The early contender for the worst Vol day of 2023 came on Friday.
Earlier this morning, the NCAA released its findings regarding an ongoing investigation into the Tennessee football program. The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions released a statement detailing over 200 violations in recruiting and impermissible benefits. 18 of these violations were deemed to be “Level 1” or most serious.
Some of the violations included direct monetary payments from Tennessee coaches or staff members to players and/or recruits. The violations were so ingrained within the culture of the Volunteer program that former UT head coach Jeremy Pruitt was actively engaging in the money handoffs, himself.
Many of the violations involved illegal payments for unofficial recruiting visits to Knoxville for high school athletes. For those unfamiliar with recruiting, schools may pay for every expense of an official visit to campus, but those types of visits are limited. Unofficial visits are not limited in quantity but are also not supposed to be paid for by the school. Tennessee reportedly paid the way for 29 different unofficial visits, totaling thousands of dollars of illegal payments.
Several of the other violations included coaches, staff members, boosters, and even Pruitt’s wife paying players with money inside of fast food bags, helping players and their family members purchase cars, and enticing players by making payments on houses so that players’ family members could move to Knoxville.
In all, the South Carolina football rival was slapped on the wrist because the NCAA felt the school was “exemplary” in its cooperation with the investigation.
Tennessee was given five years of probation, a reduction of 28 scholarships over that five-year period, a reduction of 36 official visits over that five-year period, a reduction of 10 home football game-adjacent official visits (4 in the SEC) during that five-year period, a reduction of 40 weeks of unofficial visits over that five-year period, a 28-week total ban of recruiting communication speed out over that five-year period, a reduction of 120 evaluation/camp days over that five-year period, an $8 Million fine, and wins vacations in which associated players participated.
Jeremy Pruitt, his wife, multiple assistants, other staffers, and several boosters all received show-causes that will keep them from being hired elsewhere for multiple years. Former South Carolina football assistant coach Jay Graham was on staff at Tennessee during this time, was fired, but does not appear to be receiving any additional punishment.
Considering the level of cheating that was taking place in Knoxville, Tennessee got off easy.