Every season, the NCAA will give college football fans more reason to complain and scratch their heads. We’re not even at Week 1 yet, and the NCAA has made a dumbfounding decision that will impact one SEC team.
Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter is set to start for the Tennessee Volunteers this year. After leading the team in tackles in 2025 with 76 total tackles and 28 solo tackles, Carter is set to be a leader on this defense.
That’s going to have to wait till Week 3 through. On Wednesday, the NCAA suspended Carter for two games. The suspension is due to a flight he took during the NFL pre-draft process.
Tennessee has already spoken out about this ruling. Head coach Josh Hueppel spoke out against the suspension.
“Arion Carter represents everything that is right about college athletics.”
“In December, Arion declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. He signed with an agent and accepted $427.28 flight begin the pre-draft process.”
“He withdrew from the NFL draft prior to the deadline due to a medical procedure and decided, in his best interest, to return to Tennessee for his senior season. Last January in good faith, he disengaged from the agent in terms of the NFL and paid the flight back in full.”
Hueppel couldn’t have given a better statement. His reasoning is why the NCAA is the story here, and Carter is the victim.
NCAA Continues to Make Fools of Themselves
May 15, 2026; Gainesville, FL, USA; The NCAA logo is painted on the field before the game between the Florida Gators and Florida A&M Rattlers. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
A $427 flight is apparently the cost of two whole games in a season that is only 12 games, and each game becomes more important.
Week 2 isn’t an easy game either; the Vols play against Georgia Tech, who aren’t title contenders by any means but still a competent Power 4 team.
The funniest and dumbest part about this is that Carter has even paid the money back. A perfect word to describe how the NCAA looks from this is pathetic.
This saga won’t end right away, Tennessee is and will continue to fight against this as the season approaches
