• Eight Lady Vols were named to the SEC’s Fall Academic Honor Roll this month: Lexi Dempsey, Megan Hatcher, Taylor Johnson, Shealyn Kolosky, Jamie Lea, Ashley Mariani, Kayleigh Moody, and Bridgette Villano. Tennessee continues to be the only team in the conference to have had at least 5 players on the list every year since 1996.
• Tennessee has released their spring practice schedule. Head coach Rob Patrick said, “The spring season has always been incredibly important to our program. This is a time when important strides are made in the development of our players, particularly our young players. We know that our 2015 season begins in January, not in August, and we’ve already been getting in some great workouts and training sessions. We’re getting our minds and bodies stronger every day and these spring competitions will help us maintain that focus”. The team will head to Chattanooga and Atlanta before two home preseason dates.
• The NCAA “Power Five” conferences, who now have more freedom to set their own rules without getting the approval of the rest of Division I, have taken their first big steps in autonomy. The two biggest proposals passed last month include allowing schools to give “full cost-of-attendance… that will supplement student-athletes’ scholarships with unprecedented dollars” and “prevent[ing] schools from removing scholarships based on athletic performance”. The new rules are expected to make huge impacts… on recruiting and athletic department budgets.