Who says the NCAA has become powerless?
Oh, wait. I said that. So did a few million others who have been watching the NCAA get overruled repeatedly in court while futilely trying to legislate the transfer portal and NIL deals.
But the NCAA’s suspension of Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter proves it still has punching power while reminding us how absurd the governing body of college athleticscan be.
Carter has been suspended for UT’s first two games over a $427 benefit. Not a $4.27 million payment. Or a $427,000 payment. But $427.
Just when you thought this was an anything-goes-era in college football, the NCAA shouts: “Not anything, Buster.”
It’s OK for college football players to sign multimillion-dollar NIL deals. It’s OK for them to have an agent.
But there are lines that can’t be crossed and technicalities that must be honored.
Carter’s agent paid for his $427 flight to an NFL pre-draft training facility. Carter already had declared for the NFL draft.
But after suffering an injury in the training session, Carter withdrew from the draft, repaid his agent $427, and returned to Tennessee for another season of college football.
That wasn’t good enough for the NCAA, which ruled Carter had committed a Level III violation. It then flexed its atrophying muscles by issuing a three-game suspension for what is regarded as a minor infraction.
Tennessee appealed the punishment, and the NCAA responded by reducing the penalty to two games. Knox News through a public records request obtained an internal athletics department document, which detailed the violation and UT’s appeal.
Conspiracy theorists might conclude that the NCAA still wants to punish Tennessee for once employing a pathological cheater like Jeremy Pruitt as its football coach. I wouldn’t make that leap, especially since UT handed Pruitt over to the NCAA on a Big Orange platter by reporting almost every one of his violations through an internal investigation.
Instead, this reeks of “bully ball” more than anything else. The NCAA found a rule it could enforce and not get overturned in court. It couldn’t resist.
Tennessee could pay a high price.
The NCAA could suspend half of Tennessee's roster for the season opener against Furman, and the Vols would breeze to victory. However, Carter will be missed at Georgia Tech in Week 2.
Fortunately for UT, Carter plays a position of strength. Jeremiah Telander, Edwin Spillman and Penn State transfer Amare Campbell also are veteran linebackers. They combined for 264 tackles last season.
Nonetheless, Carter is one of Tennessee’s best defensive players, and linebackers will be of high value against Georgia Tech, which will challenge the Vols with a power-running game. Michigan transfer Justice Haynes rushed for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games last season. He will team with Malachi Hosley, who averaged 7.1 yards per carry in rushing for 697 yards at Georgia Tech last year.
Football is a game of attrition. Teams lose players to injury, to the transfer portal and to the NFL.
But nobody should lose a player like this – not for a single play, much less two games − just so the NCAA can take a victory lap.
It will look foolish every step of the way.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Suspension of Tennessee football star Arion Carter makes NCAA look foolish | Adams
