BIRMINGHAM - University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach
Bruce Pearl has been suspended from the first eight Southeastern Conference games of the 2011 conference season, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced Friday.
As a result of the suspension, Pearl is suspended from all team activities on the dates of the following games:
Jan. 8, 2011 Tennessee at Arkansas
Jan. 11, 2011 Florida at Tennessee
Jan. 15, 2011 Vanderbilt at Tennessee
Jan. 18, 2011 Tennessee at Georgia
Jan. 26, 2011 LSU at Tennessee
Jan. 29, 2011 Tennessee at Ole Miss
Feb. 3, 2011 Tennessee at Auburn
Feb. 5, 2011 Alabama at Tennessee
Team activities include, but are not limited to practices, meetings, pre- and post-game activities
and the game itself.
The violations that led to the suspension were discovered during an investigation by the NCAA
into the University of Tennessee men’s basketball program. The results were reported to the SEC by the
institution.
“The suspension from coaching duties has been imposed after a careful review of the facts
established during the NCAA’s investigation and reported to the SEC office,” said Slive.
“I am extremely
disappointed in the nature of the violations involving Coach Pearl and the Tennessee men’s basketball
program. The penalty applied to this circumstance is significant, which is consistent with the directive
approved by the SEC membership in 2010 granting the Commissioner authority to act in such cases.”
At the 2010 SEC Annual Meeting, the Presidents & Chancellors of the conference reconfirmed
that the Commissioner “has the authority to suspend institutional staff members from participation in
recruiting activities or participation in practice and/or competition due to their involvement in violations
of NCAA or SEC rules.