KNOXVILLE – Phillip Fulmer delivered a message Wednesday via the University of Tennessee athletic department’s website and its social media platforms that was about two minutes in length. The Vols athletic director needed mere seconds to convey his most relevant point.
“As long as the curve and trends continue to move in the right direction, I’m confident we will be playing football in Neyland Stadium this fall,” he said.
“Please continue to do your part to drive that curve down, all the while keeping yourself and your family healthy.”
The timing of Fulmer’s message - which referenced the coronavirus pandemic with regard to Tennessee’s football season - coincided with the NCAA Division I council approving a model for college football’s summer activities and preseason practice.
Based on UT’s scheduled Sept. 5 opener against Charlotte, the Vols may conduct up to eight hours of weight training, conditioning and film study from July 13-23. The lone stipulation is that no more than two hours of the allotted time goes to film study.
From July 24 to Aug. 6, the time for athletic-related activity is increased to 20 hours per week, with no more than four hours per day. Up to eight hours per week can be devoted to weight training and conditioning while up to six hours can be budgeted for walk-throughs or meetings.
After the aforementioned two-week period, the 29 days of preseason practice may begin.
“The football oversight committee worked hard to create a model that balances the proper precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the need for an acclimatization period to safely return to play,” said council chair M. Grace Calhoun, the athletic director at Penn. “The council members believe approving this model is a positive step forward for the sport.”
The gist of Fulmer’s message boiled down to essentially all that he could say at this time.
Members of the football team returned to campus last week for voluntary workouts apparently without a hitch. Therefore, the view from mid-June is encouraging.
The only possible loose end in Fulmer’s presentation was a reference to UT reaching the 90-percent mark in its season ticket renewals. Will season ticket holders, or anyone for that matter, be allowed in the stadium to view games this fall?
That’s another message for another day.
It’s worth noting what Fulmer didn’t have to say at this point.
For instance, the University of Houston shut down their voluntary workouts last week after six student-athletes tested positive for the virus. The Houston Chronicle reported that the school was not testing athletes as they returned to campus unless they had COVID-19 symptoms.
Rivals.com reported Wednesday that six members of the Texas Longhorns football team had tested positive for the virus and approximately 15 players were in quarantine.
Considering the circumstances, it’s better to have little to say than have a lot to answer for.
Jordan off team: Running back Tim Jordan no longer is a member of UT’s football team, coach Jeremy Pruitt said Thursday during a Zoom teleconference.
Jordan was arrested on gun and marijuana charges after a traffic stop in late May near his home in Bartow, Fla.
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri, who covered University of Tennessee athletics from 1988-2019. He can be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com.