The Latest: Tennessee athletic budget assumes football fans

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

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Tennessee’s athletic budget for 2020-21 assumes the Volunteers will have fans in the stands for football season but still includes a $10.1 million cut in overall revenues.

University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd says reducing the number of fans further because of the coronavirus pandemic would have a “significant impact” on the budget. But Boyd said Friday that Tennessee is financially prepared to handle any problems.

Tennessee projects a drop of 19.4% with $29.8 million in revenue from athletic ticket sales. That would be down $7.1 million from the $37 million taken in over 2019-20. John Compton, chairman of the UT Board of Trustees, says that estimate is appropriate for now. He also says Tennessee will be able to handle if ticket revenue winds up even 50% lower.

The Volunteers won their final six games last season under coach Jeremy Pruitt. They are scheduled to host Florida and Alabama, which are traditionally big draws for fans.

Athletic director Phillip Fulmer has said Tennessee is expecting to fill Neyland Stadium this season and will adjust as needed.

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Virginia says its football players can begin returning to campus on July 5 if they participate in a voluntary workout period under protocols set by the school’s health system.

The school says all student-athletes and staff will receive COVID-19 specific education through a variety of print and video media, utilizing CDC and NCAA resources. The UVA Health System will administer and coordinate testing of student-athletes and staff.

The voluntary workouts will go from July 5-14, followed by required activity for up to eight hours a week including weight training, conditioning and film study from July 15-25. The...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/The-Latest-Goran-Ivanisevic-tests-positive-for-15368200.php