Tennessee self-reports multiple recruiting violations to NCAA

The University of Tennessee self-reported several minor recruiting violations that involved its football and women’s basketball team, according to Knoxville television station WATE-TV.

One violation involving the football team related to a paintball game on campus involving several recruits. Since parts of the game’s setup were provided by a company outside the program, it was considered a “special addition” by the NCAA and therefore a violation.

“Some of the university’s imposed sanctions were barring the involved staff member from on-campus recruiting for 30 days, the football program forfeited their three remaining 2019 spring evaluation days, and the football staff was advised that similar future violations may result in potential head coach suspension,” WATE reports, with the SEC limiting the staff’s contact with the recruits in question to “no more than two additional off-campus contacts”.

A 2nd violation involved a meal away from campus during an unofficial visit that several staff members went to with recruits, with those staff members receiving a 2-week recruiting ban.

Finally, 2 violations were reported from the women’s basketball team.

“The coach believed they were returning the call of an AAU coach. However, the missed call was found to be from the daughter of the coach. The daughter is considered an underaged recruit,” according to WATE.

As a result, the coach in question was hit with a 2-week recruiting ban that also prohibited him/her from calling or texting recruits, with the SEC adding an extra week. A minor social media violation was also self-reported and resulted in a re-training course for the staff involved.