Analysis: Tennessee football spends more on recruiting than almost every other school

Tennessee’s football recruiting expenses surpassed $2 million for the first time during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018, as the Vols stand out even among their SEC peers for their willingness to spend on recruiting.

The SEC’s 13 public institutions averaged more than $1.3 million in football recruiting expenses during the 2018 fiscal year, according to an analysis of figures reported to the NCAA and obtained by the Louisville Courier Journal and USA TODAY Network in partnership with Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

The analysis included 52 public Power 5 universities.

The SEC was the only conference in which its schools averaged more than $1 million in football recruiting expenses. The Big Ten was second, with its members averaging $961,981 in football recruiting expenses.

Tennessee hired Jeremy Pruitt as its football coach in December 2017, so the 2018 financial report includes the first seven months of the Pruitt era and the conclusion of Butch Jones’ tenure.

The 2018 signing class also marked the first year of the early signing period, in which a December signing period was installed for football in addition to the traditional signing period that begins in February.

Since 2005, Tennessee’s football recruiting expenses have more than doubled. That fiscal year, the Vols spent $837,005 on football recruiting. Football recruiting expenses topped $1 million in each year after that.

Before the 2018 fiscal year, Tennessee’s high mark for football recruiting expenses was $1.67 million in fiscal year 2014, which reflected Jones’ first full year on the job.

The only schools that spent more on football recruiting during the 2018 fiscal year were Georgia ($2.6 million) and Alabama ($2.3 million). Alabama beat Georgia in the national championship earlier that year.

Tennessee ($2 million) ranked third, followed by Texas ($1.8 million) and Clemson ($1.8 million) to round out the top five in football recruiting expenses.

Overall, Tennessee's athletic department spent $3.2 million on recruiting for all sports during the 2018 fiscal year. Only Georgia ($4 million) and Alabama ($3.3 million) spent more. 

Blake Toppmeyer covers University of Tennessee football. Email him at blake.toppmeyer@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.