How Tennessee built a championship-caliber back office with Ramp
"When our teams need something, they usually need it right away. The more time we can save doing all those tedious tasks, the more time we can dedicate to supporting our student-athletes."
Secretary, The University of Tennessee Athletics Foundation, Inc.
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The University of Tennessee has a storied legacy. Now, its athletics foundation is building a future to match.
From electrifying moments on the field to game-changing innovations off it, the University of Tennessee’s athletics department has long been a leader. But staying ahead in college sports today takes more than just tradition and top-tier talent—it requires operational excellence.
That’s where The University of Tennessee Athletics Foundation, Inc. stepped in to help. The foundation was created as the nonprofit entity to support the university’s intercollegiate athletics program and tasked to help the athletics department become more business centric.
“Tennessee athletics is always trying to lead the way in college sports, and most of the time we're trying to do that on the field or the court, but we can also do that in our business operations,” said Sarah Harris, secretary of the foundation.
Their goal is a modern back office that enables the athletics department to better support student-athletes and coaches across the University of Tennessee’s 20 varsity teams.
“We want to win in everything. We want to provide our coaches the resources they need to go compete,” said Ryan Alpert, former executive director of the foundation. “Ramp was the right partner to come along to help us with that winning edge.”
Faster operations, stronger support
Speed is critical in athletics—and not just during games. With Ramp, the foundation consolidated purchasing, bill pay, and expense reconciliation into a single platform. Administrators are able to set granular approval workflows and monitor spend by department, team, and individual. What used to be time-consuming work is now streamlined and intuitive.
“Speed is of the essence. When our teams need something, they usually need it right away.” said Harris. “The more time we can save doing all those tedious tasks, the more time we can dedicate to supporting our student-athletes.”
A foundation for the future
This commitment to modernizing isn’t just about convenience—it’s about making every dollar and every minute count.
By unlocking efficiency with Ramp, The University of Tennessee Athletics Foundation, Inc.is setting a new standard for business operations in college athletics and helping its teams stay focused on what matters most: winning, on and off the field.
