The Tennessee football program was placed on five years’ probation and fined $8 million on Friday after the NCAA discovered more than 200 violations during former coach Jeremy Pruitt’s tenure.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions also cut 28 scholarships for the Volunteers, while Pruitt received a six-year show cause and will be suspended for the first full season if another school hires him.
Pruitt compiled a 16-19 record in three seasons in Knoxville from 2018-20. He worked as a senior defensive assistant for the New York Giants in 2021, his most recent employment in major football.
Tennessee avoided a bowl ban. The Volunteers went 11-2 last season under coach Josh Heupel and won the Orange Bowl.
“Well, we knew it was coming down the pipeline for a while now,” Heupel said on ESPN Radio on Friday. “We got word late yesterday that we would definitely have a conclusion to it today. Excited that we’re able to reach a great conclusion here. Our administration has worked for two and a half years on trying to find a resolution to this.
“They found out about what was going on, reported it and have been transparent. And we wanted to protect our athletes and make sure they had an opportunity to compete for championships. We were able to do that. Really happy that we get a chance to put this behind us and move forward now.”
The NCAA charged the program with 18 Level 1 violations in July 2022. They included charges that Pruitt and his wife, Casey, provided $60,000 in impermissible benefits and cash payments to players’ families.
Tennessee self-imposed several penalties after the violations were announced, including a 16-scholarship reduction over the past two seasons.
“Having the ability to have real, open dialogue with (Tennessee athletic director Danny White) during the process and to have great trust in where they ultimately thought this would end up — it gave me great confidence to be able to hit the ground running,” Heupel said. “It was going to be a speed bump for our program when I took over, but it wasn’t going to be anything that delayed our progress.”
The Volunteers open the season against Virginia on Sept. 2 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
–Field Level Media
