Another week is through, and the countdown to college football returning is down to 43 days. After a relatively quiet week, there has been a considerable amount of news coming out over the last 24 hours regarding multiple major stories in college athletics.
The biggest story is the penalties the University of Tennessee’s football program has received for what the NCAA has called “hundreds of violations” over a three-year stretch. The NCAA released its findings and penalties on Friday morning.
During the NCAA’s investigation of the Volunteers’ football program, they found that the program committed 17 Level I violations “encompassing more than 200 individual infractions – most of which involve recruiting rule violations and direct payments to prospects, current student-athletes, and their families.”
Here are some of the notable penalties that the Volunteers received from the NCAA;
- Five-years of probation
- $8 million fine
- A reduction in scholarships by a total of 28 during the term of probation (at least two per year)
- Tennessee will not be allowed to purchase advertising for postseason football telecasts “in which it is a participant.
Additionally, former head coach Jeremy Pruitt, in which all the violations occurred under has a six-year show-cause order. If a school hires him within those six years, he will be suspended for one year. Pruitt is currently an assistant coach in the NFL for the New York Giants.
Check out the rest of our top college stories, including Northwestern naming an interim head football coach, the Bobby Dodd Preseason Watchlist, and more from the College Wires.