Recruiting Forum Football Talk VI

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#83,828
#83,828
KptVFL said:
Lol!

Here's ya a lil snippet!

12 text messages in Tennessee NCAA recruiting scandal that buried Jeremy Pruitt, staff
What did Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee do to receive punishment in an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations? Knox News obtained text messages that reveal scope of the malfeasance.
Adam Sparks
Knoxville News Sentinel





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  • Knox News obtained approximately 6,000 text messages via an open records request that reveal the scope of Tennessee's NCAA investigation into recruiting violations.
  • The text messages show how Vols staffers such as Shelton Felton, Bethany Gunn and Brian Niedermeyer shuttled recruits around on impermissible visits during COVID dead period and paid for everything.
  • The text messages are a smoking gun for Jeremy Pruitt's knowledge of the NCAA violations, with staff members deferring and relaying decisions on some extra benefits to him, according to the records.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story contains explicit language that might not be suitable for all readers. Knox News, after reviewing approximately 6,000 text messages obtained through an open records request, has decided to publish all correspondence in its original state to detail the scope of major NCAA recruiting violations committed by Jeremy Pruitt and some of his Tennessee football staff members in 2020. The violations led to a yearslong NCAA investigation and several for-cause firings, including Pruitt.

Tennessee football staff members under Jeremy Pruitt talked about cheating in brazen and sometimes profane ways, their text messages reveal. And they show that Pruitt was in the loop.
Knox News obtained those text messages through an open records request, and they show the extensive effort university leaders took independent of the NCAA to uncover the scope of the violations.

The messages show what investigators uncovered in a yearslong probe into major recruiting violations committed under Pruitt’s watch from 2018 to early 2021, and why the NCAA committee on infractions levied harsh penalties on Pruitt and his staff.
Pruitt received a six-year show-cause penalty. That means a university cannot hire a coach or recruiter without being subjected to penalties during the length of the ban unless the NCAA signs off.

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Show-cause penalties also were given to assistant coaches Derrick Ansley (two years), Brian Niedermeyer (five) and Shelton Felton (four); recruiting director Bethany Gunn (five) and assistant director Chantryce Boone (10); director of player personnel Drew Hughes (four); and student assistant Michael Magness (three).
Pruitt's wife, Casey Pruitt, did not receive a penalty for her part in the violations. She previously worked in NCAA compliance jobs at three other schools.

The NCAA discovered serious violations through various means. One of the best sources was an investigation by an independent law firm hired by the university. The law firm conducted more than 120 interviews of UT football coaches and staff, players, recruits and their families, high school coaches and other individuals, and turned over the results to the NCAA.
Phone calls, emails, financial records, travel records, video footage and other evidence were also examined.But text messages from the individuals involved provide the most colorful account of the malfeasance.

Knox News reviewed approximately 6,000 text messages from Pruitt’s staff. They were gathered from seven cell phones, including university-issued phones and personal phones volunteered by cooperating members of the recruiting staff as part of the investigation that was ordered by Chancellor Donde Plowman.
The text messages show that UT staff members knew what they were doing was wrong and they knew it needed to be hidden.

Here are 12 of the most eye-opening texts.
Exclusive coverage: Tennessee, Jeremy Pruitt learn NCAA penalties
‘I told (Pruitt) you had it all set up’
Pruitt told UT investigators that he was “shocked” that members of his staff paid for impermissible recruiting visits, according to UT’s internal investigation report obtained by Knox News through an open records request.
But text messages suggest Pruitt was kept in the loop.

On Aug. 15, 2020, Pruitt was implicated in a text exchange between Felton and Gunn about a recruit’s impermissible visit.
It was during the COVID dead period, when the NCAA did not allow coaches to have in-person contact with recruits or host them on campus visits.
“Pruitt about to call you,” Felton said to Gunn in a text message. “I told him you had it all set up.”

Felton was referring to paying for accommodations and entertainment for a recruit on a visit.
Later that day, Gunn text Felton: "Coaxh [sic] is up to speed."
‘We trying to do some epic ****’
On Oct. 27, 2020, in the final days of the recruiting scandal, Pruitt’s coaches showed their hand.
Felton warned UT quality control coach Larry Harold not to send some unspecified information to his university-issued phone.
“Hey don’t text stuff like that to school phone,” Felton said.

Harold replied to the same phone number, presumably Felton’s work phone, with an acknowledgement of why Felton would make that request.
“Ain’t nothing we discuss need to be on that work phone. We trying to do some epic ****! Keep it street man,” Harold said to Felton.
The next day, Felton asked Harold to come see him in person. Felton then said “All about the Benjamins” in a text message with no context.

The NCAA found that almost $60,000 of cash or gifts were provided to UT recruits, players and their families by Pruitt, his wife and numerous coaches, recruiting staff and at least one booster.
Shortly before UT hired Harold in September 2020, he was a Kentucky State assistant coach with connections to prized recruits. He told investigators that “Benjamins” and other text messages referencing numbers were about a recruit seeking a large sum of money in exchange for signing with UT.

Harold appeared to be acting as a negotiator. But Harold and Felton denied that UT offered to pay the money.
The NCAA did not include that allegation in its report because of a lack of corroborating evidence. Harold volunteered access to his personal phone, but he had deleted all communication with the recruit.
But the text messages about money, recruits and keeping information off work phones didn’t help their defense of other wrongdoing.
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You wouldn’t by any chance have that in dot matrix as well would you?
 
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#83,831
#83,831
Been off the board for a while. Getting really excited about next year coupled with no bowl bans.

What’s the scoop on our recruiting over the past 2 months or so?
 
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#83,836
#83,836
All the Athens police, were they not in Kirby's pocket (racketeering), would have to do is to test reckless drivers for alcohol and drugs, as is the norm in a lot of places. Instead of deliberately not testing them, and then the DA reducing the charge to speeding. This is not a little ole lady driving 40 in a 35 trying to make her hairdresser's appointment, although the Athens media makes it sound like it is. These are not speeding tickets.
 
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#83,837
#83,837
BigSteve09 said:
Exemplary cooperation
The violations in this case came to light when an athletics department staff member informed the office of the chancellor about a conversation the staff member overheard in the football program about student-athletes being "paid." The school immediately retained outside counsel and began an investigation. Within three weeks, the school confiscated cellphones of several staff members, preserving critical phone and text records that supported violations. The former director of compliance also visited local hotels, restaurants and other businesses to obtain receipts and surveillance footage, and then personally reviewed that footage.

The school notified NCAA enforcement staff of the need for further inquiry and imposed significant corrective measures just a few months into its investigation, including terminating several coaches and staff involved in the violations and implementing scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions.

"Under the strong leadership of its chancellor, Tennessee acted swiftly, thoroughly and decisively," the panel said in its decision.

During the hearing, the enforcement staff stated that the fully formed record in this case would not have been possible without Tennessee's significant efforts to secure and develop information.

"Tennessee's cooperation throughout the investigation and processing of this case was exemplary by any measure," the panel said. "Although this case involved egregious conduct, (Tennessee's) response to that conduct is the model all institutions should strive to follow."
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"Therefore, we feel the need to punish them further."

Forking stupid.
 
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#83,841
#83,841
I honestly don't see how some of you are upset with this outcome. By our own admission we committed hundreds of violations, including some of the highest order, and we're walking away with losing 2 scholarships a year for 5 years and some recruiting restrictions. From a perception standpoint alone, UT was never walking away from hundreds of violations with not so much as a smack. The NCAA had to do something, especially when there's no doubt that we were guilty. But we're getting a manageable penalty and a public pat on the back for cleaning up our mess the right way. Rival fans are pissed while others are upset because they know that their school would've been nailed to the wall for the same (so would we a few years ago). That's all a win.
 
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#83,842
#83,842
EdEcEko77 said:
AP with a post about how kids these days are all about misdirection and how no one can ever really know anything anymore seems like an odd post to make for someone trying to convince people to subscribe to get your info. 🫤
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May be true but seems like cope tbh. Our dudes don't seem very plugged in at all this cycle and have been scooped by national guys or other teams beat guys a couple of times.
 
#83,844
#83,844
Just want to admit something here about Donde Plowman, and the UTAD. Ive never been a fan of either Plowman or Boydo. First im happy it wasnt my decision to fire Cornbread with cause and not pay his buyout. Second, their insanely long, costly investigation paid off? I think, this feels like winning.

Well done to you both.
 
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#83,845
#83,845
Jackcrevol said:
Just want to admit something here about Donde Plowman, and the UTAD. Ive never been a fan of either Plowman or Boydo. First im happy it wasnt my decision to fire Cornbread with cause and not pay his buyout. Second, their insanely long, costly investigation paid off? I think, this feels like winning.

Well done to you both.
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Wow. Well done.
 
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#83,847
#83,847
Jackcrevol said:
Just want to admit something here about Donde Plowman, and the UTAD. Ive never been a fan of either Plowman or Boydo. First im happy it wasnt my decision to fire Cornbread with cause and not pay his buyout. Second, their insanely long, costly investigation paid off? I think, this feels like winning.

Well done to you both.
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Been a fan since she took charge of this mess. No reason otherwise since she appears to be a liberal commie like you. But she does right by the program, so allowances can be made.
 
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#83,848
#83,848
Jackcrevol said:
Just want to admit something here about Donde Plowman, and the UTAD. Ive never been a fan of either Plowman or Boydo. First im happy it wasnt my decision to fire Cornbread with cause and not pay his buyout. Second, their insanely long, costly investigation paid off? I think, this feels like winning.

Well done to you both.
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No doubt a win!
 
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#83,850
#83,850
butchna said:
Been a fan since she took charge of this mess. No reason otherwise since she appears to be a liberal commie like you. But she does right by the program, so allowances can be made.
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I figured she was sewn on like the caterpillar to Randy Boyd's hind quarters, who's sewn to the head of Haslam.
 
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