Targeting rule change finally being addressed

By Chris Marler

The NCAA Division I Football Rules Subcommittee is finally listening. 

The cries of frustration, or irrational screams at the television, have seemingly been heard.

On Thursday, the subcommittee announced that they will be looking into a change into the targeting rule for this upcoming season of college football. The change would be a one year trial run with further evaluation to follow after the 2026 season. 

Currently, the penalty for targeting carries a 15 yard penalty, and if a player is ejected for targeting they miss the subsequent half of the current game or following game. Many have felt for a while that was too strict of a penalty for a call that has had so much subjectivity. 

The new rule would allow the player to remain eligible for the following game if they were ejected instead of missing the first half of the next game. It will also only allow players who have been called for targeting twice in the same season to miss the first half of a following game. That would entail a player being called for targeting in the second half of a game, being ejected in the game, and it being the second targeting call against him during the season. 

Conferences will also be allowed to appeal after a player’s second call during a season. That aligns with the current rule that took effect in 2022 that allows conferences to submit an appeal for players that have to miss the first half of another game. 

I get geeked out over @NCAA football rules … Coord of officials Steve Shaw is going over some proposals with us now … only five players last year in all of FBS had two targeting penalties. pic.twitter.com/QUdnCyKjLx

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) February 27, 2026

“This continues the evolution of our targeting rule and balances the important safety impact with an appropriate penalty structure,” A.J. Edds, rules subcommittee chair and vice president of football administration for the Big Ten Conference, said. “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.”

The move is not official yet. The FBS and FCS Oversight Committee must approve it when they convene on March 23.