Tennessee

A conservative case for dedicated wildlife funding in Tenn. | Opinion

Published

1 month ago

February 8, 2026

Press Room

A conservative case for dedicated wildlife funding in Tenn. | Opinion

Tennessee’s wildlife supports public health, outdoor access and a multi-billion-dollar economy. Relying almost entirely on hunters and anglers to fund it is neither fair nor sustainable.

Bill Frist, MD
| Guest Columnist

As a physician, I have spent much of my career focused on prevention. Long before illness requires treatment, the environments we live in shape our physical and mental health. In Tennessee, few environments matter more than our outdoors, and in the outdoors, nothing is more therapeutic than our fish and wildlife.

Public lands, waterways and wildlife are not just recreational assets. They are places where Tennesseans walk, fish, hunt, paddle and spend time with family. Access to these spaces supports physical activity, reduces stress and strengthens mental health. These benefits reach communities across the state and contribute directly to overall public health.

There is also a clear economic and fiscal connection. Outdoor recreation and wildlife-related activity supported by responsible management generate billions of dollars in income each year, support well over 200,000 Tennessee jobs and return nearly $2 billion annually in state and local tax revenue. These jobs span tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, hospitality, retail and small businesses that rely on well-managed land and water. A healthy environment supports healthy people and a healthy economy. When wildlife management is underfunded, the economic and public health consequences follow.

The consequences of a funding imbalance

Maintaining these benefits requires steady and responsible management. Wildlife populations must be monitored. Habitat must be conserved. Public lands and access points must remain safe and usable. These responsibilities exist regardless of economic cycles or inflation and require consistent funding to be carried out effectively.

Today, the way wildlife management is funded no longer reflects how widely these resources are used. Hunters and anglers currently provide 81 percent of the funding through license fees and federal excise taxes, even though they represent a minority of users. Sportsmen have carried this responsibility for decades and remain deeply committed to conservation. But asking one group to shoulder nearly the entire cost of a public resource that benefits all Tennesseans is neither fair nor sustainable.

This imbalance also places pressure on hunting and fishing access. Relying solely on license fees risks pricing that can discourage participation in activities that promote physical health and connection to our wildlife resources. It also fails to recognize that wildlife management benefits everyone, including families seeking to be active outdoors.

A fiscally responsible path toward sustainability

A dedicated general fund support offers a sustainable approach. It will help safeguard hunting and fishing access, reduce pressure for repeated fee increases and protect one of Tennessee’s most reliable economic engines. Just as importantly, it will provide stability so wildlife management can focus on long-term planning rather than short-term budget constraints.

It is also important to address a common misconception. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has been fiscally disciplined. It is not overspending and has taken concrete steps to manage its budget responsibly. However, sound management alone cannot overcome structural funding challenges.

Over the past four to five years, the situation has been further complicated by more than $18.5 million in mandated expenses imposed without any offsetting revenue. Other state departments faced similar requirements but received general fund support to cover them. Wildlife management did not. Shifting these unrelated costs onto hunters and anglers through higher fees is neither fair nor fiscally sound. Inflation has increased operating costs by more than 30 percent. We have felt the impact on the prices of vehicles, fuel, equipment, materials and maintenance. At the same time, revenues tied largely to license sales have not kept pace.

Dedicated funding represents a fiscally responsible approach. It prioritizes stability over uncertainty, long-term planning over short-term fixes, and shared responsibility over shifting costs from one group to another. It avoids selling public assets or deferring maintenance that only creates larger expenses in the future.

Prevention, stewardship and Tennessee’s future

From a public health perspective, this is also about prevention. Healthy land supports healthy people. Updating how wildlife management is funded reflects Tennessee’s long tradition of stewardship and fiscal discipline while ensuring our communities remain strong, active and resilient for generations to come.

Sen. Bill Frist, M.D., is a nationally recognized heart and lung transplant surgeon and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a founding partner of Frist Cressey Ventures, special partner and chairman of the Executives Council of the health service investment firm Cressey & Company and current chair of the Global Board of The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest conservation organization.

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Tennessee

Virginia vs Tennessee prediction, picks, odds for NCAA Tournament Second Round

Published

42 minutes ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Virginia vs Tennessee prediction, picks, odds for NCAA Tournament Second Round

The men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament continues with Second Round action Sunday with No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 6 Tennessee on the eight-game schedule.

Here is Sunday’s full Second Round March Madness schedule and expert picks from reporters across the USA TODAY Sports Network.

USA TODAY Sports has a team of journalists covering the men’s NCAA Tournament to keep you up to date with every point scored, rebound grabbed and game won in the 68-team tournament.

Join the USA TODAY $1 million Bracket Challenge

No. 3 Virginia vs No. 6 Tennessee prediction

John Leuzzi: Tennessee
Jordan Mendoza: Virginia
Ehsan Kassim: Virginia
Blake Schuster: Tennessee

No. 3 Virginia vs No. 6 Tennessee odds

Opening Moneyline: Tennessee (-116)
Opening Spread: Tennessee (-1.5)
Opening Total: 137

How to Watch Virginia vs Tennessee today

No. 3 Virginia takes on No. 6 Tennessee at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22 at 6:10 p.m ET. The game is airing on TNT.

Stream March Madness on Sling

2026 Men’s March Madness full schedule

See the schedule, live scores and results for all of today’s NCAA Tournament action here.

March 17-18: First Four
March 19-20: First Round
March 21-22: Second Round
March 26-27: Sweet 16
March 28-29: Elite 8
April 4: Final Four
April 6: National Championship

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4-Star Safety Adryan Cole Enjoying Communication with Tennessee’s Staff

Published

13 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

4-Star Safety Adryan Cole Enjoying Communication with Tennessee’s Staff

Tennessee is looking to land another top 10 recruiting class in 2027. With multiple top targets all across the country, high on the Volunteers, there will be a good chance for it.

4-star Adryan Cole is one of those players. According to Rivals Industry, he ranked as the 20th-best safety in the country, the 24th-best player from Georgia, and the 214th-best overall player in the country. The safety from Douglas County High School in Douglassville, Georgia, has Tennessee amongst the top schools on its list, along with Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, LSU, Miami, Indiana, and Ole Miss.

Cole spoke with Vols on SI to see where Tennessee stands and what he likes about the Volunteers.

Adryan Cole on Tennessee Football

Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel walks off the field followed by his security detail after the win over UAB in an NCAA college football game on September 20, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With all the defensive back coaching changes, there is a lot of uncertainty with some of the top defensive back prospects in the country, like Cole. However, Tennessee has done a great job of letting Cole know that he is wanted in Knoxville.

“The communication has been great, they have been calling me and facetime me 2-3 times a week every week. They just let me know that they want to get me up there and develop me.”

He does not have a visit set yet, but he is in the process of scheduling one and cannot wait to see a few things. He was at Georgia Tech this past weekend and has a visit scheduled to Ole Miss from June 19th-21st.

“I want to see the environment, I want to see how they coach their players, and I want to see how they (players and coaches) work together on the campus.”

The Volunteers are looking at a lot of the top defensive backs in the 2027 class, and landing Cole would be a huge recruiting win for them.

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NC State advances past Tennessee, 76-61

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

NC State’s NCAA tournament started about as well as possible, with the Pack making its first eight shots from the floor on the way to taking a 19-4 lead. Zoe Brooks and Zam Jones had the offense rolling in those first five minutes—Zam played with her hair on fire from the start and ended up with one of the best performances of her career.

The Wolfpack needed it, too. The Volunteers responded well after their rough start and kept within striking distance but still found themselves down 11 at halftime. Tennessee created a lot of second-chance opportunities for itself throughout, and State ended up very fortunate that the Vols didn’t shoot better.

Things got tenuous very quickly in the third quarter, as the Pack started cold from the field and lost Brooks to a foot injury midway through the period. Wes Moore didn’t have any details to share after the game, but Brooks was obviously in a lot of pain. It’s more than a little worrying that the injury didn’t appear to have anything to do with contact, and she didn’t roll an ankle, either. But it’s not a knee injury, at least.

After Brooks departed, Tennessee pulled to within 48-46, and the game appeared to be turning in a bad way. Zam Jones had the answers, however, knocking down a critical three to calm the team down and making four free throws in the final minute to extend her team’s lead back to nine heading into the fourth. Tennessee would get no closer.

Zam was a menace throughout—en route to 30 points, she drew 12 fouls and shot 13 free throws. Led by those efforts, NC State went to the free throw line 20 times in the second half, which helped the Pack continue to put points on the board even when the shots weren’t falling, especially in the third.

That was a big difference in the final result—NC State leaned heavily on opportunities it created off the bounce, which led to 25 free throw attempts (and 21 makes). Tennessee’s M.O. is threes by the bushel and it ended up with 36 three-point tries in this one—but the Vols made just seven of them, and shot just six free throws.

While the Vols were dominant on the glass, State was just a lot more effective in the paint: the Pack made 57.5% of its twos, while the Vols made just 45.9%. So, in the end, State was able to weather its worst defensive rebounding effort of the season without all that much trouble.

It’s an excellent win and it would be really encouraging if it didn’t have Zoe’s injury hanging over it. NC State’s task now is beating No. 2 Michigan on its home floor Sunday, and maybe having to do it shorthanded.

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