The University of Tennessee is facing an NCAA investigation for potential violations related to name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules. This investigation is significant as the university had previously been charged with 18 Level I violations and fined $8 million in the summer of 2023. The current investigation focuses on potential Level 1 and Level 2 violations, primarily related to the Spyre Collective, Tennessee’s main NIL collective, which sponsors athletes in various sports, with football being a central element. Tennessee has strongly contested these allegations, with the university’s chancellor, Donde Plowman, describing them as “factually untrue and procedurally flawed” in a letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker. Plowman also criticized the NCAA’s NIL rules in the letter, calling them “intellectually dishonest.” This situation comes at a time when the NCAA is increasing its scrutiny of NIL rules, with similar cases emerging at other universities like Florida and Florida State. Tennessee has not yet received a formal notice of allegations from the NCAA.
