KNOXVILLE - There was nary a cloud in the sunny blue sky for Tennessee's first spring practice Monday afternoon.
Metaphorically that's not been the case for the football program the last few weeks.
There's been a cloud around Tennessee football since the filing of a federal lawsuit against the university last month and some of the headlines and allegations that ensued, but that only made the Volunteers welcome the start of actual football even more.
"It was definitely great to be back out there, just be out on the field one last time with those guys knowing that this is the start of a special season," linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said after the two-hour practice in helmets and shorts.
"I definitely think today set the tone for us."
Certainly coach Butch Jones and his players would like for the tone to change from what it's been recently, but for now that's beyond their reach.
It's now up to the university either to formulate a formal response and fight the lawsuit's allegations or to settle it in an attempt to curb more negative publicity and avoid a long, drawn-out situation that could hang over the university and the football program for months.
If it does linger, chances are it could hamper Tennessee's 2017 recruiting efforts and provide a distraction for the Vols ahead of a season with legitimate championship hopes.
"It hasn't been (a distraction) at all," quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "The guys come in and they work. Off this field there's always stuff going on, no matter where you play and especially when you play at a place like Tennessee. There's always going to be something going outside, so it really hasn't been a distraction.
"We're focused on the task at hand - getting better this offseason, getting better this spring - and we're just excited to get back on the field and throw the ball around."
Earlier Monday at his news conference, Jones also downplayed the lawsuit being a distraction for his team but acknowledged that the players were eager to return to the field and "do what they do."
Jones also was asked whether he explicitly denied calling former Tennessee wide receiver Drae Bowles a traitor for helping a women who claimed she'd been raped by two of his teammates in 2014.
"I made a statement, and we'll stick behind the statement," Jones replied. "I'd appreciate it if you can keep it to spring football today. That's what this press conference is all about."
Tennessee will have to deal with heightened expectations this spring as well, with many pegging the Vols to top the SEC's East Division and play in the conference championship game for the first time since 2007.
Reeves-Maybin openly mentioned the possibility of returning to Tampa, where the Vols won the Outback Bowl in January, for the national championship game.
"We have one goal for spring, and that's improvement," Jones said. "If every individual can improve as a football player, then we become a better football team. They're responsible for that. We as coaches are responsible for that, and even improvement from us as coaches.
"This is the best time of year because you always have to reinvent yourself. The great ones always find a way to reinvent themselves and always find a way to improve and do something better. We can't be the same coaching staff we were last year. We can't be the same players we were last year.
"We all have to continue to grow and develop and get better, and that's what spring is for."
Even with more than a dozen players sidelined following offseason surgeries and a few more with class conflicts, it was clear Monday afternoon that the Vols no longer are short on talent.
"We have a lot of depth, and it's huge," Dobbs said. "This program's really night and day since I've been here. That's great to see. We're heading in the right direction, but our key this year is we're trying to take the next step moving forward.
"Our dreams, goals and aspirations are out there, and it matters to take spring seriously and come out and compete this spring to get better. It's great to have talent across the board, and that's going to push everyone to continue to improve throughout the spring."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.