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Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee AD Phillip Fulmer announces he’s taken a pay cut amid COVID-19 pandemic

Adam Spencer

By Adam Spencer

Published:

Many athletic departments around the country are facing budget shortfalls amid the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as stadium capacities will be limited for football this fall.

That has led to a number of high-paid employees around the country taking pay cuts, and on Wednesday, Tennessee AD Phillip Fulmer became the latest to reduce his pay.

Per 247Sports, Fulmer will take a 15% cut as Tennessee cuts its athletics budget by 20%:

“You probably know this already, but we are no different than any other athletic department in the country,” Fulmer wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders, “as we all face considerable financial shortfalls due to COVID-19. If and when SEC football happens this fall, Neyland Stadium will host a fraction of its capacity due to mandated social distancing requirements.

“That means that this year we will have to forgo tens of millions of dollars in revenue from ticket sales, donations, parking and more, which we need to fund student-athlete scholarships, medical care, nutrition services, academic support, team operations, etc.”

Times are tough financially for everyone during these unprecedented times. Fulmer likely won’t be the last one to take a pay cut during the pandemic. Now, we’ll see how much revenue departments are actually able to bring in during this strange football season.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.

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