It looks like an $8 million fine and some recruiting restrictions weren’t the last punishments handed down to the Tennessee Volunteers in the fallout of the recruiting scandal involving former head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
According to ESPN’s Chris Low, Tennessee school officials have announced that they must vacate all wins from their 2019 and 2020 seasons under Pruitt. As a result, their records will be adjusted to 0-5 in 2019 and 0-7 in 2020.
The NCAA found that 16 players were ineligible for those seasons as a result of recruiting violations. However, ESPN reports that a number of the players who were deemed ineligible were able to regain eligibility by cooperating with the NCAA in its investigation of Tennessee.
As for Pruitt, he has been given a six-year show-cause, will not receive any of his $12.6 million buyout, and declined comment with ESPN. His record with the Vols is now adjusted to 5-19 over three seasons.
Tennessee must vacate these wins as a penalty for the NCAA recruiting violations under Jeremy Pruitt because ineligible players played in the games. https://t.co/gzdL8N0GQ4
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) July 15, 2023
Tennessee managed to avoid a bowl ban by cooperating with the NCAA over the course of the investigation. With over 200 violations found over the course of the investigation, they certainly could have faced significantly worse punishments than a fine and vacated wins from inconsequential seasons.