Tennessee football NCAA violations: Vols coach Josh Heupel reacts to the decision
Josh Heupel originally took the job to lead the Tennessee Volunteers football program knowing that some kind of NCAA sanctions were coming eventually. That moment came on Friday when the NCAA Committee on Infractions announced its decision that UT committed hundreds of violations, resulting in a major fine for the school, but notably not a ban on playing in the postseason.
Heupel responded to the news by saying he is "super excited," adding that he was happiest for his players not losing that opportunity.
"You don't know until today what it's actually going to be," Heupel said, via ESPN. "It's hugely important that our players were protected and the future players were protected, as well. I'm really excited about the outcome."
Heupel expressed gratitude that the NCAA decided against punishing current players for something that happened in the program when they weren't there.
"The logical thought is, 'How are you going to punish innocent people and innocent kids?'" he said.
Not losing access to the postseason is crucial for Tennessee, especially at this point in its trajectory. Under Heupel's leadership last season, the Volunteers won 11 games, including against rival Alabama, and defeated ACC champion Clemson in the Orange Bowl after posting the No. 1 ranked total offense in college football.
The 2023 season presents a unique opportunity for Heupel and Tennessee to take another step forward in that progression, and access to the postseason is critical to that project. Some analysts consider UT to be a potential College Football Playoff contender.
In its investigation, the NCAA found that Tennessee had committed hundreds of violations that it deemed "egregious and expansive" under former head coach Jeremy Pruitt, who it named as principally responsible for many of the violations in question, including the payments of thousands of dollars to recruits and their families.
UT will be forced to pay an $8 million fine, loses some scholarships, is facing limits on recruiting visits and contacts, and is under a five-year probationary period.
But it will play in the postseason, and that's all that Josh Heupel wanted to hear.
(Heupel)
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