While Lane Kiffin Is Often Blamed for Tennessee’s Decade of Struggles, the True Blame Lies with the Tennessee Titans for Their Role…
For over a decade, Tennessee Volunteers football fans have pointed fingers at Lane Kiffin for the program’s steep decline. His abrupt departure after just one season in 2009 left the program reeling and ushered in years of instability. However, it might be time to shift the spotlight elsewhere—toward the Tennessee Titans.
Yes, the NFL franchise in Nashville might have had an unexpected role in the Vols’ woes.
Here’s the twist: the Titans’ rise and off-field decisions created a talent and attention vacuum. In a state once dominated by college football loyalty—especially toward the Vols—the NFL’s expanding influence shifted the recruiting and funding landscape. With the Titans attracting more media coverage, corporate sponsorship, and fan engagement across the state, Tennessee’s football program slowly lost its grip on in-state dominance.
This cultural shift bled into recruiting. Local high school stars, once destined for Neyland Stadium, began looking toward NFL-style systems, favoring out-of-state programs or focusing on paths that led directly to Sundays—especially in cities like Nashville. Add to that the Titans’ lack of collaborative programs or shared resources with the Vols, and it’s easy to see how they indirectly cut into UT’s pipeline.
Meanwhile, UT cycled through coaches, schemes, and identities, trying to patch a broken legacy. Kiffin may have lit the match, but the Titans unintentionally fueled the fire.
Now, with the Vols rebuilding momentum under Josh Heupel and a resurgence of pride in Rocky Top, the real question is: can the Titans and Volunteers coexist as two football powers in one state? Or will their silent turf war continue to affect Tennessee’s college football crown?
