BREAKING NEWS = Tennessee Volunteers head coach has been suspended for……..
Tennessee Football Avoids Bowl Ban, Fined $8M After Committing 18 Level I Violations
ogram avoided a bowl ban stemming from an investigation into numerous NCAA violations that unfolded during the tenure of former head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
“Current NCAA rules and penalty guidelines require a one- or two-year postseason ban for a Level I-standard case,” the NCAA said Friday. “However, in January 2022, NCAA members adopted a new constitution that states divisional regulations should ensure ‘to the greatest extent possible that penalties imposed for infractions do not punish programs or student-athletes not involved nor implicated in infractions.’
“Taking into consideration the board’s guidance and the school’s cooperation, the panel therefore declined to prescribe a postseason ban in this case
The Volunteers did receive a fine of $8 million and were placed on probation for five years. They’ll also lose 28 total scholarships over the duration of their probation.
Pruitt, meanwhile, received a six-year show-cause penalty, and he’ll be suspended for his first full season at a new school if he accepts a job while serving the penalty.
The ruling came after the NCAA determined Tennessee was guilty of 18 Level I infractions, which is the most serious of the three levels.
The NCAA said the bulk of the infractions “relate to a paid unofficial visit scheme that was used in a consistent manner by the football program over the course of two years
Before a prospect’s visit, the former recruiting director worked with an assistant coach who was the prospect’s primary recruiter and arranged hotel rooms, which would then be paid for in cash before the prospect’s arrival. The recruiting staff also regularly called ahead to restaurants or entertainment venues and asked them to hold the bill from a prospect’s visit. After the prospect left, a football staff member would stop by to pay the bill in cash
Two players recruited by Tennessee also told the NCAA they received cash directly from Pruitt or his wife.
Tennessee fired Pruitt in January 2021 after unearthing possible violations under his watch.
For those outside Knoxville, it looked as though the school found the pretext it needed to move on from a coach who had posted a losing record in two of his three years on the sideline. Even if it meant short-term pain in the form of NCAA discipline, the Vols were willing to start over with somebody new
Nobody expected Josh Heupel to kick-start the program as quickly as he did. Tennessee won seven games in 2021 before starting 8-0 in 2022 and climbing to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll. The year concluded with an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson.
That’s why a bowl ban in 2023 would’ve been an especially tough blow for the Volunteers. Some regression is to be expected with star quarterback Hendon Hooker gone, but they should once again be in position for a prestigious bowl bid.
In addition to the scholarship reductions, the NCAA handed down other recruiting-related punishments that will hinder Heupel and his staff a bit. But there’s no question Tennessee avoided the worst-case scenario
