First, Florida State. Then, Florida. Now it's Tennessee's turn.
The Volunteers on Tuesday became the third school to fall under the public specter of NCAA investigation for NIL activities.
The NCAA is reportedly interested in the actions of Tennessee's collective, Spyre Sports Group, across multiple sports, but particularly football.
Nico Iamaleava, a 5-star 2023 quarterback out of California, reportedly entered into a contract worth up to $8 million shortly after committing to Tennessee.
The New York Times reported that Spyre allegedly paid to fly Iamaleava on a private jet, which could be a violation of the NCAA's NIL guidelines. Schools and collectives are prohibited from using NIL as a recruiting inducement.
The case comes at a particularly dangerous time for Tennessee. The NCAA determined UT committed 18 Level I (most serious) violations over a 3-year period in a probe that ended last July, which resulted in an $8 million fine.
ESPN reported Tennessee could be looking at multiple Level I and Level II violations due to the current issue.
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."
Simply put, a repeat violator is at risk for significant additional penalties, as "a heading panel may depart upward from the core penalties."
Tennessee argued it followed all NCAA rules and guidelines as they were announced, and is now being charged with violating rules that did not exist at the time.
"The University of Tennessee complied with the interim NIL policy and guidance as it was put into place by the NCAA," chancellor Donde Plowman Plowman wrote in a letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker . "No member institution could follow future guidance prior to it being given, let alone interpreted."
"The NCAA's allegations are factually untrue and procedurally flawed," she continued.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.