2015 schedule released...

[Black Diamond Vol]

UF is back in the SEC opener slot, and UK comes much earlier than usual.  Otherwise, no real surprises.  This is a manageable schedule.  8-9 wins should be the expectation.

http://www.rockytopinsider.com/2014/10/14/vols-announce-final-2015-schedule/

[midtnvol]

UAB in Nashville??? Good for me but does UAB deserve a neutral site? Can't see giving up nearly 40,000 potential BIS (butts in seats) for UAB.

[Black Diamond Vol]

UAB in Nashville??? Good for me but does UAB deserve a neutral site? Can't see giving up nearly 40,000 potential BIS (butts in seats) for UAB.

Neyland probably wouldn't sell out for that game anyway.

[Clockwork Orange]

UAB in Nashville??? Good for me but does UAB deserve a neutral site? Can't see giving up nearly 40,000 potential BIS (butts in seats) for UAB.

Recruiting/fan exposure, better tax situation, probability of a sellout vs. being unlikely in Neyland. It makes sense on a few fronts.

Mostly I think this is part of the power play by the UTAD to get the city to change its tax laws. Do this often enough and the revenue lost on those game days starts to look like real money to the city. Businesses are already upset and lobbying for changes to the laws. I think it's a matter of time.

[midtnvol]

Neyland probably wouldn't sell out for that game anyway.

Probably depends on how the rest of this season plays out. Strong finish with a bowl game then the natives will be ready to feed that football hunger.

[Creek Walker]

Recruiting/fan exposure, better tax situation, probability of a sellout vs. being unlikely in Neyland. It makes sense on a few fronts.

Mostly I think this is part of the power play by the UTAD to get the city to change its tax laws. Do this often enough and the revenue lost on those game days starts to look like real money to the city. Businesses are already upset and lobbying for changes to the laws. I think it's a matter of time.

I can buy that it's a move on UT's part to bolster their propaganda and lobbying efforts to have the tax dropped, but hopefully no one is actually buying UT's story that moving the game to a neutral site makes better financial sense for the university.

[Clockwork Orange]

I can buy that it's a move on UT's part to bolster their propaganda and lobbying efforts to have the tax dropped, but hopefully no one is actually buying UT's story that moving the game to a neutral site makes better financial sense for the university.

Well this depends in part on the deals given UT by the venues we travel to. I don't know what the agreement is with the stadiums in Nashville and Charlotte but you know that the pot was sweetened by the venues to bring the game there. It's probably revenue-negative in most cases, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the difference isn't as great as you'd suspect.

[HerbTarlekVol]

UAB in Nashville is all about recruiting - period. 

[midtnvol]

UAB in Nashville is all about recruiting - period. 

Middle Tennessee has become a much better recruiting ground the past few years and I can buy that reason moreso than the financial thing. Witness the number of Tennessee natives on the Ole Miss roster. http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ole-m-footbl-mtt.html I count 14 and a few of those are from Mid TN.

[HerbTarlekVol]

Middle Tennessee has become a much better recruiting ground the past few years and I can buy that reason moreso than the financial thing. Witness the number of Tennessee natives on the Ole Miss roster. http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ole-m-footbl-mtt.html I count 14 and a few of those are from Mid TN.

I understand that UT would like to have the amusement tax reduced and keep more of the money from a home game, but the conspiracy that UT is somehow trying to punish the city by taking a "home" game elsewhere is just plain misguided.  Even with the tax UT would net much more revenue with a home game than they would a neutral site game, and that's not even taking in to account the logistical issues with a road game, be it a true road game or neutral site game. 

Besides, it bothers me that UT believes that just because the tax would be lowered/eliminated that they (UT) should be able to keep that instead of passing those savings back to the ticket buying consumers.  I'm not fan of taxes, but for UT to assume that we as ticket buyers should just roll over and hand that money over to them is an assumption that may be misguided if it ever does happen. 

Back to the subject, yes, Middle Tennessee has become a very fertile recruiting area and a lot more schools are hitting it hard now.  The UAB game is about exposure to the "non-UT fan" potential recruits and parents, and with the transient nature of Middle Tennessee now, there are a ton of those. 

[Creek Walker]

but the conspiracy that UT is somehow trying to punish the city by taking a "home" game elsewhere is just plain misguided.

I agree with the premise of what you're saying, but blame UT for this conspiracy. UT put out a press release last month claiming that the tax is one of the reasons they're scheduling more neutral site games and threatening to schedule even more such games in the future.

[HerbTarlekVol]

I agree with the premise of what you're saying, but blame UT for this conspiracy. UT put out a press release last month claiming that the tax is one of the reasons they're scheduling more neutral site games and threatening to schedule even more such games in the future.

Absolutely I do, and as I said I believe it is pretty arrogant for UT to assumed that the consumers will just give UT a pass and not say anything about their keeping the difference instead of passing back to the consumer. 

The way the UTAD is being managed is not good right now.  Too many assumptions being made as to the lengths that the consumer will go to support the program, in my opinion.  Folks are getting fed up with a lot of the demands being made on them for the "privilege" of being a fan. 

[Clockwork Orange]

The way the UTAD is being managed is not good right now.  Too many assumptions being made as to the lengths that the consumer will go to support the program, in my opinion.  Folks are getting fed up with a lot of the demands being made on them for the "privilege" of being a fan. 

And yet Vol fans packed the stadium and paid $200+ per ticket in support of a 2-loss team coming off of 41 losses in 6 seasons when they played UF two weeks ago. I think the AD's assumptions are correct, and that fan support hinges only on some success (or even the hope of success, for which the UF game is evidence).

Folks may be "fed up" but you can't blame the AD for thinking the fans will continue their support when all available evidence suggests that is precisely the case.

[HerbTarlekVol]

And yet Vol fans packed the stadium and paid $200+ per ticket in support of a 2-loss team coming off of 41 losses in 6 seasons when they played UF two weeks ago. I think the AD's assumptions are correct, and that fan support hinges only on some success (or even the hope of success, for which the UF game is evidence).

Folks may be "fed up" but you can't blame the AD for thinking the fans will continue their support when all available evidence suggests that is precisely the case.

Really?  So, why is it that now fans can get tickets without being forced to make a donation?  Do you honestly believe that revenues are anywhere near where they have been in the past, CO? 

[midtnvol]

Really?  So, why is it that now fans can get tickets without being forced to make a donation?  Do you honestly believe that revenues are anywhere near where they have been in the past, CO? 

Just ask the oweners of the stores on the strip. The only one I talked to (Longbranch) told me her business is off by over 50% from our best years. Winning will cure a lot of what ails us. I don't like paying more for an inferior product.

[Clockwork Orange]

Really?  So, why is it that now fans can get tickets without being forced to make a donation?  Do you honestly believe that revenues are anywhere near where they have been in the past, CO?  

Of course they aren't. We've lost 44 games since August 2008. Reread my post-- support is contingent on success or at least the hope thereof, and that has been mostly absent for 6+ years now. Yet when that hope has been there-- UF 2012, UF 2014 for example-- what did the fan support look like? The AD has every reason to believe that its policies play very little role in the growth or decline of fan support.

[Creek Walker]

I shudder to think about what it's going to cost to attend a ballgame once this program turns itself around. I know one fan who won't be in attendance if costs are any more than they are now. The cost to attend a ballgame has far exceeded inflation.

[Clockwork Orange]

I shudder to think about what it's going to cost to attend a ballgame once this program turns itself around. I know one fan who won't be in attendance if costs are any more than they are now. The cost to attend a ballgame has far exceeded inflation.

I hardly ever go-- it's not so much about the cost as it is the vastly improved experience at home. I can enjoy our game with better views than being in the stadium, plus watch all the other games I want to watch as well as get things done around the house. Do I miss the live experience? Somewhat. But for me it's worth the tradeoff.

The cost does make all of that worse, and middle class fans are getting priced out. I think you can attribute this mainly to the recruiting and facilities arms races-- more and more money gets piled into that every year because it's become pretty much essential to remain competitive. And that stuff doesn't come cheap.

[Tnphil]

I hardly ever go-- it's not so much about the cost as it is the vastly improved experience at home. I can enjoy our game with better views than being in the stadium, plus watch all the other games I want to watch as well as get things done around the house. Do I miss the live experience? Somewhat. But for me it's worth the tradeoff.

The cost does make all of that worse, and middle class fans are getting priced out. I think you can attribute this mainly to the recruiting and facilities arms races-- more and more money gets piled into that every year because it's become pretty much essential to remain competitive. And that stuff doesn't come cheap.

Exactly how I am......I had season tickets for several years until 1995. I gave them up because my son played college football for 4 years and we followed him during that time. I fully expected to get my season tickets back but decided it was too easy to stay home. Never regretted not getting season tickets for 1 second.

[Creek Walker]

I hardly ever go-- it's not so much about the cost as it is the vastly improved experience at home. I can enjoy our game with better views than being in the stadium, plus watch all the other games I want to watch as well as get things done around the house. Do I miss the live experience? Somewhat. But for me it's worth the tradeoff.

The cost does make all of that worse, and middle class fans are getting priced out. I think you can attribute this mainly to the recruiting and facilities arms races-- more and more money gets piled into that every year because it's become pretty much essential to remain competitive. And that stuff doesn't come cheap.

I still enjoy the game day experience way too much to stop going completely. But I'm gradually moving that direction myself, as I suspect a lot of other fans are. I had free tickets to both the Arkansas State and Chattanooga games and gave them away. A big part of it is still the cost, though. Even for a game against a scrub team where there's little or no doubt who's gonna game, it's gonna cost me $100+ by the time I pay for gas, parking and food, and I'd rather just stay home and enjoy the game with friends from the air-conditioned (or heated) confines there. 

[PirateVOL]

I hardly ever go-- it's not so much about the cost as it is the vastly improved experience at home. I can enjoy our game with better views than being in the stadium, plus watch all the other games I want to watch as well as get things done around the house. Do I miss the live experience? Somewhat. But for me it's worth the tradeoff.

The cost does make all of that worse, and middle class fans are getting priced out. I think you can attribute this mainly to the recruiting and facilities arms races-- more and more money gets piled into that every year because it's become pretty much essential to remain competitive. And that stuff doesn't come cheap.

I like going to the games to watch what you can't really see on TV, the matchups off the ball.  The why interests me as much as the what.  Now I do choose not to go to some games.  Last week is an example, to play a glorified HS team is not worth the 5+ hour drive each way to see it.  Also, being here in Bubbaville several of the games are closer, UGA and SC for example, makes the drive and justification easier.

[Black Diamond Vol]

For me, it's more about the atmosphere than the game itself.  I'm perfectly content with driving up to Knoxville and tailgating without even going to the game.  That's not something I'd ever want to give up.

That said, watching from home has become a very enjoyable pastime as well.  I just got a new TV last week.  Upon doing so, I moved what was my "big" TV back to the bedroom, and the 32" I had back there I moved back out to the living room as a second screen.  So now I can have two games going at once.  If needed, I can watch a third game on the tablet.  I drink better beer when I'm at home (I don't like the heavier stuff when I'm sitting outside all day).  Taking a leak doesn't mean waiting in line for 20 minutes.  I pull up about 6 tabs on my browser and I'm ready to go.  Not a bad little setup for a fall Saturday.

[BanditVol]

Really?  So, why is it that now fans can get tickets without being forced to make a donation?  Do you honestly believe that revenues are anywhere near where they have been in the past, CO? 

Two things...no business ever gives back a tax break to consumers.  They will always pocket it.  That's capitalism, baby!

And two...sadly, the average fan probably doesn't even know there is a tax, and even if they do will likely not notice if and when it's lifted.

[Coupe De VOL]

What are some of the big fertile recruiting ground schools in Nashville?  Ensworth, Brentwood, Brentwood Academy, MBA, others???  We really should own Nashville, recruiting-wise.

[Clockwork Orange]

What are some of the big fertile recruiting ground schools in Nashville?  Ensworth, Brentwood, Brentwood Academy, MBA, others???  We really should own Nashville, recruiting-wise.

What's interesting to me is that the biggest threat to our dominance in the mid state seems to be Ole Miss at the moment. I expect them to do very well in West TN but their success in the Nashville area is troubling.

All the more reason to do games like this.