Was Josh Heupel targeting Jeremy Pruitt with his "huge relief" remark? What was the involvement of the 5x National Champion in this drama?

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel reacted to the NCAA punishment on the program on Friday, describing it as a "huge relief." Heupel's remarks to ESPN came after the Volunteers had avoided a bowl games ban and were not aimed at former HC Jeremy Pruitt as many people had thought.

Pruitt, who was with the Volunteers for three seasons, was hit with a six-year show-cause order by the NCAA committee on infraction on Friday. Tennessee, on the other hand, also got an $8 million fine and will be on probation for five years.

This was after the NCAA committee concluded a three-year investigation on infractions and reached a resolution. The inquiry found over 200 individual infractions the university committed during Jeremy Pruitt's tenure.

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Josh Heupel is elated by the NCAA sanction

HC Josh Heupel - Capital One Orange Bowl - Clemson v Tennessee

The decision of the NCAA committee on infractions has brought excitement to Josh Heupel. The coach expressed his happiness that the current players won't be on the receiving end for actions committed before their arrival.

"Just super excited. I'm just really excited for the kids. … You don't know until today what it's actually going to be. It's hugely important that our players were protected and the future players were protected as well. I'm really excited about the outcome," Heupel told ESPN.

The NCAA's infractions process has frequently faced criticism for its prolonged duration. This results in decisions that affect players and staff members who are often not directly involved in the infractions. Heupel feels this would have been illogical:

"The logical thought is, 'How are you going to punish innocent people and innocent kids? I'm certainly pleased with the outcome. For people, it's the right decision.”

The Tennessee Volunteers will be affected the most in the area of recruitment. Josh Heupel believes the decision lets the program move forward without any uncertainties about its future. He believes his team has to be aware of the impact of the sanction and learn how to move on with it:

"You are able to step forward and talk to your team, staff and recruits and say here, 'This is what it is. This is the impact and how we're going to be able to move forward.'"

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Jeremy Pruitt's role in the Tennessee infraction

Tennessee v Alabama

Former head coach, Jeremy Pruitt, is believed to have played an active role in violating NCAA rules on several occasions by the Volunteers. Tennessee fired Pruitt, a 5× National Champion (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017), in Jan. 2021 after an internal investigation found him guilty of recruitment violations.

The investigation by the NCAA also discovered more infractions by the coach. He and his wife were found to have made impermissible cash payments totaling $60,000 to players' families. This has resulted in him getting a six-year show-cause penalty.