Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava continues to gain hype, if that’s possible. The California native came into Knoxville, Tennessee, with high expectations from the fanbase, but after a strong performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, others are beginning to catch on to what he could become in the 2024 season as the full-time starting quarterback.

Iamaleava is the highest-rated quarterback that Tennessee has signed in modern recruiting history, so the hype was already building, but 2024 expectations are quite high after his opening act. Head coach Josh Heupel is excited about the possibilities of Iamaleava in his fast-paced offense, and the national media seems to agree.

Seven of the top ten candidates on Fan Duel are SEC quarterbacks, as the conference is loaded with premier talent at the position. Iamaleava is supremely gifted and is arguably the most physically gifted of any quarterback in the country. He’s 6-6 with a long frame and plus-upside when he decides to tuck and run. Iamaleava layers the football well and puts a tremendous amount of zip behind his passes in the intermediate game. The Vols have stacked the wide receiver roomto ensure he has the necessary targets to achieve his goals.

The mixed-use Neyland Stadium project in Tennessee will enhance the riverfront neighborhood with hotel and retail space.

Developers have until March 4 to respond to the University of Tennessee’s request for proposals seeking a master developer partner for a proposed mixed-use development adjacent to 102-year-old Neyland Stadium, which is undergoing a $337 million renovation to be completed by fall of 2026, and UT’s basketball arena, Food City Center.

The RFP, first posted in mid-December, is one of only a handful issued from the college athletics world. Higher education is slowly, but surely, catching onto the mixed-use development trend that has already enveloped the pro sports ranks to harness the deep connections that college fans have with their schools, especially if they’re graduates.

At many colleges and universities, especially state flagships with large alumni bases like Tennessee’s Knoxville campus, the college version of sports venue adjacent mixed-use development could potentially draw year-round visitors to stadiums like Neyland that are otherwise active only seven or eight days annually. Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White, who has made facility development and renovation a priority during his three years in Knoxville, told Sports Business Journal last fall that the goal of the proposed Neyland mixed-use district is to “make our big-ticket venues, our keystone venues something our fan base can interact with all year long.”