Two and a half years after Tennessee fired Jeremy Pruitt for cause, the NCAA released its verdict Friday after an investigation into a sloppy recruiting scandal.

For Tennessee, it's good news. The Vols were hit with a few penalties, including an $8 million fine, but spared the dreaded postseason ban. For Pruitt, the sanctions included a six-year show-cause penalty that will further cripple his career.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer, Adam Sparks and John Adams unpack the NCAA's findings and discuss what the sanctions mean for Tennessee and Pruitt.

This is about the best outcome Tennessee could have hoped for in January 2021, when it fired Pruitt after uncovering what UT Chancellor Donde Plowman described as a "stunning" amount of malfeasance.

While Pruitt got hammered, his former boss, Phillip Fulmer, is not mentioned in the NCAA report. Fulmer's cluelessness became apparent in the investigation, but he was not found to be involved in the scheme.

Pruitt turned the Vols into a mockery, but Tennessee got the last laugh, and the Vols are free to pursue a third straight bowl appearance behind Josh Heupel.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) Adam (@AdamSparks) Mike (@ByMikeWilson) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on Vols sports news by following @GoVolsXtra. 

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