John Gerdy Quotations

It is easy to lose focus if you are not grounded academically and you are not continually reminded of the athletic department's proper place. You begin to think the university is there so it can field an athletic team. Fact is, universities have been around for more than 200 years and they'll survive with or without athletics.

It doesn't surprise me. Again, I'm not saying it doesn't surprise me because it is Tennessee. I am just not convinced that that sort of special treatment -- changing of grades, making sure kids are eligible as opposed to really educating them -- isn't going on at a lot more places than Tennessee. I don't think Tennessee is unique in that regard.

It goes to the whole issue of a mindset or pervasive attitude,

There has to be a better understanding of where the athletic department sits in the university scheme of things,