UT restores ‘Lady Vols’ title to all women’s teams

University of Tennessee Athletic Director John Currie announced Thursday the return of the Lady Vols name, logo and brand for all women’s sports, reports the News Sentinel.

“We will not allow for the Lady Vol brand to disappear from our athletic department or the university,” Currie said during a press conference at the Ray & Lucy Hand Digital Studio.

Former UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and former AD Dave Hart announced in 2014 a decision to drop the long-used Lady Vols nickname for all women’s sports except basketball. 

Student-athletes and teams other than basketball will have the freedom to refer to themselves and their teams as Lady Vols while competing under the university’s official mark, the Power T.

Lady Vols branding and signage will be restored at athletic facilities such as softball’s Sherri Parker Lee Stadium and soccer’s Regal Stadium. Apparel options involving Lady Vols branding and color scheme also will be provided.

Note: The announcement comes a week after House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, announced he would file a resolution calling on UT to restore the Lady Vols label to all women’s teams and promising, if elected, to follow through in the governor’s capacity as official chairman of the UT Board of Trustees.