UT Athletics Holds Fall Board Meeting

Oct. 15, 2011

KNOXVILLE - The University of Tennessee Athletics Board met on Saturday morning and was presented with updates regarding student-athlete academic accomplishments and the current status of several items related to the operation of UT Athletics.

The meeting began with welcoming remarks from Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek and an introduction of Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Dave Hart.

The meeting included a comprehensive discussion of the recent academic accomplishments of University of Tennessee student-athletes, the highlights of which include:

For the second consecutive year, all athletic teams were above the 925 threshold on their annual APR rating (Academic Progress Rate). A perfect 1000 rating was achieved by both the women's golf and women's tennis programs.

During the 2010-2011 school year, 87 former student-athletes graduated from the University of Tennessee, continuing Tennessee athletics' commitment to excellence in the classroom. Additionally, seven former student-athletes returned to the University to work toward completion their degree requirements through the Renewing Academic Commitment (RAC) program.

A total of 240 student-athletes achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the spring of 2011, accounting for 52.9 percent of all UT student-athletes. Additionally, 18 student-athletes earned a 4.0 GPA during the spring semester. The average GPA for student-athletes during the Spring 2011 semester was 2.93.

Two student-athletes won NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships: John-Patrick Smith (Tennis) and Nikki Fowler (Volleyball).

Four student-athletes received CoSIDA Academic All-American honors: Angie Bjorklund (Basketball), Raven Chavanne (Softball), Nikki Fowler (Volleyball), and Chanelle Price (Track and Field). A total of 184 student-athletes were named to the 2010-11 SEC Honor Roll.

A total of 10 Tennessee student-athletes who have already received an undergraduate degree are competing during the 2011-12 school year.

In addition to the multitude of student-athlete academic accomplishments, the on-field performance by the Tennessee student-athletes placed the school 22nd in the Director's Cup that measures overall athletic excellence. Tennessee finished in the Top 25 for the seventh time in the last eight years.

The UTAD budget, which was $101.5 million for fiscal year 2011, was also discussed. UTAD, which is one of less than 10 departments in the nation that receives no funding from state subsidies, taxes, or tuition dollars, experienced a surplus of $5,783,905.80. The financial management success of the department allowed for a net cash payment of $5.769 million to the University, including $2.825 million in Chancellor's discretionary funds, $1.375 million for student academic scholarships, and $1.125 million in annual debt service on five University parking garages.

Included in this contribution was also a $1 million transfer from UT Athletics to the University from the new SEC television contract, including $800,000 for graduate fellowships throughout campus, $100,000 for the Student Success Center, and $100,000 for the Teaching and Learning Center.

UTAD also experienced a banner year in development, as the Tennessee Fund reported $45,848,711 in total giving, a school record for Tennessee - an increase of approximately $2.4 million from the previous year's total of $43.44 million. The Tennessee Fund supports athletic scholarships as well as other UT Athletics operations, including such items as academic support, strength and conditioning, athletic training, recruiting, and academic scholarships for non-student athletes.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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