Sports news often comes with dollar signs attached.
LSU fired football coach Brian Kelly last season at a cost of $54 million, then signed Lane Kiffin to a seven-year deal worth $91 million.
The Big Ten recently announced it would disseminate a conference-record $1.37 billion to its 18 schools for the 2025 fiscal year.
Former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby reportedly got an NIL deal worth at least $5 million for transferring to oil-rich Texas Tech. Eventually, you might even find out how much money Sorsby won or lost while betting on sporting events when he apparently had too much time on his hands as a backup quarterback at Indiana.
Tennessee sports also are in the money news. That has nothing to do with risk-taking transfer quarterbacks, conference revenue payouts, or the firing and hiring of head football coaches.
The UT Board of Trustees has approved a $280 million project known as the “Neyland Entertainment District.” The groundbreaking is scheduled for summer 2026.
Tennessee officials are excited about a venture that will feature a hotel/condo overlooking Neyland Stadium, a rooftop bar, shops and fan experiences. Another plus: There’s no financial risk for UT. Investors and real estate developers will finance the project.
UT chancellor Donde Plowman called it a “very bold and dramatic opportunity” that will benefit the university year-round.
Athletic director Danny White referred to it as a “lift for game day and bigger lift for the other 358 days of the year.”
His assessment shouldn’t be taken lightly. Few ADs in the country are as adept at generating revenue.
I’m not so gifted, as evidenced by my financial arrangement with the News Sentinel. I’m also not an expert on sports entertainment. No matter how compelling a game might be, the clock is always ticking on my impending deadline for publication.
My limitations in those two areas make me hesitant to predict how much money and fun the entertainment district will produce. So I asked someone well-versed on both topics.
Sports marketing guru Craig Jenkins, a UT grad and Knoxville resident, has spent most of his career in sports. In the early 2000s, he traveled the world promoting and managing pro wrestling. He also has worked in pro hockey and minor league baseball and is now a consultant for the Smokies.
Jenkins knows what will draw a crowd. And what won’t.
He can envision the monstrous potential of the Neyland Entertainment District on a Saturday in the fall but wonders: “What about a Tuesday in July?”
Good question. My answer based on 39 years in Knoxville: “When the going gets tough, go Vols.”
There are enough former Vols still living in the area to provide entertainment when neither Neyland nor Food City Center is open for business. Put those ex-Vols to work.
Expand the entertainment beyond food, drink and whatever is available on sports-bar television screens. Give your customers competition and sports celebrities.
They could compete against former Tennessee quarterbacks in a dart-throwing contest. Or challenge former UT linemen in axe-throwing. Or take on legendary linebacker Al Wilson in arm wrestling.
Of course, those ex-Vols would need to be paid. But their crowd-drawing potential would be worth it.
When I asked Jenkins what he thought of my suggestion, he reminded me why he’s the expert.
Forget the ex-Vols, he said. Let fans compete against current Vols, who could turn this into an NIL bonanza.
UT supporters would be drawn to the entertainment district on a Tuesday in July in search of more than a good time. They would be attracted by the opportunity to help fund the Vols’ football roster.
Winning games is always the best way to entertain a Tennessee fan.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.knoxnews.com ’
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