BIG ORANGE TIPOFF CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, February 9, 2007
Contact: Mark Hancock, Media & Public Relations, Phone (865) 522-8547,
or Hilary Phillips, E-Mail: tipoff@utfan.com

TENNESSEE VOLS AND CHICAGO BULLS STAR TOM BOERWINKLE TO BE BIG ORANGE TIPOFF CLUB SPEAKER ON TENNESSEE-KENTUCKY GAMEDAY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13^TH

The Big Orange Tipoff Club is proud to announce its next scheduled meeting this coming Tuesday, February 13, at 11:00 a.m., at Calhoun’s on the River in Downtown Knoxville, where a buffet luncheon will be served for only $12.50 for members and $15 for guests, including a variety of entrees and side dishes, drink, dessert, etc.

Tom Boerwinkle, the starting All-American 7-foot center on the 1967 Tennessee Volunteers SEC Championship Team, UT’s first under Coach Ray Mears and first since 1945, and the Big Orange player drafted highest in NBA history, by the Chicago Bulls, where he went on to be an All-Star, will be the featured speaker, and will be introduced by fellow teammate and All-American Billy Justus. Coach Mears and his family are going to try to attend, as well as Coach Stu Aberdeen’s widow, Lynn, and their family.

Due to the overwhelming demand for parking at Calhoun’s, please plan to arrive as early as possible for this meeting. Calhoun’s will open the buffet line at 11:00 a.m. to accommodate what is expected to be another overflow standing-room-only crowd to hear Tommy, who has had a wonderful career as a radio announcer in Chicago as well as in the financial district.

THIS WEEK’S VOL & LADY VOL BASKETBALL CALENDAR: UT Men’s Head Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl is also expected to be in attendance to say a few words about his team’s big nationally-televised ESPN home game with Kentucky Wildcats that night, as well as look ahead to the possible sweep of South Carolina on the road in Columbia next Saturday, and also review the big home win over LSU and Saturday afternoon’s home game with Vanderbilt. UT Lady Vols Head Coach Pat Summitt will also hopefully be in attendance to speak to us, to review her own big “February Frenzy” home game with Kentucky this Sunday, which will also be shown nationally on ESPN2, her win on Thursday night at Auburn, and her upcoming home game with Ole Miss on Thursday. All fans are encouraged to “Paint the Town Orange” by wearing Big Orange clothing to the both the men’s and women’s Kentucky games to dazzle the national television audiences.

The fact that both UT’s men’s and women’s basketball teams are drawing capacity crowds and are ranked high in the college RPI, will drive attendance upward for this meeting. UT Men’s and Women’s Athletics Directors Mike Hamilton and Joan Cronan are also expected to be on hand.

BUS TRIPS TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA MEN’S GAMES IN COLUMBIA AND ATHENS: The Club is gauging interest in bus trips to the South Carolina and Georgia men’s basketball games in Columbia and Athens, on Saturday, February 17, and Saturday, March 3, respectively. Coach Bruce Pearl has encouraged all Vol fans to go on the road to support the team as they attempt to sweep both the Gamecocks and the Bulldogs this season. If we get enough people to commit to the trip, we will arrange through our corporate sponsor, Premier Transportation, for nonstop luxury motorcoach roundtrip transportation, meals and entertainment en route, and tickets to the game, all for only $99 per person. These would be day-only trips that would leave Knoxville mid-morning before the game and return immediately after the game.

We will have sign-up forms at the meeting for those who are interested in going, and will take your check or credit card number to secure your place if we can get enough people interested. We would also encourage you, however, to download the form on our website, www.utfan.com/tipoff and to email Hilary Phillips at tipoff@utfan.com immediately or call Lloyd Richardson at 588-5433 or fax him at 588-2083 if you have an interest in making this trip, so that we can secure enough game tickets for everyone before they are sold out. The form is also attached to this email for you to print out.

FEBRUARY 27 SECOND-ANNUAL PRE-GAME BASH AND SEASON FINALE EVENING DINNER GALA EVENT TICKET ORDER FORM ATTACHED: The Big Orange Tipoff Club is proud to announce its second-annual pre-game bash and season finale evening dinner gala event, on Tuesday evening, February 27, at 6:45 p.m., at The Foundry at World’s Fair Park in Downtown Knoxville, where a buffet dinner will be served. UT alumnus, Denver Post journalist, and nationally-known ESPN television personality Woody Paige will be speaking just prior to the final Senior Night home UT men’s basketball game against Florida, which tips off at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27.

The UT cheerleaders and Big Orange Banditos Band will be there as well, making it a festive pre-game pep rally. Dress is “game casual”, so whatever you plan to wear to the game, jeans, sweater, etc., is fine. We are keeping things very informal and prices low so it is affordable for the whole family or all your clients. A special commemorative "thank you" collectible gift will be given to everyone that you don't want to miss.

Tickets are only $20 for members, $25 for guests, and $250 for a reserved table of 10, and are now on sale. Many tables have already been reserved and space is limited. The cash bars will open at 5:30 p.m. and the buffet lines will begin at 6:00 p.m., with the program to start at 6:45 p.m. The event will be over by 8:00 p.m., in plenty of time to get to the big game, since it has a late tipoff time and it is only a short 5-minute ride through Fort Sanders from the Foundry to the arena. We expect this event to be a sellout, as was last year’s, so please get your tickets early so that you won’t get left out.

Parking will be free and plentiful. Jacqui Pearl, daughter of Coach Bruce Pearl, has tentatively agreed to sing the National Anthem for us at this event. Roving photographers will be there to take individual, group, and candid photos that you will be able to purchase as souvenirs.

We expect many former players to attend. There will be a silent auction of autographed UT basketballs signed by our speakers for the year, as well as by the UT men’s and women’s basketball coaching staffs and lettermen.

Attached please find a ticket order form for that event for you to print and mail, fax, or e-mail back, or bring it with you along with your check to the meeting to purchase your tickets, which are going fast. The form is also available on our website.

We encourage you to get your order in as soon as possible to secure your seat. Since it is Senior Night, we hope to host Dane Bradshaw’s family and a contingent from Memphis, and the Chris Lofton’s family and friends from Maysville, Kentucky, have also indicated they may attend.

OFFICIAL BIG ORANGE TIPOFF PHOTOS: Many of you may not be aware that we now have an official Big Orange Tipoff Club photographer, Megan Ellis. You may have seen her roaming around our big meeting room taking pictures before, during, and after our meetings. If you would like Megan to take some photos of you, the people at your table, your guests, etc., please don’t hesitate to flag her down when you see her and her camera, as she will be most happy to do so for you. To view and purchase pictures from last week’s Big Orange Tipoff Club meeting and those for future meetings from her, please go to www.meganellisphotography.com and click on the “TN LOGIN” page. The password is simply “tipoff”. You can also e-mail Megan with any questions you may have at megan@meganellisphotography.com .

THIS WEEK’S SPEAKER: Tom Boerwinkle, an Ohio native, was the first true 7-footer recruited to come to Tennessee. He was named an All-American and All-SEC while at UT, and led the Vols to the 1967 SEC Championship, its first under Coach Ray Mears and the first Big Orange SEC basketball championship since 1945. He was the starting center of Mears’ famous “Fearless Five” team that also included Ron Widby and Tom Hendrix as forwards, and Billy Justus and Billy Hann as guards.

That 1967 team secured Tennessee’s first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament. It was also the first year that UT competed in their new home, Stokely Athletics Center, which was doubled in size from its old Armory Fieldhouse location to accommodate the burgeoning demand for Big Orange basketball. Boerwinkle led UT in rebounding and his nickname “The Bull” also earned him the honor by being voted as the SEC’s leading rebounder by his peers, the players in the league.

He was the fourth player picked overall in the NBA Draft and remains to this day the highest Tennessee player ever drafted into the professional ranks. He played for 10 years for the Chicago Bulls and his 37 rebounds that he secured in a game against Phoenix in 1972 set a record that stood for more than 30 seasons. He ranks second all-time in Bulls history in rebounds. A little known fact is that Tom’s rebound record was set in the famous “Ice Bowl” game that was played at Chicago Stadium, which is recounted in this link:

http://www.nba.com/bulls/history/boerwinkle_700108.html

Tom was named a Legend of the SEC in 2003. He went on to successful careers in the financial industry and as a radio commentator in Chicago. We are proud to welcome him as our speaker this week on what should be a very memorable day. Read these tributes to Tom that were written in Tennessee Alumnus magazine and by UTsports.com:

http://pr.tennessee.edu/alumnus/alumarticle.asp?id=418

http://utsports.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/021403aab.html

HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: The Big Orange Tipoff Club will also be hosting the Knox County boys and girls high school basketball players of the week, as they do weekly, who will be awarded certificates by prep sports Editor Jesse Smithey of The Knoxville News-Sentinel and will be honored along with their coaches.

PICK AND WIN: One lucky member each week will win a pair of tickets to each of the next home UT men’s and women’s basketball games by participating in the club’s weekly Pick’N’Win Contest for only $1 and picking the winners of a selection of men’s and women’s SEC games. The club will have several surprise celebrity guests on hand regularly, including former players, coaches, and other nationally-known basketball personalities.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE: The club is still soliciting individual members at only $75 and discounted senior citizen memberships at only $60. Spouses of members are free, making this an excellent deal. In addition, corporate memberships, which include up to 5 members of a firm, are still being offered at only $250.

Annual membership applications are still available by calling Club President Lloyd Richardson at (865) 588-5433, by faxing a request to (865) 588-2083, by e-mailing at tipoff@utfan.com , or by visiting the website at www.utfan.com/tipoff . A membership application for downloading with the Big Orange Tipoff Club logo on it is available on the website.

All former UT men’s and women’s basketball lettermen, former UT Orange Tie Club members, Knoxville Quarterback Club members, VASF donors, Boost-Her Club members, UT students, UT alumni and friends, as well as the general public, are invited to attend and join as well. Legendary former UT Head Basketball Coach Ray Mears is an Honorary Member. Many members of the UT athletics administration, coaches, etc., are in attendance regularly.

MEDIA INFORMATION: All media are invited to attend and will have the opportunity to record and film any portion of the meeting, ask questions of Tom Boerwinkle in a public forum at the conclusion of his remarks, and will be able to interview him, as time allows, on both a group and individual basis. Each of our meetings so far has been covered extensively by print and broadcast media, including TV stations and several newspapers. Local talk show hosts are planning live remote radio broadcasts for some meetings.

All media are also invited to call J. Mark Hancock at (865) 522-8547 or e-mail Hilary Phillips at tipoff@utfan.com to schedule radio, television, and newspaper interviews with various Big Orange Tipoff Club steering committee members, including Charles W. Morgan, Barry J. Smith, Michael J. Turner, Christy Gentry, J. Mark Hancock, and Club Historian R. Larry Smith regarding the club, its promotion of UT basketball, its purposes, its sponsoring of awards and contributions to scholarships, and its charitable endeavors in supporting college and amateur athletics in East Tennessee. Steering committee members have been making radio and television appearances and doing newspaper interviews regularly, and are available for speaking engagements to any groups.

OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE: The Big Orange Tipoff Club is offering special merchandise for sale with the distinctive club logo on it, including T-shirts and caps, each for the low price of only $10. Only a limited number of each is available, and they are quickly becoming collectors’ items.

NEXT WEEK’S SPEAKER: Next week’s Big Orange Tipoff Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 20, with former Alabama head basketball coach Wimp Sanderson as the featured speaker, the day before the UT-Alabama men’s home game.

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