Lane Kiffin and the University of Tennessee football program are under investigation by the NCAA. This time it is not for a minor infraction, like the six Kiffin has already faced in his first season of coaching.
The Volunteers are now being investigated for the use of recruiting “hostesses” a common practice amongst major programs.
The hostesses under question are members of Orange Pride, a student ambassador program of the university. The hostesses are accused of recruiting prospects off of UT campus, which is a violation if the hostesses are considered official representatives of the university.
The hostesses are said to have contacted multiple recruits on websites like Facebook and Myspace. Also one recruit claimed that a few of these hostesses drove 200 miles to his high school in South Carolina, to watch three UT recruits play. The recruit said the girls were holding up signs, one saying “Come to Tennessee.”
This investigation has the potential to be a serious problem for Tennessee. It will all depend on how much evidence the NCAA can find and if the hostesses actually broke any rules. But the use of recruiting hostesses is a long used practice, at the University of Tennessee and many other major programs.
As a UT student, I know first-hand that our university is filled with pretty girls. It doesn’t surprise me that seeing and meeting the sweet southern belles on the campus influences some recruits. It certainly influenced my decision to come to school there.
The key to this investigation will be whether these girls acted on their own impulses or under directions from the university. If the hostesses decided to take a trip to South Carolina on their own, the university has no control over that. These hostesses are supposed to be aware of certain NCAA recruiting rules, but a college girl would never think adding a person on Facebook is a violation.
The NCAA is making it seem like the Tennessee is pimping these girls out to recruits, which seems highly unlikely. It’s hard for me to picture Lane Kiffin with a fuzzy hat and a cane, telling these girls to go get him a running back.
This season Kiffin and the Vols have stayed in the headlines, usually not for winning football games. It will be interesting to see where the program goes from here. After having three freshman dismissed for criminal activity, Brandon Warren being dismissed for multiple offenses, and Kiffin talking about every coach in the conference, the program seems like a soap opera.
But the beginning to the Kiffin era isn’t all negative. Tennessee is back in a bowl game this year, facing Virginia Tech in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Kiffin’s recruiting standards and the type of players he is bringing in, are beginning to draw comparisons to the University of Miami.
Some Volunteers fans are afraid of Tennessee turning into “Thug U” because of the actions of the freshman. But besides the actions of a few, Kiffin has brought in a new swagger similar to the Miami teams of the early 2000’s. Kiffin does have the program heading on the right track, but he has to be very careful that this recruiting incident doesn’t derail the program.
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* – Bryce Brown and Lacey Pearl Earpes (a member of Orange Pride) photo credit: Deadspin
