Tennessee Fund

Being retired  from The University of Tennessee, I have supported my 2nd alma mater for over 40 years,   purchased athletic tickets and had the opportunity to purchase parking passes. In those early years, the office of alumni annual giving would send us a complimentary parking pass for both football and basketball. Things changed but we have still been able to purchase a parking pass as a result of giving to programs within the university. Recently, the greatest changes have come with the introduction of the Tennessee Fund administered by the athletic department. As someone commented recently, it seems like the athletic department is now running the university and the TV networks are running the athletic department resulting in all the night football games and 9:00 pm basketball games.

During the past week, retirees of The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have had an opportunity to vote on how they would continue to support university programs through the new Tennessee Fund administered by the athletic department. The poll is now closed but the results can be seen by clicking on The Tennessee Fund.

There seems to be a couple of issues regarding the Tennessee Fund.

1. Grandfathered Retirees and Parking

Retirees who have made cumulative academic contributions sufficient to be in one of the UT Donor gift societies like the Presidents Club, Tennessee Society or greater will be grandfathered and do not have to make future contributions to the Tennessee Fund to maintain ticket priority.  Donation levels entitling you to purchase your current tickets will not change.  Additionally, if you have made a donation of at least $500 per year for successive years you will be grandfathered as well. Beginning in 2010, all season parking passes will be reassigned based on Tennessee Fund donor giving rank. So, if we want to retain parking for football and basketball, it is essential we continue to make donations to the Tennessee Fund. Donations made directly to UTIA programs do not qualify us to purchase parking passes.

2. Retirees Not Grandfathered

Retirees who are not grandfathered will not receive ticket priority in 2010 under the new policy.  You must give to the new Tennessee Fund in 2010 to preserve your ticket priority status. Undesignated funds will be provided to UTIA by the Tennessee Fund to be used as directed by the Vice President for Agriculture.  Thus, UTIA is not losing funds, but the donor is losing the ability to direct their gift to a specific fund if you give to the Tennessee Fund. Starting in 2010, the Vice President of UTIA will redirect from  undesignated funds the amount of your gift in 2009 as a basis and direct funds from the Institute of Agriculture’s undesignated dollars to reimburse the fund that you supported in 2009. Your ticket priority will be maintained, if you meet the new giving requirements of the Tennessee fund;  and the UTIA fund that you traditionally designated your gift to will be credited for your 2009 gift amount. You will not be able to designate your gift through the Tennessee Fund, but UTIA will be able to retrieve the names of those contributing through the university database.

Every retiree should contact the athletic department at 865-974-1218 to determine if they are grandfathered for ticket priority. Anyone having questions concerning athletic tickets, parking or contributing to The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture should contact the UTAD at 865-974-1218 or Rhodes Logan in the UTIA Development Office at 865-974-1934.

My View

I have seen many great athletes represent The University of Tennessee with style and class. The recent actions of a few football players and basketball players have hurt the university, but should not take away from the fine men and women who have represented our university in an exceptional way. In recent years, we have seen people like Heath Shuler, Todd Helton, Peyton Manning, Dane Bradshaw and Chris Lofton who have excelled both on and off the field and court. And, let's not forget the former Cheatham County 4-H'er, Pat Head Summitt and UT Martin Alumnus, who has won over 1000 games as a coach and has a 100% graduation rate of her players. These women have gone on to excel in many different areas of life.

During the coming year, I plan on continuing to support the Tennessee Fund in hopes of retaining my parking privilege. I am a proud grandfather of 3 college students (2 at UT and one at MTSU)  and one high school student, but also grandfathered as to purchasing tickets to athletic events. If my points do not qualify me to retain my parking or at least get a decent parking spot, I will reconsider future contributions to the Tennessee Fund. The parking lots on campus are owned by the university and ultimately by us, the taxpayers. I resent our university administration turning over control of the parking lots to the athletic department.

As Mike Huckabee would say, that is my view and I welcome yours.