The NCAA Committee on Infractions found Tennessee’s program guilty of over 200 individual infractions, including 18 Level I infractions. Despite this, Tennessee was spared a bowl ban. Along with numerous other penalties, the university will also be subject to probation, vacated wins, scholarship reductions, and a six-year show cause order for former coach Jeremy Pruitt.

Instead of a bowl ban, the football program will pay a $8 million fine, be placed on five years of probation, and have its operations subject to an annual independent compliance review. A $5,000 legal fine, three percent of the football budget, and an additional fine to recover funds earned while the program was disqualified for the 2020 Gator Bowl will also be imposed. According to ESPN, the program must also forfeit 11 victories from the 2019–20 campaign.

The fines levied were significantly higher than what the NCAA had previously levied. To counterbalance the imposition of bowl bans that would have affected players and staff who were not involved in the infractions, the NCAA addressed the increased fines.

The NCAA panel described its decision as the result of “a challenging set of circumstances related to prescribing penalties in this case.” “The panel urges the Infractions Process Committee and the membership to clearly define its philosophy regarding penalties — which extends beyond postseason bans — and memorialize that philosophy in an updated set of penalty guidelines.”

Following the decision and the Vols avoiding any kind of postseason punishment, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel was naturally happy to see that the program was spared a bowl ban.

Heupel told ESPN, “You don’t know what it’s actually going to be until today.” It’s critical that both our current players and upcoming players are safeguarded. I’m ecstatic about the result.”

Pruitt or his wife paid two athletes directly who subsequently enrolled at Tennessee. At least twenty-five times, a player’s family received $7,600 to cover down payments on a car and rental property in addition to $500 monthly car payments. The mother of one of the players informed Pruitt that her current medical debt prevented her from affording a necessary medical procedure. Pruitt gave her $3,000 to cover her medical expenses and an additional $300 to help with gas expenses.

During their ineligibility, the two players played in 25 and 23 games, respectively, including the aforementioned Gator Bowl. In the end, all games from that era will be eliminated.

Furthermore, Tennessee recruited 29 players over the course of two seasons by engaging in a scheme to circumvent unofficial visit regulations. Cash payments for meals and hotel accommodations were made by the former director of recruitment in collaboration with a lead recruiter. Six athletes were also scheduled to visit the campus during the COVID-19 dead period by the staff.

Over a five-year period, Tennessee will forfeit 28 scholarships, with at least two being forfeited each year. Due to self-imposed sanctions, the program cut scholarships by 16 during the first two seasons; as a result, head coach Josh Heupel and his staff will only be short 12 scholarships overall over the following three seasons.
Among the group, Pruitt’s six-year show cause is the most significant; however, it is not the only penalty. At the time, the assistant director of recruiting and the director of recruiting received 10-year and five-year show-causes, respectively. There is a two-year show cause period for a former assistant coach.

Pruitt will be suspended for the duration of his first season at a new job if he is hired within the six-year show-cause window. Pruitt was briefly considered for the position of defensive coordinator at Alabama, but Kevin Steele, a former assistant to Nick Saban, ultimately won out.
During the probationary period, Tennessee will forfeit 36 official visits, with a minimum of four per season. Ten regular season games, including four SEC contests, will have to be chosen by the Vols, during which they will not be able to host official visits. Over the next five years, there will be a 40-week reduction in unofficial visits, and the staff will miss a total of 28 weeks of in-person evaluations and recruitment communications. Tennessee has already self-imposed a number of fines to make up for this.

The university avoided additional fines despite the startling quantity of infractions, according to the NCAA, which cited “exemplary cooperation” as the reason. The NCAA panel also acknowledged Tennessee’s self-imposed sanctions, which will be deducted from their final score.

Pruitt’s tenure as Tennessee’s coach came to an end in January 2021 following three underwhelming seasons. The university rejected a nearly $13 million buyout offer and fired him for cause. Drew Hughes and Michael Magness, two support staff members, were also let go, as were assistants Shelton Felton and Brian Niedermeyer. A partial settlement was previously negotiated with the NCAA by the four stakeholders who are not affiliated with Pruitt.

Although no lawsuit has been filed, Pruitt’s attorney threatened to sue Tennessee over the buyout in October 2021. Interestingly, the fines and legal fees incurred by the Volunteers will most likely be much higher than the buyout price.

The 2021 season was spent by the former national championship-winning assistant with the New York Giants as a senior defensive assistant. Currently, Niedermeyer and Felton are high school coaches at IMG Academy and Valdosta (Georgia) High School, respectively. Magness is no longer involved in collegiate athletics, and Hughes is employed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as their player personnel coordinator.