Former Tennessee Head Coach Receives Lengthy Show-Cause Penalty After NCAA Violations

Jeremy Pruitt and the University of Tennessee were officially punished by the NCAA on Friday after the conclusion of a three-year investigation.

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On Friday the NCAA announced its findings and punishments for the University of Tennessee football program while under the direction of former head football coach Jeremy Pruitt.

The investigation revealed more than 200 individual infractions, resulting in 18 Level I violations. Most of the improper activity involved a scheme to finance unofficial recruiting visits to Knoxville.

The NCAA permits schools to pay for official visits, but unofficial visits are the financial responsibility of the recruit and his family.

Additionally, the NCAA uncovered instances in which a prospect's mother was paid $6,000 in cash and was given housing assistance in Knoxville. A separate prospect's mother was given $5,000 in cash to help pay for a medical procedure. 

Both players went on to compete in 23 games and a bowl game while ineligible based on these payments.

Former head coach Jeremy Pruitt received the brunt of the punishment by the NCAA as he was given a six-year show-cause penalty. Additionally, should Pruitt be hired for the coming fall of 2023 he faces a full season suspension.

The University of Tennessee will avoid a post-season ban due to what the NCAA called "exemplary cooperation" by the Volunteers. 

Instead, Tennessee will be fined $8 million, be put on five years probation and face a reduction in scholarships by 28 over the course of probation. 

The $8 million fine is believed to be the largest financial penalty ever levied by the NCAA infractions and was calculated as the financial impact the university would have faced by missing the 2023 and 2024 postseasons. 

Tennessee was able to mitigate the severity of the NCAA punishments by self imposing recruiting restrictions in the wake of Pruitt's firing.

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