Nov. 9, 2002

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JONES FAMILY GIFT PRESENTATION    56K | DSL/CABLE

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KNOXVILLE -- The University of Tennessee has received a $4 million challenge gift for the construction of the Intercollegiate Aquatic Center on campus from Cleveland, Tenn., businessman Allan Jones and his wife, Janie. Athletics Director Doug Dickey announced the gift today and Jones and his family were honored at Neyland Stadium in ceremonies before the game against Miami.

When the facility is completed, it will be named in Jones' honor, becoming the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center. Jones is founder and chairman of Check into Cash, Inc., a payday advance company with more than 700 financial centers nationwide.

"Like wrestling, a sport I've supported nationwide, swimmers don't get much attention," Jones said. "Both are individual achievement sports and that best fits my contribution profile. It should be the nicest facility in the country when it's built."

Jones indicated another selling point was access to the facility for national and international events as well as for groups in the community. "I want to have an impact on kids' lives in the future. I was sold on the idea of the Knoxville community having access to it."

"We have known for several years that our aquatic facility, constructed 35 years ago, was no longer adequate if we expected our swimming and diving programs to continue to have a chance to compete at the national level to which we have grown accustomed," Dickey and Women's AD Joan Cronan said. "The choice to be made was whether to continue striving for championships or perhaps drop swimming as several schools across the country already have done over the past several years.

"Our men' s and women's swimmers and divers have historically been among the finest student-athletes at UT. They practice daily, are strong in academics and graduate to become successful citizens, teachers, doctors and lawyers. Based on these factors, we felt the intercollegiate swimming program was an asset to be continued and kept in a position to thrive.

"Coupled with the existing indoor and outdoor pools, the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center will give UT, Knoxville, and the state of Tennessee one of the finest aquatic facilities in the world."

John Thornton, chairman of the STEP UP Committee to raise funds for UT athletics facilities, and Jim Haslam, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Athletics Board, praised Jones' role in helping make the Intercollegiate Aquatic Center a reality.

"Allan Jones has helped us take the next step in upgrading our swimming and diving program," Thornton said. "He has come forward to help make a difference in a tradition-rich sport on campus."

Haslam echoed Thornton's sentiments. "This is good news for the swimming and diving program," he said. "It's a good sign that we are moving forward in keeping our facilities among the nation's best."

"I visited the Athletics Department recently and was impressed with how hard everybody was working," Jones said. "I thought I should step up, show my confidence in the overall program and make this commitment this year. I am impressed with UT's program and Phillip Fulmer specifically. He's one of the finest individuals I've ever met."

Jones is best known in his home community for tireless work in the area of environment, having personally financed the planting of trees on city streets, parks, playgrounds and school campuses. His hard work and dedication resulted in the city of Cleveland putting a full-time forester in place in 1997 and initiating a master plan for tree planting and maintenance in the community. He served on the board of the Tennessee Urban Forest Council and was honored by the group as 1994 Citizen Activist of the Year.

An avid wrestling enthusiast, Jones founded and financed the first Cleveland-Bradley County Wrestling Club in hopes of bringing the two high schools into a more competitive situation. As a result, the program is now thriving and both schools have won state championships for two consecutive years. In supporting school wrestling, he has assisted the Cleveland Wrestling Program and Cleveland Boys Club programs and each year sends deserving young athletes to wrestling camp.

In 2001, Jones built a $1 million wrestling center on the campus of Cleveland High School, naming the arena after his father, the late W.A. Jones Sr. Alan Jones also contributed toward the building of a new wrestling facility on the campus of Bradley Central High School in 2000-01.

Jones and his wife, Janie, are parents of four children: Abby, Will, Bailey, and Courtney.

The gift to create the Intercollegiate Aquatic Center is part of STEP UP, a comprehensive program for new, renovated and expanded facilities benefiting 17 of UT's 20 men and women's intercollegiate teams. These improvements are designed to enable UT to continue competing for SEC and NCAA championships in each of its sports.

For more information about Tennessee's athletics facility renovation plans or to find out about donating to the university athletics department, contact Mike Hamilton or John Currie at (865) 974-1218.