Tennessee Football was extremely lucky to avoid a postseason ban
On Friday, the NCAA levied a hefty fine of over $8 million against the University of Tennessee and released a scathing report detailing more than 200 infractions that occurred during former football coach Jeremy Pruitt’s three-year tenure. Despite the severity of the violations, the Volunteers managed to avoid a postseason ban.
The NCAA: Over three seasons, the Tennessee football program committed 18 Level I violations — encompassing more than 200 individual infractions.
Five years of probation for Tennessee. A six-year show-cause order for Jeremy Pruitt, among these penalties: https://t.co/kxXn63mmJx pic.twitter.com/6RSpb3QFZB
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) July 14, 2023
Essentially, Tennesse Didn’t Follow Any Recruiting Rules
The comprehensive report revealed that Tennessee committed 18 Level I violations, which are the most severe in nature. Many of these infractions centered around recruiting violations and direct payments to athletes and their families, totaling approximately $60,000 in benefits.
While the NCAA acknowledged Tennessee’s cooperation throughout the investigation, the decision to forgo a postseason ban was not taken lightly. The infractions panel highlighted the challenges they faced in determining the appropriate penalties and urged the Infractions Process Committee and the NCAA membership to establish a clear philosophy regarding penalties beyond postseason bans.
As a result of the violations, four former staffers, including Jeremy Pruitt, received show-cause orders. Pruitt, who was fired in early 2021, received a six-year show-cause order, indicating that he will face significant hurdles if he seeks employment within college athletics during that period.
The Report Also Blames the University
The NCAA’s report also identified the failure of the university to adequately monitor its football program and cited Pruitt’s personal involvement in the violations as a violation of head coach responsibility rules. The University of Tennessee refrained from commenting on the matter until after the NCAA’s briefing on Friday afternoon, according to Tennessee’s chief communications officer, Jason Baum.
The majority of the violations centered around a paid unofficial visit scheme that was consistently utilized by the football program over a two-year period. The report revealed the involvement of at least a dozen members of the football staff and cited numerous impermissible actions, including over 110 impermissible hotel room nights, 180 impermissible meals, 72 instances of providing impermissible entertainment or benefits, 41 impermissible recruiting contacts, 37 instances of providing impermissible game day parking, and 14 occasions of impermissible gear provided to prospects.
With the NCAA’s final decision, a troubling chapter in the University of Tennessee’s football program comes to a close. However, the dismissal of Jeremy Pruitt has paved the way for the team’s resurgence under new head coach Josh Heupel, who has led the Volunteers to an 18-8 record over the past three seasons, including an impressive victory over SEC powerhouse Alabama last year.
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