The NCAA is currently looking into Tennessee for suspected major violations related to…
The NCAA is currently looking into Tennessee for suspected major violations related to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) transactions across various sports, as confirmed by sources to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. In football, the focus of the investigation centers on quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who secured a groundbreaking contract with Spyre Sports Group, the primary collective for Tennessee and a member of The Collective Association, a trade association encompassing 30-plus collectives nationwide. TCA has been an advocate for a revenue-sharing model for athletes that does not necessitate their status as employees.
While Tennessee has not officially received a notice of allegations from the NCAA, it’s customary for the governing body to send a draft notice outlining the preliminary violations under investigation in certain cases.
According to ESPN, the NCAA enforcement staff might charge Tennessee with multiple Level I and Level II violations, less than a year after the program faced 18 high-level violations related to impermissible recruiting practices under former coach Jeremy Pruitt. With probation already in place due to the previous case, Tennessee could be labeled a “repeat violator,” potentially leading to enhanced penalties. However, the NCAA applies the repeat violator label only if a school lacks “exemplary cooperation.”
It’s noted that the NCAA has moved away from imposing postseason bans that affect current athletes and coaches unrelated to prior cases.
In response to the allegations, University of Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman wrote a letter to the NCAA, asserting that the allegations are factually untrue and procedurally flawed. Plowman emphasized that it is misleading for the NCAA enforcement staff to pursue infractions cases without acknowledging student-athletes’ NIL rights.
Tennessee is staunchly asserting its adherence to NIL policies, expressing confidence that it has followed all NCAA guidance in this regard.
Notably, Tennessee is not the sole high-profile program under scrutiny for NIL practices. The NCAA is also investigating Florida’s recruitment of former quarterback signee Jaden Rashada, and Florida State recently received severe NIL-related penalties, including two years of probation and temporary disassociations from a booster and a collective, following alleged impermissible contact between an assistant coach, a booster, and a transfer prospect.
