UT under potential NCAA investigation for NIL

[overseasorange2]

Best case scenario is this. NCAA realizes this won’t end well for them, backs off, and establishes some clear, well worded rules for NIL. Quick and nobody gets dragged through the mud. We will see though.

Regardless of how it ends, it will still put some doubt into potential recruits mind. And some scumbag coach will use it against us on the recruiting trail. So, some damage will probably be done whether we are innocent or not

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I think the issue is the NCAA's system has empowered a small number of schools in a small number of regions. It has reduced the fairness and parity of the sport.

The NCAA's rules favored the SEC and specifically schools like Alabama over other SEC programs to the point that a lot of fans, schools, and even entire states are just turned off by the NCAA now. I think they are seeing the blowback.

Popular opinion also tends to indicate the athletes should be paid. When you only have 4-5 teams competing for National Titles over the last decade, it is a problem for the sport and shows the NCAA is NOT working, especially when rivals of these opponents get investigated and these programs aren't touched.

(Tennessee isn't alone in the Alabama situation, LSU has been investigated a lot. Auburn has came up. Ole Miss was investigated once they started beating Alabama, etc.).

I just fear there's not a plan that can work in compensating athletes that doesn't lead to the courts calling them employees and professionals.

That will hurt a lot of athletes in non-revenue college sports. Carving out basketball and football won't work unless they separate from the school and other sports and even then it might not satisfy the court that colleges CAN field amateur teams.

I've still not seen a solution where schools paying players can result in anything but less college sports at less schools and something that looks like NFL/NBA/MLB-lite.

 

[turbovol]

Bingo. If you are a college football fan, of any program, you should be on our side.

I chuckle at all the people who apparently want to see the NCAA disappear. Yea, and who's going to set rules and boundaries for college sports? Or do you not want any boundaries or rules, which is the case now? Now, college sports is a bloody, chaotic mess--ask the coaches. Ask the ADs and conference commissioners who've been imploring Congress to get involved. Let's ask the fans and alums of the Pac12.

 

[DaddyChad]

I agree when it's on their timeline. However I think we're going to force it given the people behind UTs case. Can't drag your feet in federal court

This was known to be coming according to a lot of people. AP and Cain alluded to there was discussion about it in December and I’m sure administration knew about it even earlier. Tennessee has had ample time to get everything lined up and in order legally and I’m sure the conference has as well.

 

[I4Vols]

TN governor
TN Attorney General
Tom Mars
Donde Plowman and Danny White (who both just spent 2 years learning the ncaa methods)

I'll take our starting 5 vs the ncaa right now. We're also building a bench soon

I would like to agree 100%, but there is always the chance that your case in court features Judge Pat Adams...

 

[hog88]

Regardless of how it ends, it will still put some doubt into potential recruits mind. And some scumbag coach will use it against us on the recruiting trail. So, some damage will probably be done whether we are innocent or not

I actually believe it will be a benefit for us on the recruiting trail. "See, we're not going to take any NCAA BS and will protect your NIL rights".

 

[ButchPlz]

I actually believe it will be a benefit for us on the recruiting trail. "See, we're not going to take any NCAA BS and will protect your NIL rights".

Precisely. It's a shrewd move to run ahead of this and continually put the student-athlete first (in all the public releases).

 

[overseasorange2]

I actually believe it will be a benefit for us on the recruiting trail. "See, we're not going to take any NCAA BS and will protect your NIL rights".

Hope you are correct!

 

[JustinVol]

Guess we should have done it like Ole Miss and Ohio State. Seems legit.

 

[turbovol]

I just fear there's not a plan that can work in compensating athletes that doesn't lead to the courts calling them employees and professionals.

That will hurt a lot of athletes in non-revenue college sports. Carving out basketball and football won't work unless they separate from the school and other sports and even then it might not satisfy the court that colleges CAN field amateur teams.

I've still not seen a solution where schools paying players can result in anything but less college sports at less schools and something that looks like NFL/NBA/MLB-lite.

The courts won't call them professionals--but that's what they'll be if the courts/judges stupidly decide that they're "employees." I prefer to think of them as full-time college students getting a free education and other benefits in exchange for playing football, but apparently that's not enough. There is this myth that everybody associated with college football is getting rich but the players. The only people who ARE getting rich off college football are the coaches. Nobody else is. All the money is reinvested in the athletic departments and in non-revenue sports. So this notion that college football is a conventional business with the players as "employees" is, to me, utter nonsense.

 

[DaddyChad]

I chuckle at all the people who apparently want to see the NCAA disappear. Yea, and who's going to set rules and boundaries for college sports? Or do you not want any boundaries or rules, which is the case now? Now, college sports is a bloody, chaotic mess--ask the coaches. Ask the ADs and conference commissioners who've been imploring Congress to get involved. Let's ask the fans and alums of the Pac12.

I think everyone would like to see an organization that has clear boundaries, rules and does a good job of enforcing those rules fairly across the board. Sadly the ncaa has proven AMPLE times they are not that organization. NIL is in place due to the incompetence of the NCAA. This whole mess right now is due to the incompetence and sluggishness of implementing clear rules to govern NIL. You pretty already pointed out in your statement we basically have no rules now? The ncaa as an enforcement entity just isn’t viable versus any large powerful program.

 

[Tman44]

 

[Sara Clark]

 

[aRmo]

Regardless of how it ends, it will still put some doubt into potential recruits mind. And some scumbag coach will use it against us on the recruiting trail. So, some damage will probably be done whether we are innocent or not

we can also flip the narrative and say we were the only university that fought for athletes and NIL against the NCAA. Recruiting is a dirty business. Negatively recruiting is nothing new.

 

[GoodTimeVol]

I chuckle at all the people who apparently want to see the NCAA disappear. Yea, and who's going to set rules and boundaries for college sports? Or do you not want any boundaries or rules, which is the case now? Now, college sports is a bloody, chaotic mess--ask the coaches. Ask the ADs and conference commissioners who've been imploring Congress to get involved. Let's ask the fans and alums of the Pac12.

That is ncaa’s own fault don’t single out universities just to regain some sort of power and this would have never happened. You can’t enforce unfair rules after the fact and expect universities to bow down. So I don’t care how the governing body for ncaa athletics moves forward but the ncaa will not become crooked and act like they are in the right anymore, they deserve everything they get

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

I actually believe it will be a benefit for us on the recruiting trail. "See, we're not going to take any NCAA BS and will protect your NIL rights".

I am HOPING an added plus will be energized giving from an enraged fanbase to show the NCAA you don’t mess with us.

 

[volbound1700]

I just fear there's not a plan that can work in compensating athletes that doesn't lead to the courts calling them employees and professionals.

That will hurt a lot of athletes in non-revenue college sports. Carving out basketball and football won't work unless they separate from the school and other sports and even then it might not satisfy the court that colleges CAN field amateur teams.

I've still not seen a solution where schools paying players can result in anything but less college sports at less schools and something that looks like NFL/NBA/MLB-lite.

Interestingly, the highest paid NIL athlete is a Women's Gymnastic player player at LSU (Olivia Dunne). Granted, it has little to do with her actual ability to play but rather the fact she is a Youtube influencer with millions of followers.

I think NIL still doesn't bring enough parity. It opens the door for dormant programs with a lot of fans like Texas, Tennessee, Nebraska, Michigan, etc. None of those programs were relevant from 2010-2020 but now are coming back. Still doesn't help teams like Vandy, Indiana, Arkansas, etc.

I want an NCAA, I just don't want one that behaves like this one. The concept is there but rules need to be cleaned up. Steve Spurrier gave a great interview in the past about the problems of the NCAA. I think NCAA only needs to dial down on actual player payments/gifts and stop worrying about these little infractions like cookouts, flights, $ 300 payment for a crisis with a player, etc.

These nick-nack investigations/offenses is what got the NCAA in hot water and what the Supreme Court was hitting them about.

 

[utvolpj]

Once two strangers climbed ol' Rocky Top
Lookin' for a moonshine still
Strangers ain't come down from Rocky Top
Reckon they never will

Can't say you weren't warned ncaa

 

[Volbrando]

we need Greg Sankey to make a statement on our side... he's too quiet

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

So, you think nothing is going to happen to Michigan either? The NCAA can't afford to go to war if Michigan lawyers up?

All these folks calling for the demise of the NCAA are actually calling for the end of college athletics.

Do you REALLY think another amateur organization is going to replace the NCAA? Almost immediately, a new organization that tries to keep college sports as amateur sports is in the same sinking Antitrust Law boat the NCAA is in.

You guys are rooting for the end of college sports?

Nope just another governing body. College sportss deserves better than the corrupt cherry picking Ncaa. I am a college football fan forever, that doesn’t mean that the NCAA governing body doesn’t need to go. They are a bias group that practices selective enforcement and cannot be trusted. That has been firmly established. GBO

 

[Orange Maniac]

Interestingly, the highest paid NIL athlete is a Women's Gymnastic player player at LSU (Olivia Dunne). Granted, it has little to do with her actual ability to play but rather the fact she is a Youtube influencer with millions of followers.

I think NIL still doesn't bring enough parity. It opens the door for dormant programs with a lot of fans like Texas, Tennessee, Nebraska, Michigan, etc. None of those programs were relevant from 2010-2020 but now are coming back. Still doesn't help teams like Vandy, Indiana, Arkansas, etc.

I want an NCAA, I just don't want one that behaves like this one. The concept is there but rules need to be cleaned up. Steve Spurrier gave a great interview in the past about the problems of the NCAA. I think NCAA only needs to dial down on actual player payments/gifts and stop worrying about these little infractions like cookouts, flights, $ 300 payment for a crisis with a player, etc.

These nick-nack investigations/offenses is what got the NCAA in hot water and what the Supreme Court was hitting them about.

NIL isn't meant to bring parity to schools. In fact, it's not meant to bring anything to any school. It's for the individual athlete's right to make a living off of their name, image and likeness.

 

[SGidds]

If the only new allegations involve NIL .... Tennessee has a lot of ammunition to fight with. The worst possible scenario (and this won't happen) would involve Nico Iamaleava being ruled ineligible. Tennessee having to forfeit games he played in .... and Tennessee having to disassociate from Spyre Sports Group.

Even that would be extreme and is highly unlikely.

The NCAA's guidelines were too ambiguous at the time, and have been ever changing since. Both Spyre and Donde Plowman have publicly disputed claims of wrongdoing.

I think the worst case scenario is a post-season ban. The players aren’t sticking around for meangless games anymore, and they can transfer freely. If the NCAA says that Tennessee is ineligible for the college football playoff, not only will recruiting be next-to-impossible, but the roster will be decimated by the transfer portal.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

This was known to be coming according to a lot of people. AP and Cain alluded to there was discussion about it in December and I’m sure administration knew about it even earlier. Tennessee has had ample time to get everything lined up and in order legally and I’m sure the conference has as well.

Two State Attorney Generals don’t file a lawsuit overnight working together without already having prepared the suit way in advance.

They were lying in wait to pounce on NCAA.

Donde’s letter said we tried to meet with you in December and you would not meet with us so we are going on offense now.

 

[landscapingvol]

we need Greg Sankey to make a statement on our side... he's too quiet

He won't

 

[Exiled]

we need Greg Sankey to make a statement on our side... he's too quiet

I wouldn’t hold my breath for that. He has to wait for Saban to tell him what to say.