So Terrible news; Tennessee volunteers are in serious trouble as they facing with the…….
South Carolina football fans aren’t upset that the Tennessee Volunteers are in trouble with the NCAA once again. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY.
Last summer, the Tennessee Volunteers were busted on over 200 recruiting and eligibility-related NCAA violations. Despite the investigators describing the violations as some “of the worst” ever seen, the punishments handed out weren’t small but weren’t crippling, either. Perhaps they should have been larger, though, because the South Carolina football rival is under NCAA investigation once again.
According to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, Josh Heupel’s program is under investigation for “major” violations that seem to be centered around NIL, projected starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and other players. Iamaleava’s NIL situation is not known officially, but he has been reported as receiving an $8 Million agreement to play for the Vols.
As of now, there are almost no details available about the investigation, and Tennessee still hasn’t received a notice of allegations from the NCAA meaning the probe is still ongoing.
The NCAA investigation is believed to include other sports, as well.
If the Volunteers are found guilty of more major violations graded as Level-1 or Level-2 in severity, there is a chance the NCAA could choose to penalize them as “repeated violators,” meaning that potential punishments could be harsher because of Tennessee’s recent struggles to operate within the rules.
The NCAA has taken measures to crack down on NIL-related violations this offseason. The Florida State Seminoles have already been probed, the Florida Gators are being investigated now, and the Tennessee Vols are the latest team in the cross hairs of college football’s governing body.
For the first time since joining the SEC, South Carolina football will not play against Tennessee (or Georgia or Florida) in 2024. The typical annual rivals rotated off of the schedule thanks to the SEC’s one-time custom slate that the conference is using in 2024. The expectation is that the teams will match up on the gridiron again in 2025.
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Tennessee received some pretty bad news today, as one of their top players is getting season-ending surgery. That player is cornerback Kamal Hadden.
Kamal Hadden is a redshirt senior who has been putting up an impressive season up to this point. He was statistically ranked inside the top 5 in many people’s eyes. He had three interceptions and seven pass deflections throughout seven game.
He got injured in the Alabama game with a shoulder injury after attempting to tackle an Alabama player early on in the game. He didn’t go into the injury tent until later on after the crimson tide scored, and he was visibly frustrated. Hadden returned in the third quarter, but that did not stand for long as he exited the game permanently later on.
The talented corner announced earlier today that he would be entering surgery, ultimately ending his season earlier this morning. A big question for the Volunteer corner is: where will he go next? Time will tell, considering this year was his final year of eligibility this season.
Hadden took to Instagram by saying, “The get-back starts now.” It is safe to say that the redshirt senior corner will be missed in orange and white, but all of Vol Nation will come together and support him through this tough time, considering he was becoming one of the fan favorites on the team for many. Best of luck to Kamal Hadden.
