Cold, hard facts show that no public university is more committed to winning in the new NIL era than the Tennessee Vols
Tennessee is putting its money where its mouth is.
The University of Tennessee has been leading the way when it comes to public universities committed to doing everything they can to make their football programs a winner in the new NIL era.
According to On3 Sports, Tennessee led all public universities in budget spent on high school and transfer portal recruiting for college football in 2024.
Tennessee had the highest budget among public universities for NIL expenses in 2024 with $5.3 million
The Vols led the way with $5.3 million in 2024, just ahead of Alabama’s $5.2 million and well ahead of #3 Texas A&M at $4.1 million. According to On3 Sports, that budget accounts for expenses incurred in the recruiting process, and that includes, airfare, hotel cots, food, promotional materials, and other expenses. The report does not have information for private universities, which include programs like Miami, Notre Dame, and USC.
This is what On3 Sports had to say about Tennessee:
“In the Josh Heupel era, Tennessee has committed to spending more than ever on college football recruiting. The Volunteers ranked No. 4 overall in football recruiting spending in 2022 with a $2.9 million budget. Since then, the budget has grown by 45% and sat at $5,378,984 in 2024.” – Pete Nakos, On3 Sports
Tennessee has recently shown that it will leave no stone unturned to raise money for its athletics programs. It formed a partnership with Pilot last year that will serve to provide substantial upgrades to Neyland Stadium. It reached a new agreement with Adidas that will put many more millions of dollars into the university for years to come, with part of that being NIL contributions. It is also upping the ticket costs to its fans, which is an unfortunate byproduct of the arms race that college football is becoming.
However, the Vols have shown plenty of willingness to take that money and invest it. Lindsey Nelson Stadium is got an enormous makeover. Neyland Stadium is getting improved. And no public university is sparing no expense more than the Vols when it comes to trying to attract the most talented players at the high school and college level to come play for Tennessee.
The facts simply say that Tennessee is the public school that’s putting its money where its mouth is when it says it wants to win.
