Tennessee under NCAA investigation: What did the Vols do? Latest update on major NIL violations around QB Nico Iamaleava

The Tennessee Volunteers are under NCAA investigation after an alleged NIL violation popped up surrounding quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The Vols are being looked at as repeat offenders after Jeremy Pruitt's six-year show-cause for his role in recruiting malfeasance.

A new case has emerged involving Iamaleava, who signed a then-record NIL deal with Spyre Sports Group, the primary collective of the Tennessee Volunteers.

The NCAA has not commented on the report but Associate Director of Communications Meghan Durham Wright provided this statement:

"With rare exceptions, the NCAA does not comment on current, pending or potential investigations due to confidentiality rules put in place by member schools."

The Vols believe they have not committed any violations due to the NCAA guidance on NIL being "vague and contradictory.". It will be interesting to see how this will play out, as not too many details have become public as of this writing.

University of Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman said in a letter to the NCAA that the "allegations are factually untrue and procedurally flawed."

"Moreover, it is intellectually dishonest for the NCAA enforcement staff to pursue infractions cases as if student-athletes have no NIL rights and as if institutions all have been functioning post-Alston with a clear and unchanging set of rules and willfully violating them."

Should the Tennessee Volunteers be worried about possible violations linked to Nico Iamaleava?

Whenever the NCAA is investigating a potential violation of any kind, there is always reason to be concerned. As a "repeat offender" due to the Jeremy Pruitt tenure where 18 Level I violations and payments of approximately $60,000 to recruits and their families were discovered, there is the belief the NCAA could drop the hammer here if they find any issues.

Just because there is an NCAA investigation going on does not mean there is any wrongdoing; they are just looking into the possibility of it having occurred. The violation will likely not affect Nico Iamaleava personally, as the infractions would be levied on the university and its handling of the situation.

With how the media assessed the Pruitt punishment as "soft," it will be interesting to see if that plays into the decision of a potential punishment levied on the program. This could be a slow process but details will come out soon.