While tampering in college football may be increasingly common, it’s doesn’t mean the NCAA isn’t looking to curb the problem. Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger reports that an NCAA committee is looking to propose some stiff new penalties in regard to targeting. It may be not a minute too soon.
While targeting has reared its head periodically, a highwater mark likely came in January, when Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called a press conference to essentially publicly accuse Ole Miss of tampering with transfer Luke Ferrelli. Swinney named names and gave details and all but laid a trail of bread crumbs for the NCAA straight to the Rebels.
But NCAA enforcement has been somewhere between lax and non-existant during the battle over tampering. Dellenger’s report could be a sign that things are about to change.
New Penalties
The NCAA committee is expected to recommend the following additional penalties for adding transfer outside of the NCAA’s strict portal window: prohibiting the head coach from all football and administrative duties (including coaching, recruiting, and running team meetings) through the sixth game of the season, fining any schools violating the rule 20% of their total football budget, requiring offending schools to reduce their number of roster spots by five for the next season, regardless of whether the offending coach or coaches are retained.
NCAA announces the proposed stiff penalties on schools for adding a transfer outside of the portal window https://t.co/wHwx24ADYR pic.twitter.com/w7voDd0jIU
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 25, 2026Recent Tampering-Related Concerns
Most of the most significant recent tampering complaints have had less to do with the timing of contact than the fact of contact. That said, when players hit the transfer portal, immediately place a “Do Not Contact” tag, and then commit and/or sign almost immediately, it doesn’t take a great leap of logic to expect that schools are not only making illicit contact, but they’re likely doing so outside the realm, scope, and timing of the transfer portal’s mandated guidelines.
Other significant transfer battles, including Washington’s situation with Demond Williams (which was resolved) and Duke’s situation with Darian Mensah (which saw Mensah leave to Miami) took place within the transfer window, but in the case of Mensah’s 11th hour decision to enter the portal, some leveled allegations that Miami may have tampered.
Critics have alleged that Miami tampered to obtain Duke QB Darian Mensah. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
In any case, the NCAA is looking to not only firm up avoiding illicit contact but to make sure that the timing of any contact is consistent with the rules. If approved, the new penalties could certainly give schools a powerful incentive to stay on the right side of the NCAA’s enforcement division.