ESPN REPORT: Sad news for the Tennessee Volunteer as two players were suspended from the team as……
As part of the NCAA’s penalties for recruiting infractions, Tennessee’s football program must forfeit all 11 wins from the 2019 and 2020 seasons under former coach Jeremy Pruitt, according to school officials who spoke with ESPN on Saturday.
While Tennessee was spared a playoff ban, it was imposed a $8 million fine by the NCAA—possibly the highest amount ever assessed in an NCAA infractions case—and given a five-year probationary period during which 28 scholarships will be completely removed. Following Pruitt’s three seasons at Tennessee from 2018 to 2020, the NCAA determined that 16 players were ineligible to play in the 2019 and 2020 games due to their involvement in more than 200 infractions. The official website for Tennessee The Vols finished 0-5 in 2019 and 0-7 in 2020, and Pruitt’s final record at Tennessee will be 5-19. The record book will be updated to reflect these changes.
The Vols had a record of 0–5 in 2019 and 0–7 in 2020. Pruitt will leave Tennessee with a 5–19 record. These modifications will be reflected in the record book.
With Tennessee’s “exemplary cooperation” following the initial reporting of the breaches, however, a postseason ban was eliminated from the list of possible sanctions. As for this particular case, Norton stated that the committee believed that the “punishment fits the crime.”
The NCAA imposed sanctions on Friday that included show-cause orders for Pruitt and three other former staff members, including Derrick Ansley, the former defensive coordinator.
Ansley responded to the NCAA notice of charges, claiming that the recruiting infractions were “caused and overseen by” Pruitt and other staff members. Ansley’s attorney, Gregg E. Clifton, submitted the response on Ansley’s behalf. This was reported by the Knoxville News-Sentinel on Saturday. Ansley was given a two-year show-cause suspension; he is currently the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Mr. Ansley holds this position.”In documents dated November 21, 2022, Clifton stated, “that his name has been improperly joined with these other Tennessee football program employees who were violators of the NCAA Bylaws and the COVID shutdown rules.”
