Former Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt is in hot water with the NCAA over a recruiting scandal that allegedly occurred during his tenure from 2018-2021. The NCAA slapped the Volunteers with 18 Level I violations in a 51-page document released on Friday, per Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

The NCAA contends Pruitt and his staff gave players cash and gifts throughout his tenure with the Vols from 2018-21. And it says that his wife, Casey Pruitt, paid more than $15,000 in rent and car payments for a Tennessee player and his mother over 2½ years.

Former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt, who was fired by the university in January of 2021 after an in-house investigation, allegedly gave players “cash and gifts” during his tenure with the program.

His wife, Casey Pruitt, doled out more than $15,000 to a Tennessee football player and his mother to cover car and rent payments for over two years.

The NCAA did acknowledge the fact that Tennessee self-reported these recruiting violations and cooperated with the investigation. This- and that the NCAA determined the Volunteers didn't lack “institutional control”- likely contributed to their determination to spare the university from a “program-crippling” punishment.

However, make no mistake. There is a harsh penalty coming Tennessee's way, as Level I violations are the most serious of the NCAA's four-level structure.

In addition to Pruitt, the document also named assistant coaches Derrick Ansley, Shelton Felton and Brian Niedermeyer, as well as recruiting staff members Drew Hughes, Bethany Gunn and Chantryce Boone.

None of the people named in the document work for Tennessee any longer. Jeremy Pruitt and those named have 90 days to respond to the NCAA.

Then, the NCAA has 60 days to reply to them.