The Tennessee Volunteers and their athletic department are under fire and facing a major NCAA investigation.
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SI.com's Pat Forde reported on Tuesday, January 30 that the Volunteers are under NCAA investigation for potentially "major" NIL violations across multiple sports. While there are few details, including which sports programs are under investigation, the Volunteers did confirm to SI.com that there was an investigation, but declined to provide any additional comment.
"With rare exceptions, the NCAA does not comment on current, pending or potential investigations due to confidentiality rules put in place by member schools," associate director of communications Meghan Durham Wright told SI.com.
This investigation is coming off the heels of an NCAA investigation surrounding Tennessee's football program that included hundreds of violations under previous Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt. The punishments from that investigation included an $8 million fine, probation, vacated wins, and scholarship reductions.
Pruitt admitted to many of the violations from the previous investigation, even citing George Floyd as the reason he committed so many acts considered illegal by the NCAA.
While there has been minimal oversight over the new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules that allow players to be compensated by companies, the NCAA appears to be attempting to find ways to crack down on payments. Schools like Tennessee, alongside boosters and alumni, have started NIL collectives in an effort to pair their athletes with players in order to make sure that they get paid.
Tennessee's own NIL collective, the Volunteer club, has claimed to have more than 4,000 members who have helped raise money and connect student athletes with private companies for NIL opportunities.
While it's unclear how severe the violations are, or what kind of punishment the Volunteers could be facing, Tennessee is likely far from the last program to be under NCAA investigation for potential NIL violations over the coming seasons, and schools attempt to keep attracting the top student athletes in the country to their respective schools.
