The NCAA announced additional penalties against the Tennessee football program Friday.
The violations occurred in 2009 when former assistant Willie Mack Garza, a member of former coach Lane Kiffin’s staff at the time, illegally funded a prospect’s unofficial visit and misled NCAA enforcement officials during questioning.
The penalties include Tennessee’s probation being extended by two years, a reduction in the number of official visits this school year from 51 to 47, fewer evaluation days for the coaches and a ban on providing free tickets to recruits for the first two Southeastern Conference games next season.
Tennessee officials met with NCAA Committee on Infractions on Tuesday.
“We will finally close the chapter on the prior actions of members of a previous football coaching staff,” Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said in a news release. “We have significantly strengthened our culture of compliance at Tennessee and will continue to do so. We disagree with additional penalties fora matter we believed should have been part of the previous case. We will now move forward.”
Tennessee also has experienced its share of trouble on the field this season. The Vols (4-6, 0-6) are winless in the SEC going into Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt. There is speculation that coach Derek Dooley’s job could be in jeopardy at the end of the season.