Pat Forde: 'Prepare for a firefight of epic proportions between NCAA and Tennessee'

Earlier on Tuesday, SI’s Pat Forde reported Tennessee is under NCAA investigation for “major” violations across its athletic department. This stems from Name, Image, and Likeness issues in multiple different sports. The Vols are not too far removed from another investigation that occurred this summer inside of the football program.

While the NCAA may try to come down with harsh punishments, Tennessee is going to come swinging back at them. Forde said the two sides are going to have quite the battle. Level I sanctions might be on the NCAA’s mind but if they do get handed down, it will be following an intense fight from Knoxville.

“As a source put it to me, someone that has some familiarity with this case, ‘Prepare for a firefight of epic proportions between the NCAA and the University [of Tennessee] and the Spyre Group, the collective that runs the NIL efforts for Tennessee,” Forde said Tuesday during The Paul Finebaum Show.

“This has been described to me as quote-unquote ‘major’ and quote-unquote ‘big’ so the scope of the violations could be considerable, and the level of violations that are alleged is expected to be Level I and II, which is the most significant kind and yields the biggest penalties. And in response, Tennessee is ready to fight fire with fire.”

Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman has already begun fighting back against the NCAA, claiming some of the allegations put against her school are “untrue.” She believes the NCAA is failing due to its inability to establish clear rules for NIL.

“The NCAA enforcement staff’s intended processing of the proposed allegations is replete with legal and procedural defects, including unsettled and outstanding interpretive questions that require further attention and input from the NCAA membership, particularly given the novel nature of the issue and the gravity of such determinations,” Plowman wrote. “Further, some of the allegations are simply factually untrue.”

Multiple other investigations regarding NIL are happening across the country, particularly inside the southeast. Tennessee’s SEC rival Florida has a case on its hands, reportedly for the recruitment of quarterback Jaden Rashada. Florida State was on the receiving end of multiple penalties from the NCAA, including a three-game suspension of offensive coordinator Alex Atkins following two Level II violations.

Forde believes no major program out there is going to be scared of the NCAA moving forward. If there was ever a time to take a stand against them, it’s right now.

“I think everybody looks at the NCAA now and says ‘We’re not scared of you, and we’re going to fight back at anything you try to do to us. You’re lacking credibility, you’re lacking enforcement power, and so bring it on.’ And that’s very much looks to be Tennessee’s likely approach to this as thing unfold,” Forde said.