Lane Kiffin responds to Tennessee Vols' NCAA penalties
The Tennessee Vols' penalties from the NCAA's investigation into recruiting violations that happened under previous head coach Jeremy Pruitt are one of the big topics at SEC Media Days this week in Nashville. It seems like nearly every head coach has been asked about the penalties. Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, who served […]
The Tennessee Vols' penalties from the NCAA's investigation into recruiting violations that happened under previous head coach Jeremy Pruitt are one of the big topics at SEC Media Days this week in Nashville.
It seems like nearly every head coach has been asked about the penalties.
Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, who served as Tennessee's head coach in 2009, received a question about the penalties first thing on Thursday morning during his media session with reporters.
Kififn quipped that the fact that Vols head coach Josh Heupel is happy about receiving an $8 million fine instead of a bowl ban shows how severe the NCAA viewed the penalties.
Kiffin also said he's happy that Tennessee doesn't have to go through what USC went through (when Kiffin was the Trojans' head coach) a little over a decade ago, though I'm not sure if that comment can be classified as "genuine" (you never know with Kiffin's dry delivery).
Ultimately it doesn't really matter what anyone thinks. The Vols' penalties are what they are. And considering that programs are paying (via collectives) thousands, and in some cases millions, of dollars to recruits and players thanks to new NIL rules, it seems laughable that Tennessee was punished for around $60,000 in impermissible benefits.
Featured image via Bruce Newman / Special to The Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK
