Jeremy Pruitt Files $100 Million Lawsuit Against NCAA, Alleging Collusion with Tennessee

The former Tennessee football coach claims he was scapegoated for NCAA violations to protect the university and avoid a $12.6 million buyout.

Jeremy Pruitt's lawsuit, filed on March 27, 2025, accuses the NCAA and the University of Tennessee of conspiring to make him a 'sacrificial lamb' for NCAA violations predating his tenure.
The lawsuit alleges Tennessee limited its internal investigation to avoid implicating itself in pre-2018 misconduct and used the findings to fire Pruitt 'for cause,' bypassing his $12.6 million buyout.
Pruitt claims he was punished for actions now legal under NIL rules, asserting he may be the last coach penalized for providing impermissible player benefits.
The NCAA penalized Pruitt with a six-year show-cause order in 2023, citing $60,000 in impermissible benefits, including payments allegedly made by Pruitt and his wife to players and their families.
Tennessee avoided a postseason ban but was fined $8 million and placed on probation for five years, with the NCAA praising the university's cooperation during the investigation.