Peyton Manning, the five-time NFL MVP and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has a new title.
Just call him Professor Manning.
The University of Tennessee announced Monday that Manning has been appointed a professor of practice at the College of Communication and Information starting this fall. Manning graduated from Tennessee in 1997 with a degree in speech communication.
He said in a statement his time as a student there was a foundation for teaching him critical skills and techniques he still uses almost daily.
“I look forward to working with the college’s talented faculty, and directly with students in an effort to ensure they are well prepared for their future careers,” Manning said.
Manning, who earlier launched the Omaha Productions entertainment company, will join classes during the year as a featured expert.
The NBA’s 78th season starts Tuesday, with a ring ceremony in Denver — the traditional celebration of the reigning champions — highlighting the opening-night celebration. The Nuggets beat Miami last June to become the league’s fifth different champion in the last five years, a run of parity the likes of which the league hasn’t seen in more than 40 years.
The Las Vegas Aces became the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back WNBA championships, getting 24 points and 16 rebounds from A’ja Wilson and a defensive stop in the closing seconds to beat the New York Liberty 70-69 in Game 4 of the Finals.
American officials expressed disappointment Monday after learning that bobsled, skeleton and luge events will not be held in Italy during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, a move that means athletes from those sports will likely be competing in either Austria or Switzerland during the games.
