Pat Benson
Tennessee fans have reason to be optimistic about their basketball program. This two-seed team has embarked on a potentially historic tournament run. Their coach is ahead of schedule on rebuilding the program, and Thompson-Boiling Arena has become a hot spot. With all that being said, I want to pose a hypothetical question to the ravenous Vols fan base. Would you rather win two men’s basketball championships (2019, 2020) or one football championship (2020)?
I’m a basketball zealot, so this is a no-brainer for me. Two consecutive titles would catapult the Vols basketball program into the blue-blood conversation. Only eight other schools have cut the nets down more than twice. Since tournament expansion, just four of those schools were able to win it back to back. The Vols would quickly go from ignored to beloved by the national media, and the effect on recruiting would be immediate and long-lasting.
Additionally, winning two basketball titles would rejuvenate a languishing athletic department in Knoxville. Facilities would be upgraded and sponsorship contracts would become more lucrative. Phillip Fulmer would be touted as one of the best Athletic Directors in the country. SEC rivals Kentucky and Florida would be brought back down to size.
On the other hand, Tennessee is a football state and people are genuinely starting to worry if they will ever see another championship if their lifetime. 1998 seems like a lifetime ago, and the Vols football program has been accelerating in the wrong direction since that time. College kids don’t remember how exciting that season was for the entire state. Heck, they weren’t even born yet.
Even though it’s been 21 years, Tennesseans refuse to forget about that Vols team. Commemorative license plates and vintage Fiesta Bowl gear can still be found from the Great Smoky Mountains to the mighty Mississippi River. Children are still being named after Tee Martin and Peerless Price.
Beyond the sentimental stuff, a single football championship would work wonders for the program. It would obviously shift the balance of power in the SEC, and attract more recruits and better coaches. Season tickets would become highly-coveted forms of social currency. Neyland Stadium would return to being an intimidating and unaccommodating venue for visitors, rather than a host of self-perpetuating breakdowns.
If you follow me on Twitter then you know that I have visited this topic before. In January I ran a poll asking this question, and 53 percent of the voters favored a single football championship. If there were a state-wide referendum to choose between the two options, I would be willing to bet that fans would resoundingly vote for the football championship. So if you are a part of big orange nation, please take a moment to ask yourself which you would rather have. And if two basketball championships are not enough, how many would it take?
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Pat Benson is a fixture at local high school sporting events. He has been a sideline reporter, P.A. announcer, and radio personality. Tweet him @Pat_Benson_Jr.