Tennessee footballcoach Josh Heupel did not agree with the NCAA handing a two-game suspension to Volunteers linebacker Arion Carter for accepting a gift from his agent.
He used some colorful language to voice his displeasure on the subject when talking about it on Tuesday, Aug. 4 during media availability.
"The ruling that came out from the NCAA, the two-game suspension, I truly believe is bull****," Heupel said, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
According to information obtained through a public records request by Knox News, Carter's agent paid for a $427 flight to an NFL pre-draft facility before Carter decided to return to the Volunteers
for the 2026 season, which was deemed a Level III violation by the NCAA. Carter reportedly repaid his agent for the flight after withdrawing his name from the 2026 NFL Draft due to injury.
Carter, who recorded 76 total tackles last season, will be suspended for Tennessee's first two non-conference games of the season against Furman and Georgia Tech on Sept. 5 and Sept. 12, respectively.
Tuesday's statement isn't the first time that Heupel has spoken out on his dislike of the NCAA's ruling.
"We disagree with the NCAA's ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being. He will proudly graduate from Tennessee in public health with Dean’s List honors in August. Our team stands behind AC and his family, and we can’t wait to be on the field with him during training camp next week," Heupel said in a statement on July 29.
Tennessee was ranked No. 18 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll on Tuesday.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josh Heupel has choice word for NCAA after Arion Carter suspension
