NCAA Proposes Official Change To College Football's Targeting Rule

On Thursday, the Division I Football Rules Subcommittee submit a proposal that would change the way targeting is penalized.

As of now, college football players who get ejected for targeting have to miss the first half of their next game. There's a good chance that won't be a rule for the 2026 season. The Division I Football Rules Subcommittee is suggesting a major overhaul to the penalty structure for targeting.

If a player gets called for targeting once during the season, this proposal would make them eligible to play all of the next game regardless of which half the penalty occurs in. The first-half suspension wouldn't come into play until the second time a player gets penalized for targeting.

In the event a player gets a third targeting penalty during the season, they'll be forced to miss the entire next game.

"This continues the evolution of our targeting rule and balances the important safety impact with an appropriate penalty structure," said A.J. Edds, rules subcommittee chair and vice president of football administration for the Big Ten Conference. "We will closely monitor this one-year adjustment, and the committee believes it is important to enhance the progressive penalty to ensure proper coaching and player education."