The Tennessee Volunteers football program is fully embracing the new NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) era, but it’s doing so at the expense of its devoted fanbase.
Tennessee’s athletic director, Danny White, has informed season ticket holders that starting in 2025, tickets will come with a mandatory “talent fee” of at least 10% to help the program pay its players.
This change is expected to result in an average increase of 14.5% in season ticket prices.
“We’ve made great progress in recent years. But in this new era, it’s going to be much more costly,” White told Adam Sparks of Knox News. “There will be a tighter connection between financial resources and competition than ever before, and our biggest asset is our fanbase.”
This decision has predictably sparked significant backlash from college football fans.
“Billion-dollar TV deals, and it’s the fans who have to pay the players,” one fan remarked.
“I understand the need to compensate players through NIL, but they’ve already priced an ordinary fan like myself out of the market. I guess I’ll just watch from home on my 65-inch TV,” said another.
“Family traditions tied to the best parts of college football are slipping away. It’s sad,” another fan commented.
“People should boycott,” another suggested.
Tennessee, in a statement to season ticket holders, said, “We will continue to grow other revenue streams and manage expenses efficiently to maximize the full revenue share allotment. Never has there been a time in college sports where revenue growth is so closely tied to winning. We aim to provide our coaches with all the resources they need to compete at a championship level and offer the best opportunities for Tennessee student-athletes.”
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers have energized the college football world with a 3-0 start. This Saturday, they travel to Norman, Oklahoma, for the Sooners’ SEC debut, the feature matchup on ESPN’s College GameDay.
Tennessee is currently 3-0 and ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll as they prepare for Week 4’s showdown against the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners.
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