Word broke earlier today from Sports Illustrated that Tennessee may find themselves under NCAA investigation for NIL violations in multiple sports.
While there are details still coming to light, our Zach Barnett does a great job of covering what is known at this time here, SI calls the potential rules violations relating to the Vols "major" in nature, and span multiple sports.
Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman cited their recent dealings (punishments that were dished out last summer stemming from, among other things, 18 Level I violations) with the NCAA, using that as a point to prove "when we are wrong at the University of Tennessee, we admit it," in a letter to new NCAA president Charlie Baker.
Plowman believes that Tennessee has done nothing wrong, in fact, she thinks the NCAA is coming up far short in what is expected.
She opens her correspondence with quite a jab at Baker and the NCAA.
"The leaders of intercollegiate athletics owe it to student-athletes and their families to establish clear rule and to act in their best interest. Instead, two and a half years of vague and contradictory NCAA memos, emails and 'guidance' about name, image and likeness has created extraordinary chaos that student-athletes and institutions are struggling to navigate. In short, the NCAA is failing."
That right there was enough to make me stand up at my computer and start an awkward, yet proud, slow clap.
She also calls out Baker for indicating to Congress his desire to meet with athletic leaders, yet denying her December request to meet in person with her and Vols AD Danny White.
In all, it reads like a letter with the type of tone that many will stand and applaud, and certainly seems like the type of growing criticism of the NCAA that could lead to a bigger push for college football to finally break away.
There has been aspirations of that happening, with simply the right spark needed. The NCAA cracking down on schools for NIL violations while also refusing to lead the way on a landscape being described by every college coach in America as "The Wild West," feels - at least at this point in time - as pretty significant .
See more of the letter below.