The leading topic on Friday’s The Paul Finebaum Show was Tennessee’s Notice of Allegations from the NCAA. The Vols are facing allegations of 18 Level I violations from the Jeremy Pruitt era.

Finebaum noted that Tennessee’s situation feels much different from Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze. The SEC Network host shared his thoughts that Tennessee’s NOA is getting less attention because of the “thin line between what’s legal and what’s not.”

The NCAA found Tennessee provided about $60,000 in impermissible benefits (cash, gifts, etc) to various players. In the age of NIL compensation, $60,000 is a relatively small amount. The alleged payments, of course, occurred before the NCAA allowed for players to be compensated legally through NIL deals.

“I don’t think Tennessee’s going to be shut down over this,” Finebaum said. “I’m not really sure they’re going to be hit that hard, the reason being that they jumped on it.”

Finebaum praised the actions of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman. Finebaum said the ordeal reflects poorly on Phillip Fulmer, who stepped down to retire in January 2021.

Finebaum finished his thoughts by looking back on Fulmer’s time as AD and the hiring of Pruitt.

“This reflects more on Phillip Fulmer than really anyone else,” Finebaum said. “I was in favor of him returning as athletic director, I thought that was a great return, a historical move for a university. I felt like Fulmer was going to bring everyone together. Instead, he turned out to have made one of the worst coaching decisions any athletic director has ever made.”