UT Football Future

I am not sure UT gets back to the football of 1995-2002 anytime soon. I am not suggesting that the academic side should be ignored but it sounds like the football program is heading in a direction where they will be recruiting players based on academics first. Is this happening at other schools in the SEC (besides Vandy)?

In today's Tennessean:

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's incoming freshman class has the highest average ACT score in the school's history.

Freshmen beginning classes on Wednesday have an average score on the ACT college entrance exam of 26.7. That's 0.3 points higher than last year, according to a news release from the school.


Dooley at SEC Media Days:

They set these benchmarks of APR because they want to improve how we do things and football has met those benchmarks," Dooley said. "Now they're upset because we're the lowest of all the sports. My question back was: at one point is the lowest good enough? The lowest guy in the medical class still becomes a doctor."

Sports talk radio in Knoxville:

If what I’m hearing is accurate, and I’m believing that it is, then Jimmy Cheek is in the process of remaking UT’s athletic department to fit a vision of a university that will be more athletics with a heavy emphasis on academics. And more than one source over the weekend told me that people on campus within the athletic department are concerned about where things are heading. To give you an example, sources tell me Derek Dooley is extremely concerned with this turn of events with Cheek. I was told he recently had a meeting with Cheek where he voiced his concern over a laundry list of requests including asking the university to play ball with him on letting a player into school. And I was told that Dooley was rejected on ALL of his requests. According to multiple sources, Dooley has even appealed to big money boosters over this but has been told that Cheek is in charge and they won’t intervene.