Tennessee launched a fundraising campaign to capitalize on the Alabama win, and a lot of people didn't like it

Tennessee defeated Alabama for the first time in 16 years on Saturday night, as you know, and the Neyland Stadium goal posts were a casualty of the 52-49 battle that brought the victory.

Oct. 16, 2022 is the happiest day-after in Knoxville since Jan. 5, 1999, when Tennessee defeated Florida State to win the Fiesta Bowl in the inaugural BCS national championship game, and the Vols' development department wanted to get in on the action.

Tennessee's office of annual giving launched a "Volstarter" campaign, asking supporters to donate money to pay for the uprooted and displaced goalposts. 

Donors are "invited" to donate $16 (the amount of years between Alabama victories), $52.49 (the the final score of the game), or $1,019.15 (the capacity of Neyland Stadium) in addition to standard amounts of $25, $100, $250 or $500. 

Now, it should be noted that it appears the campaign is coming from the university, not the athletics department. But when the Tennessee football account Tweeted the link... it was pretty much universally ripped.

Now, it should be noted that "the Internet reacts poorly to...." could be written about any topic at any time. Look hard enough online and you'll find someone who hates chocolate cake and warm breezes. And it also should be noted that many of the people criticizing the tweet were drive-by commenters that didn't understand this was a "strike while the iron's hot" campaign from the University of Tennessee's office of advancement, whose literal job is to turn Volunteers' love of their university into cold, hard cash. Tennessee has plenty of money to replace the Neyland Stadium goal posts and cover the $100,000 SEC field-storming fine.

But plenty of these people also have a point.

So, was Tennessee smart to capitalize on the football program's best moment in nearly half-a-century, or petty for passing the hat to a fanbase that has stood by through a little bit of thick and whole, whole lot of thin over the past 15 years? 

As of press time, 1,087 donors had given $51,054 toward the $150,000 goal.