UConn only has Mens's and Women's basketball.
When that is most if not all then it is easier to optimally organize the NIL resources, maybe.
UT is not the same as UConn.
At the same time when basketball is your main sport it puts your AD in a bad position because comparatively, the difference in money is incomparable. For an example, each year P5 schools all award about 2-4 'money' games to small schools. Those games alone make those teams athletic department more money than all other sports combined will make for the whole year. Now Uconn men's and women's basketball programs are likely more profitable than most programs but you can only sell so many tickets in a stadium that holds 16k. With each of those tickets comes some amount of parking and concessions and merch. Just logistically football is more profitable. Also, funny enough, expectations of money are very different in the sports. Football because it has more players has way lower average salaries and a lot less opportunities outside the NFL. For a college football player, it's pretty much NFL or bust. IF you're not playing in the NFL there is the CFL where the highest salary is like 1.9 mil (1.86 something something to be exact) Most players in not NFL leagues could make more money managing a McDonald's. For 2023-2024 there are 454 of 475 players making more than 1 mil. NFL Players average $3.26 million/yr. NBA Players average $8.32 million/yr. In men's basketball, they only have to play one year before going to the NBA football its 3.
I know all that seems like a lot but the short story is that because of this Basketball players are a lot more prone to move around if they are not happy. They have more opportunities elsewhere. They have a higher chance to be able to shine elsewhere also. Football is a lot more structured and players are a lot more dependent on their teammates and the system for success. I can be a great basketball player on a terrible team (Wemby) and put up historical numbers anyway. Put an all-time great on a terrible football team and they get lost in the sauce. For instance, you could have taken the best player at any offensive position and put them on Iowa's team last year and at best they would have taken that offense from historically bad to just ick. Put James Harden (or any top player) on the Pistons and he'd have averaged 30 points, Put Caleb Williams on Iowa and he's a 3rd rounder at best instead of the number 1 pick.
But your main point stands unassailed UT is not Uconn. They play in the Big East. We actually, historically, field competitive teams in every major sport not involving snow/ice. At its worst UT will be one of the top 10-15 revenue earners as an athletic department. In my lifetime I am proud to be a lifetime fan of a university that every year at least puts up something of hope somewhere. When our football team is struggling basketball is doing something if not the men the women and lately if both of those fail we have baseball or track. It's great to be Tennessee Vol.
I know all these 'defections' seem disheartening. But, I think its a rebuilding year and all hope is not lost. the transfer portal has lots of lovely things to bring and p[ast success will make us an attractive destination. I didn't think it would happen but Knecht did the thing and will likely be a lottery pick and likely top 10. If that goes down some major dominoes will drop. I refuse to go into panic mode before the draft because it determines our fate. Not just Knechts position but everything that happens there who gts drafted who does not will change the landscape of the portal in a major way. Cal to Arkansas and who Kentucky hires plays a huge factor in our fate. This is gonna be an exciting offseason.