Tennessee football violations: NCAA announces penalties for UT program

Tennessee football has learned its NCAA fate for the violations that occurred under the previous coaching regime. UT’s proactive approach helped the Volunteers avoid a postseason ban. The headlining penalties for Tennessee are 5 years of probation and an $8 million fine. Former head coach Jeremy Pruitt faces a 6-year show cause.

The NCAA states that the $8 million fine is the equivalent of if the Vols missed the postseason for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The Division I Committee on Infractions panel also prescribed the legislated fine of $5,000 plus 3% of the football program budget and a fine to address the ineligible competition in the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Game.

Tennessee’s 5 years of probation includes a reduction of 28 football scholarships. The program is credited with 16 scholarship reductions from the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years as part of UT’s self-imposed penalties.

In addition to scholarship reductions, the Vols’ probationary period includes a reduction of 36 official visits (at least 4 per year). Tennessee is credited with a reduction of 7 official visits from 2021-22 as part of self-imposed sanctions. The NCAA says the program can also be credited for any additional reductions in visits from the 2022-23 academic year if they were imposed in connection with regular-season home games.

Tennessee’s unofficial visits are also being reduced by a total of 40 weeks, at a minimum of 6 weeks per year. Tennessee is credited for a self-imposed 6-week reduction in 2021 and 2 weeks during 2022.

UT also faces a total 28-week ban on recruiting communications during the 5-year term of probation (at least 3 weeks per year). The NCAA specifies 1 week each in December and January, and one week from March to June.

In the 2023-24 academic year, Tennessee shall forgo the purchase of advertising with all football postseason broadcasts in which it is a participant.

Over 3 seasons, Tennessee was found to have committed 18 Level I violations — encompassing more than 200 individual infractions. Most of the violations involved recruiting rules violations and impermissible inducements and benefits, including direct payments to prospects, current student-athletes and their families.

Hundreds of violations occurred in Tennessee football program over 3 seasons:https://t.co/qUTvW51PKe

— NCAA PR (@NCAA_PR) July 14, 2023

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.