2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team
American college football season
The 2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Volunteers played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Volunteers were led by third-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
In a season initially questioned whether it would be played because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southeastern Conference ultimately decided to go through with the season, the Volunteers compiled a 3–7 record, all in conference games. While the team did not have a winning record, the NCAA had waived bowl eligibility requirement for the season, and the Volunteers accepted a bid to the Liberty Bowl. However, the team had to withdraw on December 21 after several players and coaches, including Pruitt, tested positive for COVID-19.
Pruitt was fired for cause in January 2021 following an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. He left Knoxville with a 16–19 overall record. However, in July 2023, all Tennessee wins for the 2019 and 2020 seasons were vacated due to the recruiting violations. Thus, the 2020 Volunteers are credited with an official record of 0–7.
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