Tennessee’s best chance to returning to national prominence is cold, hard cash.

There’s one sentence I would have never dreamed of writing just a couple of years ago. Were players at every school getting paid before the term “Name, Image and Likeness” became so commonplace? Certainly. However, funding players used to be the most severe NCAA violation. Paying players or lining up others to pay players was a good way to lose a player’s eligibility and cost a coach his career. Now, it’s as common as a Pilot convenient store. That’s good for Tennessee.

First and foremost, no one is suggesting that one payment here or there will change the Vols this season or next. That could happen, but it would be more about good fortune than hard work or astute planning. Tennessee could land a program-changing type of player with some properly aligned funding. Think of what Michael Vick did for Virginia Tech as an example. Tech is relevant, although that is waning, because of one player who elevated the Hokies’ entire program.

Peyton Manning certainly changed the trajectory of Tennessee’s football program, although one could argue that landing Heath Shuler was what made Knoxville a destination stop for top-tier quarterbacks. Nevertheless, if you speak to many players and coaches on Tennessee’s 1998 national championship team, they’ll tell you that Manning’s influence began the improbable run to a national title while he was busy beginning his NFL career.

Banking on one player to change the trajectory of a program is a huge gamble and, in the case of Vick, can be short term. That’s where NIL money can come into play for Tennessee. NIL revenue isn’t going to overcome a program’s faults entirely. Players can still go to Alabama and get paid and will be more likely to compete for a national championship than at Tennessee. That is also the case for Georgia after the Bulldogs proved they were championship-worthy last season. Both are at the level that Tennessee is striving for. Both have strong fan bases and businesses that can spend with the best of them.

Tennessee is usually in the middle of the pack or slightly higher when it comes to generating revenue within its athletic department. That’s proof that the Vols have strong support among business leaders that like to don orange on a blustery fall afternoon. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Tennessee could be much closer to the top of mountain in the SEC very soon if it continues its positive trajectory on the field. More wins mean more donations. Now, more wins can also mean more NIL money.

It’s important to remember that schools don’t provide the money. Businesses do. That gives Tennessee a bit of a leg up on most of its competition. Knoxville is one of the biggest markets in the SEC. That means Tennessee has a large corporate base of businesses that could make things much easier for the Vols in recruiting. So far, large corporate deals have been limited as CEO’s sit back to see how this whole thing plays out. Primarily, smaller businesses have jumped on the NIL trend. That could change. If so, it gives Tennessee a distinct advantage over other programs. Tennessee can also benefit from the exploding market in Nashville, which is much more focused on the Vols than Vanderbilt.

Tennessee’s recruiting pitch was different when the Vols were at a championship level in the 1990s. The Vols sold the fact that they were on television more often than most of their rivals and had massive facilities that dwarfed most of their competition. That was a pretty strong pitch. Things have changed. Now, everyone has excellent facilities and Southwest Missouri State’s football games are all televised nationally in some shape, form or fashion. Whether it’s ESPN or streaming, players’ families can see their sons play at any school in the nation. That recruiting pitch is incredibly dated.

I spoke to some people who were a bit taken aback that Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker could make $1 million before his college career comes to an end. I wasn’t. That’s just the beginning. When do offensive linemen, tight ends or safeties start getting mega-deals worth six figures? Perhaps very soon. If so, Knoxville and UT are in prime position.

Tennessee may not need NIL money to become elite again, but it can’t hurt. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel could have a David Cutcliffe-like effect on the Vols. Elite quarterbacks will want to play for Heupel because he’s a special offensive coach. He can design plays and call them as well as any of his peers, at least from what I’ve seen to this point. Still, gobbling up cash is ultimately better than gobbling up offensive yards for many individuals. As long as players are in line and not cash-driven divas, the two can align just fine.

Heupel still has to prove himself as the leader of an entire program and not just a great offensive coach. The excitement around Tennessee’s program is understandable and seems well-grounded for now. However, Tennessee’s fan base knows what that excitement is like and how quickly it can dissipate. Kiffin. Dooley. Butch. Pruitt. There was excitement around all of those coaches before things went awry for various reasons.

Heupel could be Tennessee’s coach in 5 years or not. He could succeed at such a high level at Tennessee and return to Oklahoma, where he played quarterback for the Sooners, or decide to coach in the NFL one day. He could flounder and fans’ tastes could turn sour. Those scenarios aren’t likely right now, but it’s always a possibility. In the case of NIL money, Heupel’s presence isn’t in dire need. The cold, hard cash will still be there begging to be spent as long as the Vols are successful. Pandora’s Box has been opened.

That should give the Vols hope to be elite again.