The NCAA fined the University of Tennessee more than $8 million today, punishing the football program for more than 200 infractions during the three-year tenure of former coach Jeremy Pruitt.
The monetary amount is “equivalent to the financial impact the school would have faced if it missed the postseason during the 2023 and 2024 seasons,” the NCAA said.
In the final report, Tennessee was found to have volunteered a little too much in direct payments to athletes and their families.
The Associated Press reported infractions included 110 impermissible hotel room nights, 180 impermissible meals, 72 instances of providing impermissible entertainment or other benefits, 41 impermissible recruiting contacts, 37 instances of providing impermissible game day parking, and 14 instances where gear was improperly given to prospects.
Tennessee managed to dodge a complete ban from postseason bowl games, however.
The report placed significant blame on Pruitt and his direct involvement in the violations, as well as the university’s failure to monitor its football program. Several members of Pruitt’s staff were also involved.
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“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 NCAA detailed in its report.
“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.”
The NCAA’s Infractions Committee acknowledged Tennessee’s proactive efforts, averting more severe repercussions. While the right to appeal exists, it’s likely Tennessee will accept the penalties and focus on moving forward.
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
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