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Tennessee football NCAA probe looks serious. Here’s what’s been reported

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt walks down the sideline during a game between Tennessee and Missouri at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020.100320 Tenn Mo Jpg
Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt walks down the sideline during a game between Tennessee and Missouri at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020.100320 Tenn Mo Jpg /

Wrap-up

So looking at what everybody has been reporting on Tennessee football, let’s see what all adds up. Using three credible sources, we are looking at an investigation that involves players and coaches. Here’s a combination of everything that has been reported and what we know:

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  • UT’s compliance department and the NCAA are investigating the Vols.
  • The university has lawyered up and is working with attorneys Kyle Skillman and Michael Glazier with Bond, Schoeneck & King.
  • The Vols are on a freeze, unable to hire coaches to fill vacancies or extend contracts.
  • Eric Gray has been accused of receiving improper benefits.
  • Eric Gray and Brian Maurer missed Saturday’s game against the Texas A&M Aggies.
  • Jeremy Pruitt refused to provide details as to why Gray missed Saturday’s game.
  • Assistant coaches Derrick Ansley and Jay Graham also missed the game against Texas A&M.
  • Brian Niedermeyer has been interviewed on the matter along with other players, coaches and support staff members.
  • 2021 recruit Amarius Mims, who committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, is reportedly part of the inquiry.
  • One source says it’s common knowledge the Vols have been cheating, that they would hand out cash payments to players and that some coaches will be fired with cause.

All of this is a bad look for the Vols. We don’t know how real any of it is, but it has to be serious. Pruitt didn’t do himself any favors when addressing the incident in the postgame press conference. Here’s what he said.

"“I hadn’t seen no article or anything like that. Any time in college football or college athletics, you have typical compliance stuff. That is all I know.”"

Obviously, that’s incredibly vague. What does it all mean? Well, what we know for sure is that Tennessee football as a program is in a disastrous state following Pruitt’s third season on the job. We don’t know how it will all end, though.

dark. Next. Five takeaways from Vols' 34-13 loss to Aggies

Insiders are very skeptical of Pruitt keeping his job after all this. Chris Low said on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville that it will be difficult for Pruitt to remain UT’s head coach. Paul Finebaum said on WJOX FM in Birmingham that all signs point to him being fired.

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