“Everything School” > Elite Football School

[UTK]

Tennessee athletics has become a bit of an “everything school” as of late. CWS championship in baseball, Elite 8 in basketball and currently ranked number 1 this season. Women’s basketball has a young coach who’s looking like she has what it takes early on to return that brand to its once proud tradition. College football playoff, 10 wins for the second time in 3 years. That’s not even to mention some lesser sports accomplishments such as softball being consistently good, swimmer breaking records ect.

But theres starting to be a question, “If you spread NIL all around athletics can you keep up with the other schools that go “all in” on football?” Basically we’ve shown we can be good to very good in football while also having other sports at the top and winning/competing for championships, but can we become “elite” in football this way? Is it possible? Certainly seems our current AD thinks so and maybe it is. But for arguments sake, if it’s not possible and for us to become truly elite in football again, what if we have to stop putting as much focus on other sports? Would you make the trade off?

What say you?

 

[Golfprovol]

Why not both?

 

[deezvols]

I enjoy being able to watch successful UT sports year-round rather than having to wait 8ish months.

 

[VolPack22]

I would rather be an everything school. I love baseball and basketball just as much as football, if not more.

 

[AstonRoyal]

gotta be honest with you, I know more people of other teams and even other fans I meet all over the country really only care about football, which kind of makes me more invested in it so I can trash talk and brag haha

If we win in other sports, I love it and I'm always happy and excited for it.

But when we win in football, it feels like my life has purpose again and everything is actually right with the world...

 

[Chitlin&theDude]

Both. We're NOW an everything school, and we WERE an elite football school. Just need to take a few more steps to get back there

 

[JohnnyD123]

We are def not an elite football school right now.

 

[D-Vols]

WE HAVE BASEBALL AND BASKETBALL TEAMS?

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

I love my VOLS in every sport but football will always come first for me

 

[MAD]

I would rather be an everything school. I love baseball and basketball just as much as football, if not more.

What kind of school is Kentucky?

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

The only team I passionately follow that I have never seen win a championship is Tennessee men’s basketball. I really want to cross that off. So I wouldn’t take any deal that doesn’t include men’s basketball as a priority.

 

[Rocky Top T]

I've been following the Vols since the 1960's. We have never been Elite in football in my lifetime. The last 4 years Tony V has come close to it in baseball.

 

[aaronvol]

I think the broader success lends itself to more money for football longterm. Both are possible. But you start with everything model.

 

[Booner]

It’s awesome to be good at all, but football is king.

 

[AstonRoyal]

I've been following the Vols since the 1960's. We have never been Elite in football in my lifetime. The last 4 years Tony V has come close to it in baseball.

I mean I feel like we have. And by your logic we haven’t been elite in baseball before Vitello. Doesn’t mean we can’t be in football. Not saying that you’re saying that, I’m just pointing that out for those who might be thinking it

 

[VOLnMiami]

What kind of school is Kentucky?

Cheerleader school...

 

[LittleCat]

Cheerleader school...

dont forget rifle

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

I've been following the Vols since the 1960's. We have never been Elite in football in my lifetime. The last 4 years Tony V has come close to it in baseball.

We won a national championship in your lifetime. Al Wilson went 45-4 with 2 consecutive SEC Championships and a national championship. That’s pretty elite. Saban never had fewer than 4 losses in 4 years, nor have Kirby or Spurrier. Kirby has never won the SEC in back to back years. Spurrier never went undefeated.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

I mean I feel like we have. And by your logic we haven’t been elite in baseball before Vitello. Doesn’t mean we can’t be in football. Not saying that you’re saying that, I’m just pointing that out for those who might be thinking it

We were never elite in baseball, though. We had some good years here and there.

It takes a special coach to make Tennessee elite in men’s basketball or baseball. It just takes a really good coach to make us elite in football. He doesn’t have to be one of the best to ever do it, but he has to be really good.

 

[AstonRoyal]

We were never elite in baseball, though. We had some good years here and there.

It takes a special coach to make Tennessee elite in men’s basketball or baseball. It just takes a really good coach to make us elite in football. He doesn’t have to be one of the best to ever do it, but he has to be really good.

Right that’s what I said, we weren’t really elite in baseball til Tony got in

 

[UTK]

We are def not an elite football school right now.

That’s kind of the point of the poll

 

[ZZ13]

I guess there isn't a "don't care" selection? I posted this before but as I aged I realized how misguided throwing a significant amount of your energy and resources into being "fulfilled" by having a bunch of college sports have a high winning percentage year in and year out. This coming from a near life long sports junkie. Lots of reasons why I flipped to the don't care side - but I did and I know I'll never go back.

 

[cgbtn]

Who in a non-football sport is getting a significant NIL payment?

 

[njvols]

We are def not an elite football school right now.

It's officially the off season, so, 2025 elite football is allowed!!! ha

 

[allvols4life]

I enjoy all sports being successful, that said...Football is THE major breadwinner in all of college athletics. All other sports benefit from that $$.