The Tennessee football program avoided a bowl ban stemming from an investigation into numerous NCAA violations which unfolded during the tenure of former head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
On Friday, the NCAA announced that “hundreds of violations” took place in the Tennessee Volunteers football program over Pruitt’s three-year tenure with the program which included 18 Level 1 violations that encompassed “more than 200 individual infractions — most of which involved recruiting rules violations and direct payments to prospects, current student-athletes and their families.”
“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.”
Former Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt has been keeping a low profile since his dismissal in 2021 but he is not coming out of this unscathed. Pruitt 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.
Two players recruited by Tennessee told the NCAA they received cash directly from Pruitt or his wife. Tennessee fired Pruitt in January 2021.
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.
Many thought the program would suffer after Pruitt’s firing, but Josh Heupel quickly quick-started the program as the team 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.
