NCAA credits Tennessee for 'exemplary cooperation' in investigation into football program

In announcing its penalties for the Tennessee football program on Friday, the NCAA praised the University of Tennessee for being a “model all institutions should strive to follow” after its full cooperation in the investigation.

After receiving a tip regarding recruiting violations taking place under former head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff, Tennessee initiated its own investigation and later overturned its findings to the NCAA.

“The violations in this case came to light when an athletics department staff member informed the office of the chancellor about a conversation the staff member overheard in the football program about student-athletes being ‘paid,’” the NCAA reported on Friday afternoon. 

“The school immediately retained outside counsel and began an investigation. Within three weeks, the school confiscated cellphones of several staff members, preserving critical phone and text records that supported violations. The former director of compliance also visited local hotels, restaurants and other businesses to obtain receipts and surveillance footage, and then personally reviewed that footage. 

“The school notified NCAA enforcement staff of the need for further inquiry,” the NCAA’s report continued, “and imposed significant corrective measures just a few months into its investigation, including terminating several coaches and staff involved in the violations and implementing scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions.”

Vols initiated their own investigation after receiving tip regarding recruiting violations

The total punishment the 18 Level I infractions committed by Pruitt and his staff, including what the NCAA said was more than 200 individual infractions, was an $8 million fine, five years of probation, a reduction of 28 scholarships and recruiting limitations during the probation period.

Pruitt received a six-year show-cause from the NCAA. There was also is a five-year show-cause order for former director of recruiting Bethany Gunn, a 10-year show-cause for former assistant director of recruiting Chantryce Boone and a two-year show-cause for former defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley.

After receiving its letter of allegations from the NCAA in July 2022, Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman in a statement stressed the importance of the University cooperating fully from the beginning.

“In every step of this process, we took quick and decisive actions that exemplified the longstanding values of the NCAA reiterated in the membership’s new constitution,” Plowman said last summer. “The university hired outside counsel to fully investigate allegations about the football program, acted promptly to terminate the employment of football coaches and staff members, and shared our conclusions with the NCAA enforcement staff.”

Tennessee’s response to violations was ‘the model all institutions should strive to follow’

The NCAA on Friday described Tennessee actions as “exemplary cooperation.”

“Under the strong leadership of its chancellor, Tennessee acted swiftly, thoroughly and decisively,” the NCAA panel said in its decision.

During the hearing in front of the Committee on Infractions in April, the enforcement staff noted “the fully formed record in this case would not have been possible without Tennessee’s significant efforts to secure and develop information.” 

“Tennessee’s cooperation throughout the investigation and processing of this case was exemplary by any measure,” the panel said. “Although this case involved egregious conduct, (Tennessee’s) response to that conduct is the model all institutions should strive to follow.”