The phrase “One Tennessee” has frequently been used by Butch Jones and other Tennessee coaches of various sports over the last year as a unifying motto for all Tennessee athletic teams. That motto was on full display this afternoon as both the football team and men’s basketball team were in Thompson Boling Arena to watch the #11 Lady Volunteers destroy the #7 Stanford Cardinal by a final score of 59-40.
With the recent news that all women’s athletic teams – with the exception of the basketball team – will no longer be referred to by the the moniker Lady Vols, there has been some talk that women’s athletics were being demeaned by Tennessee’s Athletic Department. Regardless of you opinion on the matter, today’s showing of support can only be seen as an overwhelming positive for the university and it’s athletic programs.
Butch Jones actually touched on the direction of the Athletic Department last week. Here’s a snippet of his statement:
“It’s an organization. It’s a family. It’s beyond our coaches. It’s beyond our players. It’s our administration. It’s our marketing department, our fundraising. It’s sports information. It’s everything, sports medicine, our doctors, our trainers, academics in the Thornton Center. I think that’s a tribute to Dave Hart and his leadership and the stability and vision that he has provided for everyone. I think I speak for every head coach here. The other thing I think are unique to this environment, this situation, is the closeness of all of our coaches. We talk about being one Tennessee, and we are truly one Tennessee. All of them have been tremendously supportive, win or lose. Always getting text messages of support. I think that speaks volumes and centers around one of the greatest attributes that you can have, which is leadership.”
Here are some tweets sent out by players and university accounts during the game and the football team’s halftime recognition ceremony:
Supporting our @LadyVol_Hoops sisters today as they #BeatStanford pic.twitter.com/onPZuYv7bm
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 20, 2014
https://twitter.com/CoachPhelps/status/546367366985428992
Pano of #Team118 at @LadyVol_Hoops pic.twitter.com/LoYWiqjKvZ
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 20, 2014
#OneTennessee pic.twitter.com/EtrNLx7iT3
— Jalen Reeves-Maybin (@ReevesMaybin) December 20, 2014
Awesome to see the appreciation from the @LadyVol_Hoops crowd for @Vol_Football #OneTennessee pic.twitter.com/4drk1LlpNe
— Jason Yellin (@JasonYellin) December 20, 2014
. @UTCoachJones and @UTCoachTyndall taking in the @LadyVol_Hoops game. #BeatStanford #OneTennessee pic.twitter.com/aFLgRayuYi
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 20, 2014
Cheering loud and proud for our @LadyVol_Hoops team. #OneTennessee #BeatStanford pic.twitter.com/srPE4xshSZ
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 20, 2014
Supporting the Lady Vol basketball team as they take on Stanford #Vols #Tennessee #BeatStanford #VFL #VolFamily pic.twitter.com/rX5kAKIYk0
— Mike Wegzyn (@mikewegzyn) December 20, 2014
Standing ovation for #Team118 and @UTCoachJones at the @LadyVol_Hoops game #OneTennessee pic.twitter.com/oMoUvj0VAV
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 20, 2014
#Team118 and @UTCoachJones being honored at @LadyVol_Hoops pic.twitter.com/SCzUHR9XKl
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 20, 2014
