NCAA suspends Tennessee Arion Carter for two games

The NCAA has suspended Tennessee senior linebacker Arion Carter for the first two games of the upcoming 2026 season for an eligibility violation involving a $427 flight paid for by an NFL agent. The suspension, confirmed by a university spokesperson, will sideline the All-SEC defender for the season opener against Furman on September 5 and the following week's game against Georgia Tech.

The violation occurred during the predraft process after Carter had declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. According to internal university documents obtained by local media, an agent paid for Carter's flight to an NFL predraft training facility. Carter later withdrew from the draft in January after suffering an injury during workouts and decided to return to Tennessee for his final season of eligibility. He has since reimbursed the agent for the cost of the airfare.

The NCAA classified the payment as a Level III violation. While Carter repaid the money, NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from accepting benefits from professional agents. An initial three-game suspension was reportedly reduced to two games following an appeal by the university.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel strongly criticized the...