SEC Spring Meetings were more eventful than ever. NIL took centerstage, coaches were berating each other and the schedule is being contested as hotly as a Congressional budget. It was wild.

For the more even keel amongst us, there were plenty of pending decisions that were the topic of conversation in the Florida panhandle that weren’t as salacious as others. The issues flying under the radar could have a huge effect on Tennessee’s football program.

The Vols were a bit ignored when administrators and coaches met last week to discuss the future of the ever-expanding conference. So did most every other SEC team. There were other things at the forefront like Jimbo vs. Nick and the fact that the SEC is practically overtaking the sport one expansion after another. When it comes to additions since 1992, South Carolina and Arkansas were cute. Missiouri and Texas A&M were intriguing. Texas and Oklahoma will change how college football and the SEC are viewed forever.

Tennessee certainly has a dog in that fight. Here are three things that could come out of SEC Spring Meetings that will help the Vols:

Flop the flopping

Tennessee’s current best asset is its head coach Josh Heupel, his offensive system and the tempo at which the Vols play when they have the ball. That tempo is very, very fast. Other programs like to run high-tempo offenses, but very few do it like the Vols. Perhaps it’s somewhat of a gimmick, but there’s nothing wrong with utilizing a gimmick when you spent a decade doing things more old fashioned and less successful.

At some point, Tennessee will have to develop a way to run some time off the clock when they have the lead. That will be much easier if/when the Vols get their talent up to par with their better equipped rivals. Opponents know that Tennessee plays up tempo and they have come up with a response. It’s comprised of laying on the field, flailing around in what appears to be unbearable agony, stopping play and returning to the game after a couple of plays with no ill effects. Cramps? Please.

Everyone should be for constricting the amount of cramping. It slows down the game during key, crucial moments. How many highlight plays did the Vols miss out on because of a player, likely wearing cardinal red and navy blue, was told to hit the turf by a sly coaching signal to slow things down.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was brilliant with the flop fest that he orchestrated against Tennessee last year. It was an equalizer for a team playing against a hostile crowd and a Tennessee offense that was sizzling. Was the approach illegal? No. Was it ethical? That’s debatable. Was it bad for the sport? The littered field was proof of that.

If Tennessee improves its talent – and they are doing so – they might vary up their offensive speed in the future. The Vols might actually play slower. Nevertheless, the Vols will always have an up-tempo offense in their back pocket as long as Heupel is the head coach. To him, it’s not just a gimmick. It’s his style.

That means flopping hurts Tennessee as much as any team in the nation because Tennessee runs the fastest offense in the nation. Kiffin is close in that regard, but not as fast as Heupel.

No NIL change

This is probably a pipe dream for the Vols and most likely not the best thing for college football as a whole. However, let’s look at what keeping the current NIL (lack of) structure in place, which is a basic free for all.

Tennessee doesn’t seem to mind the wild, wooly evolution of NIL revenue. Why would they? The Vols have thrived in recruiting with NIL deals (supposedly) in place. Tennessee will almost assuredly sign a top 10 class in the nation and that ranking could creep up even higher.

Tennessee’s football department – or whomever is supposedly at the helm pulling switches – has the Vols burning blazing hot in recruiting for the first time since Kiffin was Tennessee’s head coach in 2009. Sure, there were some semi-impressive moments under former Tennessee coach Butch Jones, but nothing like the Vols are experiencing lately. Moreover, Jones’ recruiting was largely propped up by some self-serving recruiting analysts. Setting aside the truth can help build a source. Jones acquiesced. His entire program was a bit too reporter friendly until things started to go down hill quicker than it takes Jones to get a $2 haircut.

The Vols needed an edge in recruiting and they got one. NIL has helped Tennessee tussle with the big boys in recruiting. Certainly, there are other reasons to attend Tennessee, but promising financial deals have been a factor and there’s nothing wrong with that – for now. It’s not Heupel’s fault that the NCAA decided to work more remotely than an eskimo researcher.

Tennessee would only benefit under the current lack of regulation. While that’s not going to happen long term, it could be the case for a year or more. The NCAA is under different leadership, but I don’t expect much to change until I see otherwise. That means you could be on your 2023 summer vacation before things are altered significantly. That would give Tennessee another year to boost the football recruiting economy. Things are in motion that could have a significant impact on Tennessee’s football program. You may not like players getting paid, but it’s helping Tennessee.

Alabama stays. No debate.

This may not seem like a good thing for the Vols, who haven’t fared very well against the Crimson Tide recently. There’s still that whole Saban thing going on down there. However, that doesn’t matter.

The Alabama-Tennessee rivalry is special, tradition-laden and could still benefit the Vols even while losing. How? First, it’s a rivalry game that will attract extra attention, which is tough to get on a national stage considering UT’s struggles over the past decade. The Vols could only benefit from the extra exposure – as long as they can’t stop getting beaten up by the Crimson Tide.

The Alabama-Tennessee series has been streaky, so there’s reason to believe that Tennessee could dominate (or at least win some games) against the Tide once again. It actually has happened before, although some might need to do a quick Google search for personal proof. And Saban has to retire at some point.

Also, it may sound strange, but if I were a Tennessee coach, I’d be pushing the rivalry in recruiting. Here’s the pitch: “Wouldn’t you like to be a part of flipping the series, beating Bama and being forever celebrated for doing so?” The prospects that say “yes” are the kind of players that Tennessee needs to build its foundation on.