Sources: NCAA investigating Tennessee for NIL violations

The University of Tennessee is under NCAA investigation for violations related to name, image and likeness, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.

The investigation puts the Volunteers in the crosshairs for potential sanctions as repeat violators. Tennessee is fresh off an NCAA ruling in summer 2023 in which it was charged with 18 Level 1 violations and fined a record $8 million.

The scope and breadth of the current allegations, according to sources, include the potential for the enforcement staff to charge multiple Level 1 and Level 2 violations. The case revolves around activity related to the Spyre Sports Group, which is Tennessee’s primary NIL collective, sources told ESPN.

Tennessee declined comment when reached by ESPN. The school has yet to receive a formal notice of allegations from the NCAA, sources said.

Lack of institutional control — one of the most serious charges that a school can face — could be tied to the potential of Tennessee falling under repeat violator status, which is an issue of contention for the university. Per NCAA bylaws, a repeat violator happens within a five-year window of the “starting date of a Level 1 or Level II penalty stemming from a previous case.”