Tennessee
Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava has plenty of options if he wants to leave Vols
So Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava is, according to reports, negotiating with the Vols to stay in Knoxville for the 2025 season.
That’s 14 weeks before the start of the college football season.
Welcome to the wild world of player empowerment, everyone. Or in the old-school negotiating parlance: leverage.
Unless Tennessee wants to intentionally crater its program, it will pay what Iamaleava wants. The only negative for Nico: If he doesn’t play at a high level – among the best at his position in college football – the locker room will eventually turn on him.
Iamaleava is talented but wasn’t exactly an elite player last season. In fact, he was barely among the top half of SEC quarterbacks.
The one thing we (think) we know: If he doesn’t reach a deal with Tennessee, he can’t, by conference mandate, play in the SEC in 2025. Unless he gets an attorney and sues the SEC ― which at this point in the world of player empowerment, wouldn’t surprise anyone.
Here are the top five landing spots for Iamaleava if he decides to leave Tennessee for more green:
Southern California
The road less traveled: back home to Long Beach, California. Forget about projected starter Jayden Maiava. He’s a solid player but he’s not Iamaleava.
Iamaleava knows what USC coach Lincoln Riley did with Heisman winner Caleb Williams, and how he developed two other Heisman winners (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray) and a Heisman finalist (Jalen Hurts) as coach of Oklahoma.
It’s the easy move with the least amount of complications and the greatest ceiling of all. Moving back to Los Angeles County and saving the USC program.
The only drawback: Playing in the Big Ten won’t be much easier than playing in the SEC.
North Carolina
Let’s see how serious new Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick is about this college thing.
His first season in Chapel Hill comes with three quarterbacks on the roster: injured journeyman Max Johnson, Purdue transfer Ryan Browne and freshman Bryce Baker.
If Iamaleava hits the portal, Belichick should tell GM Michael Lombardi to sign him at all costs. It’s a significant step down in level of play, which would allow Iamaleava to transition quickly and put up big numbers.
Like North Carolina, a no-brainer. Liberty transfer Kaiden Salter is the projected starter, and freshman Julian Lewis the future.
But if CU coach Deion Sanders could get Iamaleava, it would be a game-changer. Imagine the Buffaloes’ offense, so dangerous with Shedeur Sanders the last two seasons, with Iamaleava’s big arm and run threat.
Any combination of Salter and Lewis isn’t getting Colorado to the Big 12 championship game. Iamaleava could.
Indiana
If Iamaleava is solely concerned about rapid improvement and the track record of a coach, he could do a lot worse than connecting with IU and coach Curt Cignetti.
He wins. And develops quarterbacks.
Cignetti worked wonders last year with Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke, who played five uneventful years at Ohio before a breakout season in 2024 with the Hoosiers.
He’s now likely a late-round selection in the NFL draft and wouldn’t have been selected based on his resume from Ohio.
Oregon
A longshot, no doubt. But if you’re Ducks coach Dan Lanning and Iamaleava hits the open market, you must have serious discussions with your offensive staff.
Talented former five-star recruit Dante Moore transferred last year from UCLA and sat behind Dillon Gabriel. He is the projected starter, but that inevitability would be severely tested if Iamaleava were to transfer to Oregon.
Frankly, it’s not a much of a question. You sign Iamaleava – who led his team to the College Football Playoff in his first season as a starter – and move forward with him as your starter.
Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.
Tennessee
Time Wellness Centers Announces Expansion of Mental Health Treatment Services in Tennessee
Chattanooga, TN, United States, 8th Dec 2025 – Time Wellness Centers has announced the expansion of its statewide program for Mental Health Treatment Tennessee, designed to address the increasing demand for licensed, structured mental health care. As outlined by Time Wellness Centers, the initiative expands inpatient and residential treatment capacity across Tennessee, aligning with efforts to provide standardized, clinically supervised mental health services.
The expanded framework consists of integrated, person-centered care that addresses a range of conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, and co-occurring substance use disorders. The model integrates clinical therapy, psychiatric oversight, and continuous care within a structured treatment environment designed to support long-term mental health stabilization, as per the Tennessee mental health facilities’ media contact person.
According to Jessica Gerstein, Executive Director of Time Wellness Centers, “access to appropriate care can significantly influence outcomes for individuals facing mental health challenges. Our goal is to guarantee that people in Tennessee have access to high-quality, regulated care in structured, encouraging environments.”
Data from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services indicate that more than one in five adults in the state experience a mental health condition annually, reflecting a steady rise in the demand for regulated inpatient mental health facilities in Tennessee.
Time Wellness Centers’ Residential Mental Health Facilities Tennessee approach incorporates step-down and aftercare planning to support ongoing rehabilitation upon release, going beyond short-term stability. According to the information provided by Gerstein, each treatment plan is created in collaboration with certified therapists, psychiatrists, and support personnel to guarantee that each participant receives customized, data-driven therapy.
“Our approach combines an established therapeutic community with clinical expertise,” stated Clinical Director, Erricka Hill. “It’s about giving clients both structure and compassion, enabling them to overcome the difficulties that frequently accompany mental health recovery while keeping an eye on clinical advancement and long-term wellness.”
According to Time Wellness Centers, the expansion involves developing partnerships with local healthcare providers and referral networks to promote coordination and continuity in patient care.
Allie Hinchman, Director of Business Development, stated, “Collaboration remains at the heart of our approach as we continue to develop programs across Tennessee. We’re assisting in bridging the gap between crisis intervention and sustainable recovery by closely collaborating with referring professionals, hospitals, and community organizations.”
Time Wellness Centers reports that its licensed facilities employ credentialed professionals who deliver a range of clinical and supportive services, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and medication management.
About Time Wellness Centers
Time Wellness Centers is a licensed organization offering clinically supervised inpatient and residential care for adults across Tennessee. The organization’s interdisciplinary teams help persons with mental health and co-occurring disorders by providing clinically supervised care in controlled settings. To guarantee uniform, controlled treatment delivery, Time Wellness Centers complies with recognized clinical norms and state licensing requirements.
Media Contact
Organization: Time Wellness
Contact Person: Tori Skene
Website: https://timewellnesscenters.com
Email: information@twchcm.com
Contact Number: +14234136195
Address:1635 Chestnut Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408, United States
City: Chattanooga
State: TN
Country:United States
Release id:38703
View source version on King Newswire:
Time Wellness Centers Announces Expansion of Mental Health Treatment Services in Tennessee
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Tennessee
Illinois Basketball Grades: Evaluating the Illini Against Tennessee
No. 14 Illinois put together perhaps its best and most complete performance – and certainly its most compelling half – of the season Saturday in Nashville in a 75-62 win over No. 13 Tennessee. It amounted to not only a measure of revenge after Illini losses to the Vols in each of the past two seasons but also proof positive that this team has the ability to take down top teams in more ways than one.
Some of that is reflected in who stepped up and aced their personal performances, which we detail in our player grades below. As always, these are single-game, subjective evaluations of individual on-court production:
Welcome back, Tomi. Oh, how the Illini missed you. With 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting (including two threes) and a team-best plus-17 plus-minus figure, Ivisic put up mostly excellent numbers – save for a so-so night on the boards (five). But for the first time this season, he was the engine that drove Illinois’ offense. We’ve said it many times before, and we’ll say it (at least) once more: The Illini are at their best playing through Ivisic, and on Saturday he was finally healthy and fit enough to make it so.
Two points and not a single shot from the field in 26 minutes? What are you doing out there, Ben? The answer: everything else. Between his hounding defense, shoulder-banging rebounding and relentless hustle plays, Humrichous arguably did more to help Illinois win than any other player who hit the floor. If he can ba;ance that with a couple of made threes each game, he’ll be in the mix for Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.
Wagler finally broke through against a top opponent, and he seemed to be solving the puzzles that had perplexed him only a week or two ago in real time against Tennessee. It helps when the long ball is falling (4-for-11), but Wagler also added eight rebounds against a hulking Volunteers group and led the Illini with five assists (against zero turnovers).
Boswell did a lot of really valuable Boswell things – examples: got downhill to create shots on offense, locked up on defense – but his perimeter shot wasn’t falling. An 0-for-3 performance from three isn’t a backbreaker (especially from him), but a 3-for-6 showing from the free-throw line could have been a difference-maker on another night.
It’s a luxury for 14 points (2-for-4 on threes), six rebounds (including five offensive), two assists and a block from a freshman to be a mildly frustrating performance, but Mirkovic still toggles between trying to do too much and disappearing for stretches.
Big Z is never going to be a truly dynamic defender, but he has to be more than just a jump shooter and shot blocker for Illinois. And on Saturday, he was only half that. Zvonimir hit two big threes, but he had three fouls, only one rebound and a team-worst minus-4 plus-minus in nine minutes.
Stojakovic never gained any offensive traction against Tennessee (five points on 2-for-5 shooting), in part because he’s still figuring out exactly how and where he can fit in on a nightly basis. He made himself playable with a pair of blocks and a pair of steals, but needs to be more active on the boards (two in 21 minutes).
In seven mostly uneventful minutes, Davis knocked down his only shot attempt (a three) and grabbed a defensive rebound, while taking nothing off the table. But Tennessee’s size and muscle make him a target on defense, which mostly kept him off the floor.
When three missed shot attempts and a turnover in six minutes are the extent of your contributions, you feel grateful to receive an “incomplete” grade. It wasn’t Petrovic’s night (or matchup), and Wagler’s strong play made his minutes optional.
Tennessee
Tennessee Bowl Projections: Pair of ESPN Reporters Agree on Vols’ Projected Destination | Rocky Top Insider

With the conference championship slate of games in the books, bowl game selections are right around the corner. This includes Tennessee football, which has been tied to multiple bowls after finishing the 2025 season 8-4 (4-4 SEC).
According to ESPN on Sunday morning, both Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are in agreement. The pair has the Vols headed to Tampa to play Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The game is scheduled for Dec. 31 at noon ET on ESPN.
While Tennessee is waiting on its selection, most of the Big Ten know where it is headed. According to a report from On3’s Brett McMurphy, Michigan will play in the Citrus Bowl, Iowa will play in the ReliaQuest Bowl and Illinois will play in the Music City Bowl. The SEC is the other conference tie-in for those three games. McMurphy projects UT to play in the Music City Bowl against the Illini.
More From RTI: Tennessee Bowl Projections: Where the Vols Land in Post-SEC Championship Projections
If ESPN is correct and Tennessee and Iowa meet in the ReliaQuest Bowl, it’d be the second time in three years that the pair square off in a Florida bowl game. In 2023, after the Vols also finished 8-4, the two played in the Citrus Bowl. Tennessee won that matchup 35-0 behind MVP Nico Iamaleava.
All-time, the Vols are 3-1 against the Hawkeyes. Tennessee lost the first meeting in Atlanta in 1982, but claimed neutral site wins in 1987, 2014 and, most recently, 2023.
Tennessee has played in the ReliaQuest Bowl, previously named the Outback Bowl and Hall of Fame Bowl, four times since it began in 1986. In 1993, UT defeated Boston College 38-23. In 2007, the Vols fell to Penn State 20-10. However, Tennessee returned the following season, beating Wisconsin 21-17 in 2008. The most recent appearance was in 2016, when UT won 45-6 over Northwestern.
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