Tennessee Attorney General Threatened To Sue The NCAA If They Gave Vols Football Program A Bowl Ban
The University of Tennessee was facing tough penalties when it came to the NCAA investigation into Jeremy Pruitt and the football program. One of those penalties could've been a postseason bowl ban, but the Tennessee Attorney General had his own plan when it came to navigating penalties.
In a move that will likely have ramifications down the road if other states were paying attention to Tennessee's negotiations with the NCAA, attorney general Jonathan Skrmetti decided to step in. During the process of determining what the punishment for the Vols football program should've been, a bowl ban was not on the table in the eyes of Tennessee.
If the school had notice or felt the NCAA was going this route, a letter from the Attorney General was sure to make the once powerful governing body think twice.
In a letter obtained by OutKick through a public records request, the Tennessee attorney general wrote the NCAA that legal action would be taken if a bowl ban was on the table.
"It is also my understanding that the NCAA is considering imposing a postseason exclusionary penalty—a “bowl ban”—on the entire UT football team for an upcoming season or seasons," Tennessee's Attorney General noted. "Tennessee law prohibits the NCAA from imposing such a sanction and I will not hesitate to vindicate the rights of UT students to enjoy the full measure of their intercollegiate athletic opportunities.
"NCAA rules cannot supersede Tennessee law."
Tennessee's Attorney General wrote a letter to the NCAA stating he would sue them if Tennessee received a bowl ban as part of punishment.
Tennessee's Attorney General wrote a letter to the NCAA stating he would sue them if Tennessee received a bowl ban as part of punishment.
What Does This Mean For The NCAA, Other States
The NCAA now finds itself looking like a fraction of its former self. Long gone are the days of punishing athletes for violations they were not a part of. This also sets a precedent when it comes to Name, Image, Likeness, for which the Attorney General mentioned that the NCAA would be taking away a player's right to earn money if they couldn't participate in postseason play.
"Prohibiting all student-athletes on the UT football team from participating in bowl games interferes with athletes' ability to earn compensation and to participate in intercollegiate athletic events and thereby violates Tennessee law," the Attorney General wrote.
Tennessee's AG pretty much stripped the NCAA of its power when it came to imposing a bowl ban, knowing they'd be in court for the next few years. We now know the school and the NCAA came up with a way to work around the bowl ban, fining the school $8 million, which would cover the payouts of two future bowl games.
At the end of the day, Tennessee gambled on playing ball with the NCAA and won.