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UT self-reports minor NCAA violations, including Fulmer briefly coaching linemen

Tennessee self-reported eight minor violations from July-December 2018, all of which have been resolved.
Credit: Getty Images
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Former head coach and current Tennessee Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer holds the 1998 national championship trophy during a ceremony during the first quarter of the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee released its NCAA violations report for July-December 2018. UT self-reported eight minor violations, three each from the football and women's basketball programs, one involving men's basketball and one from softball.

The most interesting one involves Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer. The former head football coach committed a minor violation when he briefly coached two offensive lineman at practice.

The UT report says Fulmer provided "brief encouragement/instruction" that lasted less than 30 seconds while he was walking past a blocking drill. Afterwards, Fulmer learned this might be a violation and notified the compliance office, which educated him on the rules. The SEC ruled that Fulmer should not be allowed to attend football practice for five days and UT should educate all athletics staff members on what constitutes coaching activity.

A men's basketball player was deemed to have received an extra benefit when he sat with a former student-athlete in a premium seating area at a football game, using a ticket paid for by the former player. The two had a relationship prior to the player's enrollment at UT. Both were educated on the rules and the current player was required to pay the amount of the extra benefit ($25) to a charity of his choice. He chose Emerald Youth Foundation.

The other two football violations each involved improper contact with a recruit. One recruit, who had played for a staff member at a junior college the prior year, visited UT before he was allowed by NCAA rules and a coach called another recruit's father before he was allowed.

The involved coaches were suspended from recruiting activity for a short period and the school refrained from contacting those recruits for 30 days after the first date of permissible contact.

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