A key college football penalty is being tinkered ahead of the 2026 season, the NCAA announced Thursday. A player disqualified for the first time in the season due to a targeting penalty will not be suspended.
Under the current rule, a player ejected for targeting in the second half of a game is suspended for the first half of next week’s game. That affected Tennessee last season when linebacker Edwin Spillman was ejected for targeting in the second half of its win over Arkansas. That ejection forced Spillman to miss the first half of next week’s game at Alabama.
If a player is ejected for targeting a second time in the same season then they will be ejected and serve a one-half suspension the next week. If a player is ejected for a third time in a single season then they will serve an additional one-game suspension.
Targeting has been under criticism for a number of years. Many want two forms of targeting with a less severe targeting leading to defenders not being ejected from a game whatsoever.
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The NCAA was no ready to go that far but instead lessens the punishment for one-time abusers. It’s a good rule change especially given the inconsistency of what is and isn’t ruled targeting.
Other rule changes include the option to fair catch kick, meaning teams can attempt a field goal place kick or a drop kick on an untimed play.
Tennessee football is facing its most challenging schedule in a number of years this fall. With a nine-game conference schedule, Tennessee faces Texas, LSU, Alabama and Texas A&M while also having road trips to Arkansas, South Carolina and Vanderbilt in conference play.
The Vols have just one marquee non conference matchup, traveling to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech the second week of the season.
