The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has announced its punishment for the University of Tennessee football program after finding over 200 individual infractions committed by the school. Although the program avoided a bowl ban, it has been fined more than $8 million, making it one of the largest fines in an infractions case.
In addition to the financial penalties, Tennessee has been placed on five years’ probation and will face a total reduction of 28 scholarships. However, the school was given credit for its self-imposed reduction of 16 scholarships over the past two seasons. The $8 million fine is believed to be equivalent to the financial impact the school would have faced if it had missed the postseason during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. This significant fine could signal a trend toward stiffer financial penalties in future infractions cases.
The infractions committee acknowledged the challenging circumstances involved in determining the penalties in this case and urged the NCAA to clarify its philosophy regarding penalties beyond postseason bans. The committee called for the development of updated penalty guidelines to better define the approach to be taken in future cases.
The charges against Tennessee stemmed from the tenure of former coach Jeremy Pruitt, with the program being charged with 18 Level 1 violations, the most severe in the NCAA rules structure. The infractions included allegations of impermissible benefits totaling $60,000 and cash payments made by Pruitt and his wife to players’ families. Pruitt received a six-year show-cause order, and three other former staff members were also given show-cause orders.
The Volunteers had a successful 2022 season under coach Josh Heupel, finishing with an 11-2 record, including a victory in the Orange Bowl. The lack of a bowl ban allows the program to maintain its momentum and continue its growth heading into the 2023 season. The NCAA’s shift away from punitive punishments for current players who were not involved in the violations aligns with recent trends in handling infractions cases. Despite the significant penalties imposed, Tennessee was not charged with a lack of institutional control, which limited the potential scope of the penalties, partly due to self-imposed sanctions by the university in anticipation of the NCAA ruling.
Photo credit – University of Tennessee Athletics / Knoxville, TN