University of Tennessee Lettermen's Club

STUDENT-ATHLETES: LETTERMEN AWARDS

The University of Tennessee Athletics Department selects deserving student-athletes to receive athletics awards as recognition of athletic participation, academic performance and outstanding achievement in various elements of the unique life of the student athlete.

Awards by outside groups or organizations are not allowed unless approved by the compliance office. Each sport has annual team awards that are based on criteria set by the individual sport. These awards, as well as lettermen awards, are presented at the discretion of each athletics department.

General Eligibility Rule

To be eligible for an award in any sport the participant must:

LETTER REQUIREMENTS

Baseball Varsity Letter Requirements

Pitcher:

-The participant must pitch in ten percent of the total innings played by the team. -Two relief specialists may also be recommended by the Head Coach. Catcher:

-The participant must catch in 30 percent of the total innings played by the team. Others:

- The participant must play in 40 percent of the total innings played by the team.

Basketball Varsity Letter Requirements

The participant must play in 50 percent of the total games played by the team.

Cross Country Varsity Letter Requirements

The participant must take the travel squad for the SEC or the NCAA championship meets in order to be considered for a letter.
If a student-athlete who participated during the regular season was consistently finishing in the top five UT runners but was injured or sick for the championship meets, he should be considered for a letter by the Head Coach.

Football Varsity Letter Requirements

A participant must be active in 90 plays throughout the season in order to be considered for a letter.

Golf Varsity Letter Requirements

A participant must have competed in three intercollegiate tournaments to be eligible to receive an award, OR
A participant must have successfully qualified for the traveling squad on two different occasions to be eligible to receive a sport award.

Swimming Varsity Letter Requirements

A participant must score 15 points in the dual meets (this total must include at least one first place finish).
A participant can also letter by scoring a point in the SEC tournament.

Tennis Varsity Letter Requirements

A participant must play in 50 percent of the regularly scheduled dual meets.
A participant can also letter by scoring a point in the SEC or NCAA tournament.

Indoor/Outdoor Track Varsity Letter Requirements

A participant must score in one of the SEC championship meets or in one of the NCAA meets in order to be considered for a letter.
If a student-athlete who participated during the regular season, finishing in the top five UT runners, but was injured or sick for the championship meets, he shall be considered for a letter by the Head Coach.

Varsity Letter Requirements for Managers/Trainers

The Head Athletics Trainer shall determine the eligibility requirements for student trainers and shall recommend those eligible for a student trainer's award (see descriptions under Types of Awards below).

The Head Coach of each sport shall determine the eligibility requirements for managers and shall recommend those eligible for a manager's award (see descriptions under Types of Awards below).

TYPES OF AWARDS

Varsity Letter Awards

The following Lettermen Awards are based on a student-athlete lettering each year during his/her four years of eligibility.

First-Year Letter (Men):

Receipients are awarded the official wool jacket made with a special Tennessee light orange body, white cowhide sleeves, knit trim at cuffs and waist, knit Byron collar, and white lining. Sewn onto the left front of the jacket will be an eight inch white full-clock chenille letter "T." -The chenille letter will include the appropriate insignia designating the sport for which the jacket is awarded.

-The jacket for managers and trainers will include the appropriate emblem embossed on the chenille letter.

First-Year Letter (Women):

Recipients will be awarded a Letterman director's chair.

Second-Year Letter (Men):

Recipients will be awarded a Lettermen watch. The face of the watch will indicate the sport that the student-athlete lettered in with the power "T" logo in the background.

Second-Year Letter (Women):

Recipients will be awarded a Letterman jacket.

Third-Year Letter (Men):

Receipients will be awarded a Lettermen Blanket. The blanket is orange on one side and white on the other. Each side will have a 14 inch full block letter "T" in the center - an orange letter on the white side and a white letter on the orange side.

Third-Year Letter (Women):

Recipients will be awarded a Letterman watch.

Fourth-Year Letter (Men & Women):

Recipients will be awarded a Letterman Ring.

TRANSFERS & RETURNING STUDENTS WITH FEWER THAN FOUR (4) YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY REMAING

Transfer and returning student-athletes with less than fours years of eligibility remaining will follow these guidelines:

3 yrs. of Eligibility Remaining

1st Letter- Choice of Lettermen Jacket or Watch
2nd Letter- Lettermen Blanket
3rd Letter- Lettermen Ring

2 yrs. of Eligibility Remaining

1st Letter- Choice of Lettermen Jacket, Watch, or Blanket
2nd Letter- Lettermen Ring

1 yr. of Eligibility Remaining

1st Letter- Choice of Lettermen Jacket, Watch, Blanket, or Ring

Multi-Sport Student-Athlete:

A participant who lettered in more than one sport in the same year will only receive ONE sport's award for that year. For example, a student-athlete lettering for the first time in football and the second time in track will have already received a first-year award for track. For his second year he will receive the second year award only.

CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS

A special SEC championship ring is designed for members of a conference championship team. The Head Coach and that sport's administrator shall determine who is eligible to receive the ring.

A special NCAA championship ring is designed for members of a national championship team. The Head Coach and that sport's administrator shall determine who is eligible to receive the ring. Student-athletes that earn an individual NCAA championship may be awarded a championship ring for that sport/event. This would apply to Golf, Swimming, Tennis, and Track.

The list of names that are recommended to receive Championship Rings must be approved by the Athletics Director.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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