson, and Thompson's names came up regularly at the time. I highly doubt they took a lesser role now that the ship is humming. You also keep mentioning we need to catch up with Georgia. Maybe in football, but our NIL is in as good if not better than Georgia's currently is. You and others forget to factor in, Tennessee is paying to keep all of the sports a float (everything school) while others are funneling big money into one sport at the expense of others. How did Georgia and Ohio State do in basketball, baseball, etc? I'm sure people would be ecstatic if we went back to the 2000s where our sports programs where the drizzling sh!ts while all of the money was being funded to football. I'm not saying one way is the right way or wrong way, just your take regarding Tennesse's financial situation is completely unfounded. There are way more pieces of the puzzle that you are leaving out.

 

[85SugarVol]

Well Ergen's name is on the Sprye chalk board as of last week. So you can do with that what you will.

Great. We’ll be the better for it, I assume.

Seems this could all have been avoided with a simple “yes”.

 

[TNHopeful505]

Darius Gray. Good kid.

 

[jasonvol18]

Ergen, Boyd, Haslam, Thornton, Sansom, Anderson, & Jones say what's up.

Exactly! Was just about to post these names.

 

[RandomUTfan]

Saw Tom Loy of 247 say today the two standing out here are South Carolina and LSU he did mention Tennessee, Clemson and Ohio State but said those two were standing out.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Saw Tom Loy of 247 say today the two standing out here are South Carolina and LSU he did mention Tennessee, Clemson and Ohio State but said those two were standing out.

Of course...

 

[Heupel's Offseason Beard]

Not trying to be mean here, but your research isn't the be all end all. What you have seen or heard is irrelevant to where Tennessee currently stands financially. Even all of these bizarre top 10 NIL lists that continue to pop up with their eyebrow raising metrics has Tennessee as a top 10 program in the nation in generating NIL money. Your comment was, you wish Tennessee had more billionaire 'fans'. Off the top of my head, I listed 6 or 7 along with a couple of guys close to a billion that have or are currently donating to the athletic program. You named a few big money donors from different universities, now name the other billionaires from those same schools that also donate to that same school. Tennessee doesn't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to support to our athletic department. Even in the down times when the university was poorly ran before Boyd, Plowman, and Danny White took the helm, Tennessee still had donors meeting with the BOT to right the ship. Ergen, Haslam, Anderson, and Thompson's names came up regularly at the time. I highly doubt they took a lesser role now that the ship is humming. You also keep mentioning we need to catch up with Georgia. Maybe in football, but our NIL is in as good if not better than Georgia's currently is. You and others forget to factor in, Tennessee is paying to keep all of the sports a float (everything school) while others are funneling big money into one sport at the expense of others. How did Georgia and Ohio State do in basketball, baseball, etc? I'm sure people would be ecstatic if we went back to the 2000s where our sports programs where the drizzling sh!ts while all of the money was being funded to football. I'm not saying one way is the right way or wrong way, just your take regarding Tennesse's financial situation is completely unfounded. There are way more pieces of the puzzle that you are leaving out.

Not trying to be mean here, but your research isn't the be all end all. What you have seen or heard is irrelevant to where Tennessee currently stands financially. Even all of these bizarre top 10 NIL lists that continue to pop up with their eyebrow raising metrics has Tennessee as a top 10 program in the nation in generating NIL money. Your comment was, you wish Tennessee had more billionaire 'fans'. Off the top of my head, I listed 6 or 7 along with a couple of guys close to a billion that have or are currently donating to the athletic program. You named a few big money donors from different universities, now name the other billionaires from those same schools that also donate to that same school. Tennessee doesn't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to support to our athletic department. Even in the down times when the university was poorly ran before Boyd, Plowman, and Danny White took the helm, Tennessee still had donors meeting with the BOT to right the ship. Ergen, Haslam, Anderson, and Thompson's names came up regularly at the time. I highly doubt they took a lesser role now that the ship is humming. You also keep mentioning we need to catch up with Georgia. Maybe in football, but our NIL is in as good if not better than Georgia's currently is. You and others forget to factor in, Tennessee is paying to keep all of the sports a float (everything school) while others are funneling big money into one sport at the expense of others. How did Georgia and Ohio State do in basketball, baseball, etc? I'm sure people would be ecstatic if we went back to the 2000s where our sports programs where the drizzling sh!ts while all of the money was being funded to football. I'm not saying one way is the right way or wrong way, just your take regarding Tennesse's financial situation is completely unfounded. There are way more pieces of the puzzle that you are leaving out.

Hey. Fair enough. Thanks for the insight. I never once said we didn't have a great donor base at all. It is true that allocation of funds to all sports is more important to Tennessee than it is to many other big time programs. Basketball, Baseball, women's ball, and even track and swimming have had a considerable rise in talent and coaching. The standard has been raised across the board. That's awesome, and the outcome of fantastic leadership from Danny White and Donde Plowman. I am a full supporter of Tennessee sports, athletes, coaches, donors, fanbase, alumni, I love it all. I think you misunderstood the whole point. Which is, Darius Gray is a fantastic prospect in a position that is not high on the priority list of Heupel and Spyre. Their focus is on QB, WR, OT, LB,etc. I just doubt we get Gray simply because Tennessee:
1. just paid a considerable amount of money for gameday ready transfers at Gray's position in Pendleton and Moe (who only accounted for 1 sack allowed combined last season)
2. Emphasized the need for tackle talent (which is one of the most expensive positions for elite talent) in Sanders, Shabazz, and Osenda
3. Gray is a future NFL guard and he deserves to go to the school willing to pay what he thinks is his market value

So while Gray is a fantastic product, he is not an absolute immediate need. Both of our guard transfers are super talented and also a junior or younger so they'll be here in 2026, and we actually have a decent amount of unseen talent on the OL. With all of this considered, I just don't see us overspending on Gray as the money has to be used for more important/ vacant positions. And because of this, the only possibility of Tennessee signing him is either Heupel does what Heupel does and puts on a recruiting clinic like he did with Rouse, or if a "Billionaire Superfan" just goes "here's a blank check book, snag whoever you want".

 

[Heupel's Offseason Beard]

Not trying to be mean here, but your research isn't the be all end all. What you have seen or heard is irrelevant to where Tennessee currently stands financially. Even all of these bizarre top 10 NIL lists that continue to pop up with their eyebrow raising metrics has Tennessee as a top 10 program in the nation in generating NIL money. Your comment was, you wish Tennessee had more billionaire 'fans'. Off the top of my head, I listed 6 or 7 along with a couple of guys close to a billion that have or are currently donating to the athletic program. You named a few big money donors from different universities, now name the other billionaires from those same schools that also donate to that same school. Tennessee doesn't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to support to our athletic department. Even in the down times when the university was poorly ran before Boyd, Plowman, and Danny White took the helm, Tennessee still had donors meeting with the BOT to right the ship. Ergen, Haslam, Anderson, and Thompson's names came up regularly at the time. I highly doubt they took a lesser role now that the ship is humming. You also keep mentioning we need to catch up with Georgia. Maybe in football, but our NIL is in as good if not better than Georgia's currently is. You and others forget to factor in, Tennessee is paying to keep all of the sports a float (everything school) while others are funneling big money into one sport at the expense of others. How did Georgia and Ohio State do in basketball, baseball, etc? I'm sure people would be ecstatic if we went back to the 2000s where our sports programs where the drizzling sh!ts while all of the money was being funded to football. I'm not saying one way is the right way or wrong way, just your take regarding Tennesse's financial situation is completely unfounded. There are way more pieces of the puzzle that you are leaving out.

I'm interested in how this stuff works so thanks for the chat. I was a little uninformed and certainly didn't put it very eloquently. Thats on me. I don't have access to the "Spyre chalkboard" as you put it, I just read articles from analysts and publications that I trust so it's nice to hear from someone with an inside track.

I kind of think you misread what I was saying and painted me as one of the recruiting forum negavols that we all have been having to fight off and reacted. You can check my history, I love everything that is happening at Tennessee right now and am constantly defending our coaches, players and 3 star recruits from those guys. I'd like to take this conversation away from this kids page as it's not fair to the rest of the RF. Sorry for that fellas, go vols!