Pat Forde: Schools believe NCAA is ‘lacking credibility,’ willing to fight back

Tennessee is just the latest to have an NCAA investigation attached to their program, spanning across multiple sports over Name, Image, and Likeness issues. Reportedly, one of the violations involves quarterback Nico Iamaleava and his use of a private jet during a recruiting visit. Iamaleava will likely be the biggest name involved with the investigation as he is slated to be the Vols’ starting quarterback in 2024.

However, before any kind of punishment comes down on Tennessee, they are going to fight back. And it’s not just them willing to challenge the NCAA in these scenarios. SI’s Pat Forde, who broke the story of Tennessee’s investigation, says schools believe there is no credibility inside the NCAA.

“I think everybody looks at the NCAA now and says ‘We’re not scared of you, and we’re going to fight back at anything you try to do to us. You’re lacking credibility, you’re lacking enforcement power, and so bring it on.’ And that’s very much looks to be Tennessee’s likely approach to this as thing unfold,” Forde said.

Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman released a statement following the report, potentially giving an insight into what Forde means. With the program’s issues involving NIL, Plowman points out how the NCAA has failed to provide clear rules on the matter and created “chaos” over the past few years.

“The leaders of intercollegiate athletics owe it to student-athletes and their families to establish clear rules and to act in their best interest,” the letter read in part. “Instead, two and a half years of vague and contradictory NCAA memos, emails and ‘guidance’ about name, image and likeness (NIL) has created extraordinary chaos that student-athletes and institutions are struggling to navigate.

“In short, the NCAA is failing.”

Multiple other investigations regarding NIL are happening across the country, particularly inside the southeast. Tennessee’s SEC rival Florida has a case on its hands, reportedly for the recruitment of quarterback Jaden Rashada. Florida State was on the receiving end of multiple penalties from the NCAA, including a three-game suspension of offensive coordinator Alex Atkins following two Level II violations.

Tennessee was certainly not the first program to have an investigation opened against them and will most likely not be the last. But with how the NCAA has acted since NIL became legal, they have lost the scare factor to programs across the country. No longer are they going to take the punishments without a fight.