Bruce Pearl's Eight-Game SEC Suspension a Major Hit to Tennessee Vols Basketball

Friday afternoon it was announced by the SEC office that Commissioner Mike Slive has handed down an eight-game suspension of Tennessee basketball head coach Bruce Pearl.

The suspension by the SEC is a result of an NCAA investigation that revealed that Pearl had crossed the line in recruiting and, worst of all, lied to the SEC when confronted with the allegations.

The violations that have been reported to date concern illegal contact with recruits and a party at Pearl's personal home where he hosted several recruits.

The following is the press release from the SEC office:

University of Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl has been suspended from the first eight Southeastern Conference games of the 2011 season. As a result of the suspension, Pearl is suspended from all activities on the dates of the following games:

January 8, 2011 Tennessee at Arkansas

January 11, 2011 Florida at Tennessee

January 15, 2011 Vanderbilt at Tennessee

January 18, 2011 Tennessee at Georgia

January 26, 2011 LSU at Tennessee

January 29, 2011 Tennessee at Ole Miss

February 3, 2011 Tennessee at Auburn

February 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 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. 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."—SEC Commissioner Mike Slive