Lane Kiffin's Fires Still Burn in Knoxville

 

Who would have thought that nearly two calendar years after Lane Kiffin bolted Knoxville the fires he left would continue to smolder?  On Monday Yahoo! Sports reported that former Kiffin assistant, Willie Mack Garza, paid for a recruit and his mother to fly to Knoxville on an unofficial visit.  As you might expect, that would be an NCAA violation.

 

Many UT insiders, including those within the athletic department, believe that this investigation will not impact the school's probationary period with the NCAA and would not break their repeat offender provision. 

You can get all the details and some great reaction to the events themselves here, here, or here. 

I won't claim to have any inside knowledge of the exchange in question or the consequences that could come from the NCAA.  Sadly, whatever happens to Tennessee would not impact Garza or Kiffin.  It would potentially damage the rebuilding efforts of Derek Dooley, who has gone above and beyond in his time in Knoxville to stay clear of the NCAA and run a program that is above reproach.

It was a surprise to many when the NCAA declared in August that the 12 recruiting violations with which they charged Lane Kiffin couldn't withstand the investigative process, and were essentially dismissed.  Neither Tennessee nor Kiffin were punished by the NCAA beyond what the University had already put in place. 

Eventually the discussion of Lane Kiffin and alleged NCAA violations will leave Tennessee fans' vernacular.  From the looks of it that time may be later rather than sooner.