What is happening with the investigation?

[BanditVol]

Records show the University of Tennessee has spent $1.5 million in legal fees on an NCAA investigation into the football program that’s spanned more than two years, and there’s still no resolution.

The coaches and players involved are out of the program, including fired coach Jeremy Pruitt. UT has played two successful football seasons under coach Josh Heupel since the case began. And fans have almost forgotten that the case is unresolved. The Vols have mostly moved on.

But the case still lingers, and it's not clear when it will end. Documents provided to Knox News show how much UT has spent on the NCAA probe. But that’s just one facet of the exhaustive case. Here are some of the new details on the case, why it has stalled and what could happen next.
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/spor...ncaa-investigation-jeremy-pruitt/69880054007/

The only parties actually happy about this are the attorneys. That's some serious cheese.

 

[onevol74]

Crickets

 

[1 in 102 455]

The only parties actually happy about this are the attorneys. That's some serious cheese.

Seriously though. I get that these attorneys are at the top of their game, but at that cost point, I and another attorney in my office could have it as our sole case we worked on, and you know this firm isn’t dedicated solely to this matter. Crazy. The university is probably overpaying, but I suppose when the stakes are high, it’s worth the premium to know you’re doing all you can do.

 

[SpookyAction]

The SEC (emphasis on Conference) has little incentive to give in to more penalties against UT.
Heupel's UT rebuild made us a Conference commodity worth defending for the sake of money and National Prominence.
We were fighting the dragon alone, now the Conference power structure has our back. We became a good bet, and a program whose health is a good financial investment for the league.
Viewers like watching our offense on TV now. Ratings are the main measure of Conference financial leverage.

It is good for the league and vital to our stance in the penalty phase of this investigation for UT to continue winning.

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

If they're fighting it this hard, it sounds like some severe penalties the NCAA wants to tack on. Didn't LSU have something similar with their basketball program a while back? I don't recall them really fighting it or the NCAA even doing anything...

 

[mudhen]

Tell me, what is stopping the SEC from telling the NCAA to go f@#* themselves?

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Tell me, what is stopping the SEC from telling the NCAA to go f@#* themselves?

Because regardless of what some here on VN want to think, the NCAA is still the ruling body of collegiate sports.

 

[SpookyAction]

The NCAA is leveraging for its continued position as the overseers.
They will fight to the last for their positions and ultra-cushy jobs.
If they decide UT has to be crushed in order to maintain their authority, it will be set in motion.
All revolutions begin with one person saying No and it catching on with others willing to fight to protect their own interests against the higher power.

 

[Revengevol]

UT laid 99.9% of the blame at Pruitt's feet in an effort to avoid the whole lack of institutional control thing.

So my best guess is the lawyers and 'AA officials are negotiating the penalties, which is why we haven't heard another word since that tidbit was released at the beginning of the season.

I bet UT is willing to pay fines and maybe enact some very light recruiting restrictions and that be that, while the 'AA wants there to be a little more severe punishment based on how many Level 1's there were, such as scholarship reductions.

JMO

The length time it takes to resolve the case is part of the punishment. The longer it drags out the more uncertainty around the program, therefore the more problems.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

The length time it takes to resolve the case is part of the punishment. The longer it drags out the more uncertainty around the program, therefore the more problems.

Doesn’t seem to be causing us any problems.

 

[Revengevol]

Doesn’t seem to be causing us any problems.

Have we won anything yet. SEC or NCAA championship or the East for that matter? That’s a problem.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Have we won anything yet. SEC or NCAA championship or the East for that matter? That’s a problem.

What does any of that have to do with the investigation? It didn’t stop us from beating Bama. It didn’t stop us from having the #1 scoring offense and beating Clemson on the orange bowl. Hasn’t hurt us in recruiting either.

So what’s your point?

 

[Mccage]

What does any of that have to do with the investigation? It didn’t stop us from beating Bama. It didn’t stop us from having the #1 scoring offense and beating Clemson on the orange bowl. Hasn’t hurt us in recruiting either.

So what’s your point?

He thought he had a neg opportunity.

 

[Revengevol]

I

He thought he had a neg opportunity.

If you don’t think drawing out a NCAA investigation for years and years and years doesn’t have a negative affect on a program then I don’t know what to tell you. We had a great year. Coach did a great job. The affect may not be felt for a year or two. Didn’t we restrict our recruiting by decreasing scholarships?