ETSU trustees approve Bank of Tennessee Field name and add women's acrobatics and tumbling

Dr. Richard Sander asked the board to approve the naming of the football playing field at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium as the "Bank of Tennessee Field" in recognition of a major gift from Bank of Tennessee; the board approved the naming by voice vote with the chair recording an abstention for the record.

Sander then presented a proposal to add acrobatics and tumbling as a women's varsity sport. He described the sport's competitive structure (six events in a meet, rosters of up to 28 competitors), explained implications for scholarship counts and EADA reporting, and outlined a three-year implementation plan: hire a coach by the end of the year, recruit during the following fiscal year and field a team approximately two years thereafter. Trustees discussed Title IX and opportunity for female athletes; after a motion and second the board approved sponsorship of the new program.

Why this matters: The naming recognizes private philanthropic support and ties into the athletics fundraising strategy; adding acrobatics and tumbling expands women's varsity opportunities, affecting scholarship allocations and EADA reporting. The presenters noted potential incremental revenue (e.g., shoe rentals) and regional competition opportunities—19 participating schools in the region were cited.

Provenance: The athletics naming request and vote, and the acrobatics-and-tumbling presentation and vote, are recorded in the transcript (SEG 451 through SEG 621).