Tennessee coach Josh Heupel rips NCAA after Arion Carter's 'bulls***' 2-game suspension
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel slammed the NCAA on Tuesday after it suspended linebacker Arion Carter for two games for accepting a flight from an agent earlier this offseason.
Heupel, more colorfully than he did in an initial statement when the suspension was first handed down, called it "bulls***."
"The ruling that came out from the NCAA, the two-game suspension, I truly believe is bulls**t," he said, via The Athletic's David Ubben. "You look at the landscape of college football, the rules from NIL, everything, I think the ruling is completely outdated."
Carter explored entering the 2026 NFL Draft earlier this year, but returned to Tennessee for his senior season. As he was looking to enter the draft, an agent paid for a plane ticket for him that was worth just more than $427. Carter suffered an injury while working out before the draft, and ended up repaying the money and separating from the agent in question.
The NCAA deemed the initial payment of the ticket by the agent to be a Level III violation. Players and their families are not allowed to take material benefits from agents, including transportation.
Tennessee reported the violation to the NCAA. Carter's initial three-game suspension was reduced to two.
"He was upfront and honest, the fact that he paid back the $400 flight," Heupel said. "He's handled everything the right way. Very truthful and upfront about everything … He embodies everything that's good about college athletics."
While Carter's actions are a clear violation of the NCAA's rules, the suspension is a blatant example of how murky things are in the NIL era of college sports. Players all across the country have agents, or people acting as agents, to represent them in revenue sharing and endorsement agreements now that the practice is allowed. But because Carter's flight was paid for by an NFL agent helping him prepare for professional football, and not one negotiating some sort of NIL deal, the practice is a violation.
Carter missed three games last season due to a foot injury. He was still the team's third-leading tackler with 76 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. The Volunteers went 8-5 last season, the fifth under Heupel's watch, and missed the playoff.
Tennessee will open the 2026 campaign against Furman on Sept. 5, and then travel to Georgia Tech the following weekend. Carter will be eligible to return for the Volunteers' game against Kennesaw State on Sept. 19.
