NCAA Investigates Vols over NIL: A Twitter (X) Roundup

Apparently the NCAA thinks you can’t spell investigation without UT. 

News broke Tuesday that Tennessee is being investigated by the NCAA for potential violations involving name, image, and likeness benefits. Pat Forde seems practically gleeful to break this story:

Sources: Less than a year after its last infractions case concluded, Tennessee is under NCAA investigation again. The inquiry covers multiple sports and is described as "major." https://t.co/eE5sXYk0HE

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) January 30, 2024

Let’s dive into the Forde article for a second. Paragraph two outlines the infractions committed under Jeremy Pruitt and ends

“Now the school is back in the NCAA’s crosshairs, a recurrence that could have significant consequences.

Details are scarce on what Tennessee is potentially facing in the latest case, including the number of involved sports. The school acknowledged the investigation to SI, but declined further comment, other than to say it has not received a notice of allegations from NCAA Enforcement.”

So there will be “significant consequences”, but “details are scarce” and there’s no notice of allegations. Does UT have a real concern here? Here’s look at how X users and especially Vol Twitter reacted to Forde’s article

Maybe the most important quote from the article, buried five paragraphs in, and I’ll let VOLNUGS take it:

"A source familiar with the inquiry tells SI that Tennessee does not believe it has committed any violations in the NIL realm. The source cited NCAA guidance in that evolving area as “vague and contradictory.”

— VOLNUGS (@VOLNUGS) January 30, 2024

Or as Austin Price put it,

Good luck to Indy. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/l55QVTPCke

— Austin Price (@AustinPriceless) January 30, 2024

Despite the fact that Forde only cited “sources”, he did not make this investigation up. It is confirmed that there is an investigation ongoing:

Yes, Tennessee is under investigation by the NCAA. But as we’ve seen in other cases, that’s a long way from being able to prove anything.

Interested to see how the NCAA goes about its digging into a number of schools https://t.co/rehvMEUrcF

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) January 30, 2024

…however…

No Notice of Allegations or specifics on the sports involved. Let's hold off on the "downfall of Tennessee" takes for now.

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) January 30, 2024

I do not know the validity of this, but found it interesting:

intercollegiate athletic events, unless the intercollegiate athlete has committed a violation of the rules of an institution or an athletic association or this act is invalidated or rendered unenforceable by operation of law.”

Good luck NCAA

— Ericvol2096 (@EricQuiz2096) January 30, 2024

By midafternoon, Donde Plowman effectively told the NCAA to sit and spin:

BREAKING:

Tennessee's Donde Plowman slams NCAA as 'morally wrong' over NIL investigation, email shows to NCAA president showshttps://t.co/Dl0hyIUhUE

— Adam Sparks (@AdamSparks) January 30, 2024

Well Donde Plowman just became the most popular chancellor in Tennessee history. Would expect donations to skyrocket. https://t.co/Wb01UuqUsM

— Rob Lewis (@Volquest_Rob) January 30, 2024

More like:

Donde Plowed-em

💥 💥 💥 https://t.co/y176zJLBI8

— 🟠⚪️ The VFL Show ⚪️🟠 (@TheVFLshow) January 30, 2024

Gold https://t.co/EgEp93DeD3

— Robert McVol (@vol_equalizer) January 30, 2024

That one continued to evolve:

Here is a better version of this photo I’ve seen floating around. I took some artistic liberties to make it great. Arm yourself. pic.twitter.com/8iwUksHDQU

— Astro Smokey (@AstroSmokeyX) January 30, 2024

Couple of other items I liked, and though we probably don’t need current players tweeting about the situation:

Mannnnn they done wanna see us be great 🤷🏽‍♂️ got ourselves a squad now so they just gotta hate - stay woke 🧏🏽‍♂️ https://t.co/j2RhdJKxN0

— Daevin Hobbs (@DaevinH) January 30, 2024

Preach. And the Vol Club couldn’t have timed a tweet any better:

pic.twitter.com/uV7CaaPQUo

— The Volunteer Club 🪶 (@TheVolClub) January 30, 2024

Although they promise that’s about tonight’s game, and nothing else.

I've been asked my opinion on the topic, and it's probably similar to yours. It seems to me that the NCAA might just peruse this matter to their own demise, as more schools come under investigation for braking rules that don't exist and likely couldn't be enforced by the NCAA if they did exist. It smells of an outdated institution, much like Pat Forde and Sports Illustrated, desperately clinging to any former authority they might have had.