The NCAA has launched a new inquiry, this time focusing on Name, Image, and Likeness, which might result in more penalties for the Tennessee Volunteers.
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The Tennessee Volunteer football program has been hit with sanctions from the NCAA for more than 200 infractions during the recruiting process, and these penalties are not even a year old.
As to the reports by Pat Forde of SI.com, the NCAA has initiated a fresh probe into the Volunteers, which focuses on Name, Image, and Likeness. This could result in additional fines for the team.
According to Forde’s investigation, the NCAA turned down a request for comment on the matter, and aside from the connection to NIL, the alleged infractions remain incredibly ambiguous. With their current starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a former five-star quarterback who reportedly inked a deal that may pay him up to $8 million over his stay at Tennessee, Tennessee has struck perhaps the most notable NIL agreement to date.
According to these allegations, the NCAA has launched three investigations into NIL recruiting since the year’s beginning: Florida State, Florida, and now Tennessee.
Additionally, in a statement to SI, the NCAA declined to comment. Associate director of communications Meghan Durham Wright stated, “With rare exceptions, the NCAA does not comment on current, pending, or potential investigations due to confidentiality rules put in place by member schools.” According to a source with knowledge of the investigation, Tennessee does not think it has broken any NIL laws, SI is told. The NCAA’s changing guidelines in that area was described by the source as “vague and contradictory.” – Pat Forde regarding the Tennessee probe.
