Will UT ever be a basketball school?

#53
#53
I know for some it hasn't helped. But, just imagine our fanbase right now without BB taking the thought process of that pitiful season and finish in FB. The rise to #1 has been a big blessing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sara Clark
#55
#55
I think we have always been a good basketball school but we will never be a blue blood school. Those schools have it locked down and are not accepting any new members, ask Bruce Pearl. They have those kids pipelined into their programs and if you get in their way you will be trampled. We have always managed to pick off enough players to be competitive, better these last 2 seasons based on player development. Hopefully that is our future.
 
#57
#57
PhoenixAZVol said:
Our football team has been down for more than 10 years. Our basketball team is ranked #1. We are all excited. However, the number of basketball posts are still only 10 % if the football posts. If for some reason football continues to spiral downward will the gap between football and basketball narrow? Or will basketball always be a casual pastime while we wait for football regardless of how bad we are at football?
Click to expand...
There's way more to being a football or basketball school than which team is currently better. It takes decades to become either a basketball or football school, and it would take decades to switch from a football to basketball school or vice versa. The investment and reputation earned over time is what determines which type you are, and some schools are great at both or bad at both.

As long as we have a 102k seat stadium (although TBA is huge too), dedicate way more money to football than basketball, football brings in way more money, and fans care way more about football than basketball, we'll be a football school. After the Basketvols beat Gonzaga, I remember the social media buzz the next day as being largely split evenly between the victory and the OC search. If that doesn't show we're a football school, not sure what else will.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RDU VOL#14, VolsLady-in-FL and Volnut
#58
#58
I will add I do think I reached my limits and can tell my enthusiasm has waned a lot. Before you judge too harshly know it took a decade to kill my live, eat, breathe fan hood. The Vandy game was the kick in the gonads this year. I was good up until then and felt like a bowl appearance would be a good starting block in recruiting, etc. Then, we were once again Vandy's female dog and I just feel numb now to Tennessee football. How many more times finishing last place in the SEC before that 102k stadium starts feeling pretty empty?
 
#60
#60
GetEmVols said:
No we will never be a baskeball school. Football is king in the south. Even Kentucky would prefer to be better at football than basketball if they could.
Click to expand...
True: Football is King in the south.
False: KY. is not in the south in any way shape form or fashion.
Summation: Who in the south really gives a shi- about Ky's preference?
 
#62
#62
PhoenixAZVol said:
Good point. Mears had some really good teams in the 70s with the Ernie and Bernie show, etc. football was also in a bad place those years.
Click to expand...

Correct. Was at UT from 73 to 78. Back then we were a BB school. I tell friends that walking to a football games you could not give tickets away. Yet do not know how many nights i camped out at the student center to be able to get Basketball tickets.
 
#63
#63
Tennessee is currently a basketball school right now.

Barnes is a great coach and motivator, somebody whom we can trust throughout the process.

The jury is still out on Pruitt but he seems to be heading in the right direction with his recruiting and major staff changes.

Only reason we’re not a football school at this moment is because our administration made too many bad hires. That’s why we’re still playing catch-up compared to other big time football schools.

Fulmer started it, Dooley worsened it, and Butch destroyed it.

Pruitt will need some time to get us back on a competitive level again.
 
#64
#64
We are a football school we will have periods of great basketball for a 4 to 5 year run, we had a great run under Mears in the 60's and 70's this run will last as long as Barnes is here you better enjoy it we are not Kentucky in Basketball just like there football program is not Tennessee in football they top out this year with 10 wins counting there bowl game you will see a decline this year they will not win 9 games next year so we got our shot in Basketball this year but we can compete at a higher level in basketball than they can in football because because you don't need as many 4 and 5 star recruits, but in the end WE TENNESSEE IS A FOOTBALL SCHOOL FOR FOREVER,
 
#66
#66
No because football is financially what sustains the athletic program. Basketball will never bring in as much money to the program, no matter how successful.
 
#68
#68
Jack Burton said:
It’s hilarious how talking basketball or soccer rustles so many jimmies. They aren’t mutually exclusive. We can be good at all.
Click to expand...

The real concern is the CTE issue. Will football change so much fans don’t want to watch.

I know it’s fun watching my own kids compete. It fun watching elite athletic occurrences too.

A 360 slam dunk is still impressive. Draining 3s from way out there is too.

All these team sports are for teaching our kids to compete and giving there all. Now they can get college paid for by being good at sports too. Makes it even better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolsLady-in-FL
#69
#69
Aren't we both? Our Basketball team is number one, our fans are filling up the arenas. Lots of talk about how great VOLS fans are during basketball games. NO doubt, we always support our football team-- we show up when they are horrible.
 
#70
#70
Carrying football in its extended drought. I know more basketball players by name and position than football players.
 
#73
#73
PhoenixAZVol said:
Let me put it this way. What if you looked into the future 10 years and saw that we had a few basketball nattys and a few final fours and also saw that our football team was barely .500. Would you be ok with that and would the basketball programs success be enough to make you happy and offset the dead football program?
Click to expand...
No
 
#75
#75
livefaith said:
It legitimately COULD. The longer FB keeps being a thorn in the side of it's fans, then it would continue it's slide. If hoops stayed near where it is now, then more and more fans will flow in and claim it. Dume, UCLA, KU, UK, MSU, and UNC have tons of followers nationwide. Not school fans either. Just BB fans and nothing else totally unrelated to the school outside the sport.

I'm truly not expecting it. And if the above scenario were to occur, I believe it would be measured in decades not seasons.

GBO stay on Top!
Click to expand...



In the NFL, a new Collective Bargaining Agreement will occur in 2 years.
The players have already stated that they will bargain to be able to buy shares in each team
So the players could own parts of each team. I see most owners selling their teams once this happens. What owner wants players to have a real say in the operations of the team? What owner wants to open the financial books to let the players/ stock owners view?
NFL will become a 3 ring circus....fans will lose interest
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top