The End of an Era: UT Schedules a 1-AA/FCS Football Team

by David Hooper on Mar 31, 2009 8:55 PM EDT in Tennessee Volunteer Football

In 2010, for the first time in 27 years, Tennessee will play a football game against a program from the lower division: the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks. (The previous 1-AA opponent was The Citadel in 1983.) For those keeping score:

This is the first 1-AA team since roughly ten years prior to Fulmer's ascension to head coach.
Tennessee is the last SEC team to play a 1-AA team since the league expanded to 12 teams.
Reasons cited for the move were (a) tougher scheduling of gimme 1-A teams (a/k/a rising prices of 1-A cupcakes) and (b) a desire to keep the money in-state.
If you're prone to snark over this move, keep in mind the very next opponent that Tennessee plays - Oregon. Then immediately after the Oregon game, Florida comes to town.

Thus dies one more bullet point in the bragging rights of one of the very few power teams to schedule a real nonconference schedule. Keeping in mind that UT also plays Florida, Georgia and Alabama every year, with most years featuring at least one more perennial giant from the West, it's hard to defy the logic given in this move.

UT-Martin will come at a cheaper price, as 1-AA teams have lower operating expenses. Keeping the money in-house (well, within the University system) makes a lot of sense during the economic crunch.

{sigh} It's a record I hate to see fall, but I'm going to enjoy hearing Georgia fans try to take a swipe at it.

(h/t GVX)

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Comments

I like the idea of keeping the money in-house.

I hope that’s most of the reason behind this move, because I really don’t like seeing 1-AA teams on the schedule. Why’d this wall turn into glass all of a sudden?

by Chris Pendley on Mar 31, 2009 9:23 PM EDT reply actions

My question is

Why couldn’t we schedule a game with MTSU? That’s in house and D1/FBS

by Will Shelton on Apr 1, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions

I would guess that they didn't have any free weekends that worked out for UT.

The weekend in question is the very first one available; I doubt the coaches wanted to turn it into a bye while creating a really long stretch of games in the middle.

by David Hooper on Apr 1, 2009 12:17 AM EDT up reply actions

bleh

"Florida didnt win their first SEC title until 1991 and now they think they invented football."
-Ron Zook

by rustytanton on Mar 31, 2009 9:32 PM EDT reply actions

Boo

by rblakeh on Mar 31, 2009 9:46 PM EDT reply actions

Let us hope...

… that Coach Kiffin can bring the type of success it would take for having a 1-AA on our 2010 schedule be an issue in our BCS ranking.

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Apr 1, 2009 8:40 AM EDT reply actions

I can't believe we have lowered ourselves to the levels of Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

Official MCM Hater!

by gramsey712 on Apr 1, 2009 9:12 AM EDT reply actions

Don't forget LSU

Wanna hear some music?

by samhitch on Apr 1, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Too bad it is not an away game...

I grew up about 10 minutes from UT Martin, even went there for a semester until I realized working full time caused a rare disorder of sleeping during class and for some reason the professors didn’t appreciate that. The Skyhawks have made great strides in football, but they used to pretty much let anyone who would show up play for them. (back then they were the Pacers!)
I don’t mind having a few warm up games, but at least give the guys something to work with. I would dare say the practice squad for the Vols is somewhat more talented than the Skyhawks. No offence to the OVC, a lot of guys I played high school ball with played for various OVC teams; but come on!!!! Does the RPI still matter at all??

by volfan in ky on Apr 3, 2009 7:48 PM EDT reply actions