The New York Times is reporting that Tennessee’s football “hostesses” are being investigated by the NCAA.
An exceprt:
The N.C.A.A. is conducting a wide-ranging investigation into the University of Tennessee’s football recruiting practices, according to interviews with several prospects, their family members and high school administrators. A significant part of the investigation is focused on the use of recruiting hostesses who have become folk heroes on Tennessee Internet message boards for their ability to help lure top recruits.
Another excerpt:
In one case, hostesses traveled nearly 200 miles to attend a high school game in South Carolina in which at least three Tennessee recruits were playing. Marcus Lattimore, a running back who made an unofficial visit to Tennessee but said he would not enroll there, said multiple Tennessee hostesses attended a game at James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., in September. He said they brought signs, including one that read, “Come to Tennessee.”
This, of course, has grabbed Deadspin’s attention. And Clay Travis weighs in. The Knoxville News-Sentinel has some pictures.
Is anyone really surprised? He declared that secondary violations meant nothing (his little “I’ll get a letter that doesn’t mean anything” speech) so he’s likely to keep pressing the envelope until it tears wide open.