KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Former Tennessee football operations director Chris Spognardi, who was placed on administrative leave with pay in August regarding bowl-receipt irregularities, has been terminated.
Spognardi was fired in a letter dated December 12 by Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart.
The letter from Hart says Spognardi was fired for “gross misconduct” and is “based on information learned by the University’s Office of Audit and Compliance.”
Spognardi had until January 10 to file an appeal, which he did.
In a story we first reported August 10, Spognardi was placed on leave after a UT financial audit raised questions about receipts from a December 2015 Tennessee trip to the Outback Bowl in Tampa.