The NCAA Division I Football Subdivision is making a significant adjustment to one of college football’s most debated rules. The FBS Oversight Committee has officially approved changes to the targeting penalty structure, with the new rules set to take effect beginning in the 2026 season.
Under the updated system, penalties for targeting will now follow a tiered structure rather than carrying the same automatic punishment every time. Most notably, a player who is ejected for targeting for the first time in a season will now be eligible to play in the following game, marking a major shift from the previous rule that often carried over suspensions into the next contest.
The penalties escalate from there. A second targeting ejection in the same season will result in the player being required to miss the first half of the following game. If a player is flagged for targeting a third time, the punishment increases to a full one-game suspension.
According to the NCAA, the data suggest that reaching that third level is extremely rare. In fact, no player recorded three targeting ejections during the 2025 season, which likely played a role in shaping the updated policy.
Another key addition is the implementation of an appeals process at the conference level. After a player receives a second targeting ejection, conferences will now have the option to initiate a review. That appeal can include both the first and second targeting calls and will be handled by the NCAA’s national coordinator of officials, who will oversee a video review of the plays in question.
If the appeal is successful and the ejection is overturned, the player would avoid the half-game suspension tied to a second offense, allowing them to participate fully in the next game.
The rule change reflects an effort by the NCAA to balance player safety with fairness, addressing long-standing criticism that the previous system lacked flexibility. While targeting will still carry serious consequences, the new structure introduces more nuance and gives players and programs additional avenues for review.
As college football continues to evolve, this adjustment to the targeting rule will be one of the most closely watched changes heading into the 2026 season.
