The Progressive Student Alliance and the United Campus Workers (Communications Workers of America, local chapter 3865) organized a gathering in October 2008, “Tell Nashville to Stop the Cuts,” on the pedestrian mall. Several hundred students, faculty, and staff gathered. The gathering followed the October requirement that UT sustain an additional $6 million cut in funding … Continued

Football players and their friends, as well as many other students, expressed anger at Athletics Director Mike Hamilton for firing Phillip Fulmer. They were upset that the manner and timing of the separation was less than gracious. When the details of the $6 million buyout became public, students also expressed concern in the Daily Bacon … Continued

In 2008 students reacted to the issuance of 42 subpoenas for names and information about UT students accused by the Recording Industry Association of America of downloading copyrighted material illegally by seeking better access to services that provide legal downloading. At the time, UT provided access to Ruckus, had 11,284 students and faculty subscribers through … Continued

The March announcement by Interim Chancellor Jan Simek that students would, effective fall 2008, be required to pay for football tickets was met with outrage by students. Also highly unpopular was the April announcement by the Athletics Department that any student tickets for home games not purchased would be made available to the general public … Continued

Students and the Student Government Association were vocal in their disapproval of the ouster of Chancellor Crabtree by UT system President John Petersen in 2008. At a ceremony during a basketball game shortly after Crabtree’s resignation, Petersen was loudly booed and his speech drowned out by noise.

In 2008 the poor location of upper-deck student seating, rather than the actual number of seats available for students, became the principal issue as the basketball team enjoyed increased success. The small number of tickets was also an issue, with students saying that if the seats were better ones, more students would attend.

Each new football coach has the opportunity to “tweak” the football uniforms worn on game days. Lane Kiffin’s alleged preference for new uniforms—particularly an all-black uniform—caused controversy and consternation among the student body and on message boards and blogs in 2009. The team wore all-black uniforms for the October 30 (Halloween) game, but orange and … Continued

Following Chancellor Jimmy Cheek’s February 2009 report to the board of trustees about the impact of the budget cuts on the Knoxville campus, even with a 9 percent increase in tuition, students created Facebook pages, devised petitions to be sent to legislators, and demonstrated on campus. The Student Government Association implemented a letter writing campaign … Continued

The fact that the Jumbotron in Neyland Stadium was always on, even when the stadium was not in use, became a student issue because of the institutional emphasis on conserving energy and helping students to become more environmentally conscious. The Athletics Department released a statement on February 2, 2009, indicating that the Jumbotron was a … Continued

The complexity of the new ticket system, particularly the means of arranging to sit with a group of friends and the process of canceling a guest ticket purchased for a friend, was criticized by students after the opening game against Western Kentucky in 2009. Nineteen of the more than eighteen hundred students who purchased tickets … Continued