Knoxville, TN – The Tennessee women’s track and field team recently found itself in the center of a minor NCAA violation due to incorrect information in the transfer portal database. According to records obtained, the issue occurred earlier this year when a transfer athlete participated in an indoor track event, unaware that she had exhausted her eligibility at her previous school.
The compliance staff at the University of Tennessee verified the athlete’s eligibility based on the data available in the transfer portal. However, after a closer look, the university discovered that her former school had entered misleading details into the database. As a result, her participation in the event was deemed against NCAA regulations.
This incident marks the only Level III NCAA violation reported by the university during the first half of 2025. For reference, Level III violations are categorized as minor breaches, which are not uncommon across college athletics. Such infractions are typically minor and usually lead to low-level penalties or internal reviews.
Following the discovery of the ineligibility, UT chose to conduct an internal review of its eligibility verification processes. This review aims to enhance checks and balances related to potential errors made by other universities in the transfer portal system. Notably, the report did not identify the athlete or her previous institution.
Since the compliance staff acted based on the information at their disposal, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and NCAA have not imposed any sanctions on UT. The coaches believed the athlete was eligible, having taken the information from the transfer portal at face value. However, the athlete will no longer be able to compete since she has already utilized her eligibility.
As college sports continue to evolve, maintaining accurate records in the transfer portal remains essential to avoid similar situations in the future. The university’s initiative to review its processes demonstrates a commitment to upholding NCAA standards, ensuring that incidents like this do not occur again.
