Winning is the currency of major college sports, make no mistake about it.

But win with personality — give fans a basketful of chest-thumping moments, convince them you are willing to give your soul to the program — that’s a license to print money.

That’s what University of Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl has delivered in two very surprising and successful seasons on and off the court. From corporate boardrooms to neighborhood bars, the men’s team is the talk of the town as Pearl heads into his third season with the Volunteers.

When he bared his orange-painted chest and showed up with some of his players to cheer for the women’s team, people talked.

When a video of him ripping off his shirt in the locker room and celebrating with his players showed up on YouTube, people talked.

When 2,500 fans jam into an un-air-conditioned gym to watch Tennessee players run and dunk in a summer league, people talk.

And all that talk translates into money — lots of it.

In the two-plus years since Pearl stepped on campus, the men’s program has pumped millions of dollars into the regional economy. Fans have packed cavernous Thompson-Boling Arena to watch Pearl’s team.

Total ticket revenue for the 2006-2007 season soared to $3.795 million for 16 home games and one in Nashville, a healthy 58.8 percent increase from $2.393 million in ticket sales two years earlier, according to the UT Men’s Athletic Department.

Concession revenue for men’s home games last season was $841,554, up a whopping 181.1 percent from $298,621 in the 2004-2005 season. Concession sales are certain to grow again this year if projections of increased attendance are met.

The Vols average home attendance last season was 19,663, a 60.8 percent increase from an average of 12,226 in the year before Pearl arrived. An average of more than 20,000 fans per game is not unreasonable this year, athletic department officials said.

Enthusiasm for the 2007-2008 season — which starts Nov. 9 at home against Temple University — is high.

Athletic Director Mike Hamilton believes season-ticket sales this year could break the record of 13,929 set nearly two decades ago. Hamilton sees 15,000 season tickets as possible.

Season-ticket sales already are up sharply in Pearl’s first two seasons, with 13,266 sold last year after dropping to 9,378 season tickets in 2004-2005.

Another barometer of the program’s growing financial clout is sales of the new luxury suites, which were added to Thompson-Boling in the off-season as part of a $14 million renovation.

At $35,000- and $50,000-a year, the suites are the priciest seats in the arena. All 16 suites were sold before construction was completed and there is a waiting list of businesses willing to pony up for a suite.

The financial impact of the team’s winning ways can be felt off campus, too.

Demand for Vols men’s basketball merchandise is “off the charts,” said Jed Dance, vice president of Bacon & Co., a Knoxville-based manufacturer/wholesaler that specializes in apparel and products with collegiate and corporate logos.

Bacon & Co. expects to move 10,000 T-shirts during the upcoming season and that could double if the team has a strong season, Dance said.

In stark contrast, when the men’s team won the SEC East Division championship in 1999 Bacon & Co. sold a meager 144 championship T-shirts.

“And that was begging people to buy shirts,” Dance said.

“Really there’s no comparison to before. We always had men’s merchandise but it was never that popular. Since Pearl arrived it’s almost like we started a new program for Tennessee men’s basketball merchandise,” Dance said.

One of the company’s most popular items is a set of orange suspenders like the ones Pearl wears for games.

“It’s phenomenal really,” Dance said.

Downtown- and campus-area restaurants and bars are feeling the good times, too.

“We definitely do feel the impact,” said Curt Gibson, director of operations for Copper Cellar Corp., whose restaurants include Chesapeake’s on Henley Street downtown, Copper Cellar on the Cumberland Avenue Strip and Calhoun’s on Neyland Drive.

Gibson can’t put a dollar figure on the increase, but he said dinner business starts earlier than usual — around 5 p.m. — when the team plays weeknight games.

The increased business during Pearl’s first season “took us by surprise,” but the restaurants now know what to expect, Gibson said.

“Even for pre-season or non-conference games, business is better now than it was for the biggest conference games a few years ago,” Gibson said.

Two straight appearances in the NCAA tournament after a decade of disappointment has a lot to do with the renewed enthusiasm for the men’s program. But it takes more than a couple of winning seasons to convince sophisticated sports fans and corporate sponsors to spend millions of dollars on season tickets and luxury suites, not to mention $16 million for a new basketball practice facility, which will be used by the men’s and women’s teams.

It takes a rock star.

“Tennessee has had teams that have played well, but not since the Ray Mears era has the men’s team had a brand like it has now,” said Knoxville Chamber CEO Mike Edwards.

“What Coach Pearl has done from day one is re-establish a brand and sell it, He’s made it not just a marketable brand, but a highly sought-after brand,” Edwards said. “ I hate to use the phrase, but to a whole lot of sports fans and important companies he’s a rock star.”

Renovation of Thompson-Boling and construction of a practice facility were on the drawing board before Pearl was hired. But Pearl’s success provided the final push.

“A few years ago the thought of selling those luxury suites in Thompson-Boling would have made no sense. Who was going to buy them and why would they pay that much? Now people are lining up to get them,” Edwards said.

For years, football and women’s basketball attracted the most corporate support at UT. Men’s basketball was almost an afterthought.

Not anymore. Corporate sponsors now see men’s basketball as a high-value investment, area business leaders said.

Athletic department officials expect the true marketing value of the men’s team won’t be realized until a number of current sponsor contracts come up for renewal.

“We have some major contracts signed without the power of Tennessee men’s basketball. It will be interesting to see what affect that (success of the men’s team) has on those contracts,” Hamilton said.

Although sponsorship costs are expected to increase, corporate sponsors aren’t likely to complain.

“Being associated with Bruce Pearl gives us a tremendous marketing advantage. Bruce is a natural marketer,” said Pam Fansler, president of First Tennessee Bank-Knoxville, a major UT corporate sponsor.

Just as important as his ability to ad lib a TV commercial is his ability to connect with individual fans. When fans like him, that rubs off on corporate sponsors, Fansler said.

“He is accessible and personable as anyone we do business with. He stops by our university financial center a couple of times a month and talks to every employee and customer in there. And he does it because he wants to,” Fansler said.

Pearl’s high-energy personality is a perfect marketing complement to the more subdued personas of head football coach Phil Fulmer and head women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, business leaders said

“I think he’s doing a tremendous job,” said Jim Haslam, chairman of Pilot Corp. “He’s brought excitement and winning back to men’s basketball.”

Haslam’s vote of confidence is important. A former university trustee, Haslam wields significant political and financial power on and off campus. His company is the largest operator of travel centers in the country. His son, Bill, is Knoxville’s mayor. And Jim and Natalie Haslam gave the university a $32.5 million gift last year.

“Any time you ask Bruce to do something he’ll do it. He’s been a big help to the business community and the community as a whole,” Haslam said.

Pearl instinctively understands the need for a major college sports program to court business leaders and corporate sponsors. Shortly after taking the UT job, he met with the university’s development staff and asked them to “put me in front of the people I need to be in front of.”

“I had a great mentor in Dr. Tom Davis, who was the head coach at Boston College. He understood the importance of connecting with the student body and fans and donors and actually as his assistant he had me focusing on a lot of those aspects,” said Pearl, a marketing and economics major.

Pearl said he didn’t have a specific marketing plan in mind when he took the UT job, but he made a point to reach out to community leaders such as the Haslam family.

Pearl is definitely a “people person.” Businesspeople who know him are envious of his energy and ability to connect with the average fan as well as the rich and powerful.

Asked if he would pull back his public appearance schedule after two highly successful seasons, Pearl said he would probably make twice as many public appearances.

It’s hard to see how he will find the time. Pearl’s schedule is already frenetic. In his first year as the Volunteers’ head coach, Pearl made more than 200 formal and informal community appearances. He spoke to civic organizations and students. He had dinner with corporate sponsors and gave speeches to employee groups all over town.

“A couple times he worked himself to exhaustion,” said associate athletic director Chris Fuller. “God knows what it took to get him there.”

The athletic staff had to convince him that sometimes it was OK to say no.

But Pearl’s brain doesn’t work that way.

“My management style is to stuff 20 pounds of potatoes in a 10-pound bag every day. That’s what I do,” Pearl said.

Stories of Pearl’s work ethic abound.

Like this one.

Leading up to the SEC home opener Pearl’s schedule was more intense than usual as he worked nonstop to promote the game, Fuller said.

“We had literally exhausted Bruce. But at 6 p.m. the night before the game after practice Bruce calls and says, ‘I’ve got some time. You guys want to go to the cafeteria and talk to students?’” Fuller said. “I don’t know who else would do that.”

Pearl enjoys standing on a chair in the cafeteria and talking to students.

“His tank is filled by interaction with people. It gives him the energy to go on to the next event,” Hamilton said.

But Pearl admits that as much as he likes the impromptu cafeteria visits he suffers butterflies each time he stands on a chair.

The image of his stomach churning is hard to reconcile with the man who casually chats his way through national radio and television interviews or the intense figure pacing courtside, barking at officials and sweating through his suit.

“I absolutely get butterflies — seriously,” Pearl said. “I worry there is going to be someone in that cafeteria who is there just to eat lunch or there to study and, you know, they’re thinking, ‘I don’t really need to be hearing this at this time.’ I don’t want to offend that person.”

Likewise, the nerves are there when he talks to a civic club or powerful athletic department donors.

Business leaders appreciate Pearl’s marketing savvy, but no one appreciates it more than Hamilton.

“We used to search for people to give tickets to. Now it’s not a problem,” Hamilton said.

Pearl’s ability to connect with the business community has exceeded his expectations, Hamilton said.

“Tennessee basketball has become the thing to do in town,” Hamilton said.

Pearl deflects praise for his marketing efforts. The enthusiasm the men’s program has generated over the last two years is a credit to the players. Their effort and commitment is what has filled Thompson-Boling and it will be the players fans come to see in the new season, he said.

“Don’t give the marketing too much credit,” he added.

UT fans were ready to support a team that played an entertaining and competitive brand of basketball, Pearl said.

“The fact that you have 108,000 people at Neyland Stadium on Saturdays and the fact that Pat Summitt had people watching women’s basketball before it was fashionable to the tune of No. 1 in the nation in attendance is a tribute to the Vol fans and the Vol Nation.

“You’ve got to start there with the fans. Our fans are uniquely supportive and they were ready to support the team,” Pearl said. “We just gave them something to cheer about.”

But there’s no denying the impact Pearl has had on Volunteer country.

The gravitational pull of Pearl’s star was evident on a steamy August morning when 120 or so area business people met at Gettysvue Polo Golf & Country Club for the second annual Bruce Pearl Fore the Kids Golf Tournament.

The tournament benefits Camp Koinonia, a residential outdoor education program for children with special needs.

The temperature was headed past 90 degrees by 9 a.m., but baking in the sun wasn’t going to stop the golfers from getting a little face time with the coach.

Pearl moved through the crowd with ease, smiling — always smiling — and swapping stories. He greeted everyone personally. Some folks got a handshake and some got a more personal shoulder squeeze or pat on the back.

“He’ll sign your hat,” a tall thin golfer said as he walked back to his golf cart.

From the clubhouse balcony overlooking the golf course, Pearl apologized to the crowd for not being able to stick around all day.

“Just know I’m trying to sign the best point guard in America. But if I had to be here or on campus trying to recruit the best point guard in America I’m sure you’d rather I be on campus,” he said.

The crowd responded with appreciative laughter.

But even though he had to hustle back to campus, Pearl took time to make sure to have his picture taken with every golfer.

“I’ll be back in 90 minutes,” Pearl said as he drove away.

As promised, Pearl returned to Gettysvue that afternoon to sign autographs and schmooze with fans.

Spending a little extra time to build relationships with fans doesn’t take a lot of effort, but the payoff can be huge, Pearl said.

Some coaches shy away from marketing their program, either because they don’t like that part of the job or they don’t recognize the importance of it, Pearl said.

Pearl knows if fans feel like they know him and they like the product he puts on the floor, they will buy tickets. And a full arena means home-court advantage.

“Home-court advantage means more wins and more wins means I get to keep my job,” Pearl said.

Roger Harris is assistant business editor. He can be reached at 865-342-6342.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.