Tennessee athletics is adding a groundbreaking "talent fee" to season and single-game tickets in order to help fund proposed revenue sharing with athletes. Vols athletic director Danny White announced the decision in a video sent out to Volunteer fans on Tuesday morning.
As part of the plan, Tennessee will add a 10% premium charge to tickets that will go directly to athletes starting with 2025 season tickets. After the Volunteers reached 20 wins over the last two years for the first time in decades, Tennessee football season tickets are projected to increase an additional 4.5%
"We will continue to grow our other revenue streams and be efficient with our expenses to maximize the anticipated full revenue share allotment," Tennessee said in a statement obtained by 247Sports. "There has never been a time in college sports where revenue growth had such a close correlation to winning. We strive to equip our coaches with all the resources needed to compete at a championship level and create the best opportunities for Tennessee student-athletes."
Tennessee was one of the earliest and most aggressive adopters of NIL when the system was instituted in 2021. The NCAA previously attempted to investigate Tennessee for alleged NIL violations in February, but the Volunteers sued and ultimately earned a temporary injunction against the NCAA enforcing any NIL rules.
The revenue share is also dependent on finalization of the House v. NCAA lawsuit, which opens the door to direct athlete compensation from athletic departments. The projected settlement would allow athletic departments to compensate athletes directly up to approximately $22 million. However, the two sides have not yet finalized the agreement.
