Pawn or Sacrificial Lamb? Former Tennessee Coach Seeks $100 Million in Lawsuit Against NCAA

On Thursday, March 27, 2025, former University of Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, claiming he was used as a “sacrificial lamb” for conduct that has a long precedent in his career at the university. Pruitt alleges that the NCAA conspired with the university in a “one-sided” investigation, unfairly placing the blame on him for a series of violations that ultimately led to the loss of his job. Pruitt is seeking a substantial $100 million in damages.

A History of Violations

Pruitt’s lawsuit centers on the allegation that the University of Tennessee has a long history of violations that went unnoticed upon his hire in 2017. He claims that, within one week of obtaining his job, he reported violations to the athletic director, Phillip Fulmer. Pruitt’s complaint expresses that, with the understanding that payments were being made to some players, he made the report to Fulmer, and was told that Fulmer would “handle it” and “deal with the compliance department” at the university, but no substantial actions were taken to address the issue.

The NCAA’s investigation from 2020-2023 found that, during official visits, two players received direct payments from Pruitt. One received a direct payment from Pruitt to include a $7,600 down payment for a car and a monthly payment of $500 for a car payment on at least 25 occasions. The NCAA discovered that another player received $3,000 to use for medical bills and expenses. Pruitt’s wife (who once worked in NCAA rules compliance at Troy University and Florida State) also allegedly made cash payments of at least $13,000 to recruits and their families.

In 2021, Pruitt and seven staff members were charged with having committed violations, all of whom were fired from their positions after an internal university investigation uncovered alleged wrongdoing.

NCAA’s Response and Penalties

The NCAA has yet to respond; however, they did impose penalties on Tennessee’s program. In 2023, Pruitt was given a six-year show cause order, prohibiting him from being hired by NCAA-affiliated schools unless the school shows the NCAA why they should approve the hire. Although Tennessee avoided a postseason ban due to its compliance with the investigation, the university was placed on probation, forced to vacate wins, and suffered scholarship reductions.

Pruitt’s Legal Claim

Pruitt’s lawsuit alleges that the NCAA allowed the University of Tennessee to choose its own lawyers for the investigation, which placed him in an unfair position due to the biased process. He claims that the NCAA also applied "an erroneous and improper standard in weighing the evidence, the net effect of which was to allow a life-altering punishment with less than the required burden of proof."

Additionally, Pruitt argues that the NCAA limited the investigation by excluding “any facts that tend to show misconduct prior to Jeremy's time as head coach and outside his chain of authority." Pruitt expresses that the university acted in bad faith in order to preserve self-interest at the expense of his career and reputation and that no reasonable jury would be able to find him guilty of the allegations.

The Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Argument

The widely discussed debate surrounding NIL is a focal point in this case. Pruitt argues that the NCAA punished Pruitt for something that is no longer illegal due to the results of NCAA v. Alston. Pruitt was fired from his position just within half a year before this ruling. With this small window between stepping down from the coaching position and the allowance of college players being able to profit from their name, image, and likeness, there is hope that this will help Pruitt’s case.

Pruitt expresses the unfairness of the rules that the NCAA is applying against him, which “had been essentially abolished in 2021 by the United States Supreme Court ruling.”

The Future of NCAA Enforcement: Is Pruitt’s Lawsuit a Turning Point?

In this new NIL era reshaping collegiate sports, critical questions stem from this lawsuit in regard to the organization’s ability to enforce infractions. This lawsuit raises broader questions about the NCAA’s power to regulate recruiting violations in a time where monetary benefits for athletes are no longer strictly prohibited. As legal challenges to NCAA authority grow, this case could serve as a critical test of how much influence the organization retains over its member institutions and whether its enforcement mechanisms need reform.

Katherine Vescio is a 1L at University of Gonzaga School of Law. She can be found on LinkedIn.