The NCAA is reportedly considering a “significant” college football rules change for the 2026 season.
Currently, college football players that are ejected for targeting during the second half of a fame are forced to sit out the following game, as a carryover suspension. It’s a significant penalty. The NCAA wants to crack down on dangerous hits to the head, but often, the targeting penalties are controversial.
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Some have called for them to be taken away for good, while others have suggested that the penalty needs to be tweaked.
According to a report from The Athletic, the NCAA is considering a significant change to the rule.
“Per sources, the NCAA rules committee will consider getting rid of the targeting carryover suspension this week. They also want to start penalizing the short-shorts (which are already against the rules),” Chris Vannini reported.
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Targeting rule could be changed
The targeting rule could be changed in a big way. It’s often been controversial.
“According to multiple people briefed on the discussions, the committee could propose to remove the carryover suspension part of the punishment for first-time offenders on second-half targeting penalties, leaving in place a 15-yard penalty and ejection. Players flagged for targeting multiple times within the same season could be subject to harsher punishment. The rules committee will come up with proposals at its meetings Tuesday and Wednesday, then spend the next month gathering feedback before final decisions in March,” The Athletic reported.
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“Currently, a player penalized for targeting in the second half of a game must sit out the first half of the next game. That affected this year’s national championship, when Miami cornerback Xavier Lucas was forced to sit out the first half against Indiana for a penalty he committed in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal against Ole Miss.”
Is a change needed?
This story was originally published by The Spun on Feb 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.