Tennessee AD Gets $90K Bonus for Directors' Cup Rank of 35th

Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer is due a $90,000 bonus thanks to the Vols' finish in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings.

The Vols placed 35th in the final standings, released Saturday.

Fulmer's predecessor, John Currie, would have been due the same bonus. Fulmer took over UT's AD position on Dec. 1, following Currie's ouster. Fulmer received a four-year contract worth more than $1 million annually on April 19.

His annual salary is comprised of his base salary ($300,000), supplemental pay ($600,000) and a yearly retention bonus ($100,000) that's due if he remains AD on Dec. 31 each year throughout the duration of his contract. And he'll receive $40,000 annually in compensation for expenses.

Tennessee had to finish in the top 40 of the standings for Fulmer to receive a bonus.

His bonus could have been as high as $150,000 for a top-10 finish.

Stanford won the Directors' Cup for the 24th consecutive year, finishing with 1,442 points. UT finished with 624.5 points. Directors' Cup points are awarded based on how each school's individual sports finish in the NCAA Championships.

The Vols were in 38th place after the winter sports season but received a boost from softball reaching the NCAA Super Regionals, which yielded 64 points. Additionally, men's track (16), women's track (48.5), men's golf (16), women's golf (31.5) and men's tennis (50), and women's tennis (25) supplied spring points for the Vols. Baseball was the lone spring sport that UT didn't score.

Tennessee ranked 11th among the 14 schools in the SEC.

A year ago, the Vols placed 46th with 509 points.

Vanderbilt placed 55th with 450 points, but last among SEC schools. Women's tennis led the way with 90 points with men's golf (69), baseball (64), men's tennis (50) and women's golf earning points for the Commodores.

MTSU was 94th with 199 points for the the best finish by schools in Conference USA.

Memphis finished 126th (142.50 points) and seventh best in the American Athletic Conference.

Elsewhere in the state, Tennessee Tech tied for 175th (89 points), East Tennessee State and Lipscomb tied for 217th (50), Chattanooga was 257th (25.50) and Belmont and Austin Peay tied for 258th (25).

Directors' Cup standings

School Points: 

1. Stanford 1,442

2. UCLA 1,326

3. Florida 1,216

4. Southern Cal 1,147

5. Texas 1,143.25

8. Georgia 1,046.35

10. Texas A&M 1,005.50

14. Alabama 913

16. Arkansas 870.50

17. Kentucky 862

18. Auburn 856.25

26. South Carolina 768

27. LSU 749.25

33. Missouri 660.75

35. Tennessee 624.50

38. Ole Miss 588.50

42. Mississippi State 568.50

55. Vanderbilt 450

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