The NCAA has imposed significant penalties on former Tennessee Volunteers football coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff following an investigation that uncovered over 200 rules violations during his three-year tenure. The infractions, which spanned two years, involved a widespread scheme of providing impermissible benefits to recruits and their families.
The violations included providing recruits with free hotel stays, meals, entertainment, game-day parking, gear, and even cash payments. The NCAA's Division I Committee on Infractions issued a six-year show-cause penalty for Pruitt, effectively barring him from coaching at an NCAA institution during that period. The committee criticized Pruitt's failure to monitor his staff and his blatant disregard for NCAA regulations.
While Tennessee avoided a postseason ban, the university received five years of probation, an $8 million fine, and a reduction of 28 football scholarships over the probationary period. The university acknowledged its accountability while emphasizing its commitment to ethical competition. Tennessee credited 16 self-imposed scholarship reductions from the past two years. The total value of the impermissible benefits provided was estimated at $60,000.
The report details a "paid unofficial visit scheme" involving at least a dozen staff members, resulting in over 100 instances of impermissible hotel stays, meals, entertainment, recruiting contacts, parking privileges, and gear provided to prospects. Cash payments were also made to two prospects by Pruitt or his wife. This news comes as Tennessee is looking to build on a successful 11-2 season under current head coach Josh Heupel.
