Former University of Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt has filed a $400m lawsuit against the NCAA, alleging a conspiracy with the university to make him a….Full details

From December 2017 until his termination in January 2021, Pruitt was the head coach at Tennessee. After an internal investigation revealed that he and his employees had violated recruiting laws, he was fired for cause. Over 200 specific infractions, including 18 Level I infractions—the most serious category—were eventually discovered by the NCAA to have been committed by Tennessee. A total of almost $60,000 in illegal perks, including cash payments to athletes and their families.

But according to Pruitt’s lawsuit, Tennessee has been acting in this way prior to his arrival. He says that after learning about these payments, he informed Phillip Fulmer, the athletic director at the time, who promised to take care of the problem. According to the lawsuit, the university purposefully kept these prior infractions from Pruitt in order to safeguard its interests.

The lawsuit accuses the NCAA of negligence, conspiracy, and bad faith, asserting that the association and Tennessee collaborated to scapegoat Pruitt. Pruitt’s attorneys argue that the NCAA’s investigation was biased and that the penalties imposed were unjust, particularly given the evolving landscape of college athletics regarding player compensation.

In response, the NCAA maintained that its rules are proposed and adopted by member schools, with penalties for violations determined by a committee of representatives from NCAA member schools and conferences, as well as individuals from the public with legal training.

Impact on Pruitt’s Career

As a result of the NCAA’s findings, Pruitt received a six-year show-cause penalty, effectively barring him from coaching in NCAA-affiliated programs during that period. Tennessee was placed on probation, forced to vacate wins, and subjected to a scholarship reduction. The university also faced a fine totaling nearly $9 million, believed to be the largest ever levied in an NCAA infractions case.

Since his dismissal, Pruitt has not returned to a college coaching position. He currently assists with coaching at Plainview High School in Alabama, his alma mater

Legal Proceedings and Future Outlook

Pruitt’s legal team contends that he will be given a fair and unbiased trial in the lawsuit, which is scheduled to be heard in DeKalb County, Alabama. They claim that Pruitt’s career and reputation have suffered greatly as a result of Tennessee’s and the NCAA’s actions. The case’s verdict may have wider ramifications for the NCAA’s enforcement and sanctions policies regarding recruiting infractions.