A potential uniform addition could be coming that many Tennessee Vols fans will likely hate

College football, for a long time, was more about other aspects than just dollar signs.  Oh, how times have changed.   Today, the almighty buck is even more prominent among the sport than ever before.  With players seeking top dollar for their services (as is their right to do, to be fair), coaches' contracts reaching double-digit […]

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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From left, Tennessee athletics director Danny White, Food City president Steven Smith, and University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman, pose for a photo after announcing the change in name of Thompson-Boling Arena to Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023.
From left, Tennessee athletics director Danny White, Food City president Steven Smith, and University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman, pose for a photo after announcing the change in name of Thompson-Boling Arena to Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

College football, for a long time, was more about other aspects than just dollar signs.  Oh, how times have changed.  

Today, the almighty buck is even more prominent among the sport than ever before.  With players seeking top dollar for their services (as is their right to do, to be fair), coaches' contracts reaching double-digit millions per season, schools complaining about only getting $35 million a year instead of $45 million and seeking to ditch their conferences, and ESPN and other networks signing mega-broadcasting deals, the sport is on its way to becoming a second version of the NFL. 

Now, it appears you can add another player to the money game: advertising.  And in a very up close and personal way.  According to Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellinger, the NCAA is mulling the possibility of allowing schools to put the logos of corporate sponsors on field playing services and patches on jerseys.  

The addition of "Food City Center" to Thompson-Boling Arena's name was not met with open arms by Tennessee fans last year.  And it's understandable why.  Colleges selling out treasured names and venues of a tradition-laden sport to corporations doesn't feel right to some.  

Now, it appears as though you could see a Food City logo on the surface of Neyland Stadium in the near future.  Or perhaps a Pilot logo on the shoulders of players, a uniform change that Major League Baseball implemented in recent years.  

At the end of the day, dollars are going to continue to drive college football.  The thirst for revenues has reached a fever pitch and isn't going anywhere anytime soon.  

As such, provided it's eventually approved by the NCAA, you can likely expect to see Tennessee join the rest of the college football world in turning their beloved football uniforms and the Neyland Stadium surface into billboards.  

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