NCAA: "Hundreds of violations occurred in Tennessee football program over 3 seasons"

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NCAA: Hundreds of violations occurred in Tennessee football program over 3 seasons

Over the course of three seasons, the Tennessee football program committed 18 Level I violations — encompassing more than 200 individual infractions — most of which involved recruiting rules violations and direct payments to prospects, current student-athletes and their families, according to a decision released by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. An additional four Level I unethical conduct violations occurred involving former university employees. The violations resulted in impermissible inducements and benefits totaling approximately $60,000. As a result, Tennessee failed to monitor its football program. Additionally, due to his personal involvement in the violations, the former football head coach violated head coach responsibility rules.

The committee used the Division I membership-approved infractions penalty guidelines to prescribe the following penalties in addition to the fine:

• A fine of $8 million plus 3% of the football program budget.
• Five years of probation.
• A reduction in football scholarships by a total of 28 during the term of probation, including at least two scholarships each year.
• A six-year show-cause order for the former head coach. Should the head coach become employed in an athletically related position at an NCAA school during that show-cause order, he shall be subject to a suspension from 100% of the first season of his employment.

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Chris Low and Pete Thamel: The Tennessee football program is expected to avoid a bowl ban when the NCAA committee on infractions announces its punishment for the Volunteers on Friday, sources told ESPN.

Sources said Tennessee is expected to receive stiff financial penalties and recruiting restrictions.

Pruitt is receiving a six-year show-cause, sources said. Pruitt has been out of top-level coaching since serving as a New York Giants senior defensive assistant in 2021.

The lack of a bowl ban continues a recent trend in NCAA cases, as the organization has gone away from punishments that are punitive toward current players, especially those who weren't around when the violations occurred.

Tennessee was not charged with a lack of institutional control a year ago when the charges were announced, which lessened the potential scope of the penalties.

The school had spent the past few years self-imposing various penalties, including the loss of 18 total scholarships over the past three years. That is expected to reduce any scholarship restrictions from the NCAA.

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Knoxville News Sentinel: Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee football will learn the NCAA verdict in a high-profile recruiting scandal at noon ET today.

The NCAA enforcement staff alleged that 18 highest-level violations occurred under Pruitt's watch from 2018 to early 2021. UT fired Pruitt and other assistants for cause in January 2021.



The case has spanned almost three years since a tip came to UT Chancellor Donde Plowman's office in November 2020. It will end today, aside from the possibility of an appeals process.

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