{"id":981532,"date":"2026-08-24T02:54:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T02:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/981532\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T02:54:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T02:54:45","slug":"tennessee-has-been-a-trailblazer-in-challenging-the-ncaa-its-time-for-the-vols-to-do-it-again-in-the-most-daring-way-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/981532\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee has been a trailblazer in challenging the NCAA; it’s time for the Vols to do it again in the most daring way yet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\tHome<\/a><\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNashville<\/a><\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTennessee Volunteers<\/a><\/p>\n

The Wild West is out of control, and there\u2019s no Wyatt Earp to reign the madness in. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"\"
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTennessee coach Josh Heupel points to the running clock while yelling at the referees for a timeout during a college football game between Tennessee and Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Oct. 18, 2025.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBrianna Paciorka\/News Sentinel \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

College athletics have badly, badly lost the plot. Well, at least those who govern the sport seem to have.<\/p>\n

The NCAA, the conferences, university leaders and coaches, all are complicit in the transition to a minor league professional system in the transfer portal\/NIL era. The NCAA failed to put guardrails in place. The conferences have failed to step up and create a viable solution. University and program leaders have looked the other way while poaching and bidding have taken place among programs under the guise of NIL. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s the Wild West, and Wyatt Earp is nowhere to be found. <\/p>\n

And with that being said, the big ol\u2019 NCAA found the time to pull out its ruler and swat Tennessee and LB Arion Carter on the wrist with a two game suspension<\/a> for accepting a $427 flight during the pre-NFL Draft process. Carter returned to school and paid the full amount back. Not good enough, said the NCAA. <\/p>\n

But meanwhile, former Ole Miss tight end and, until Sunday afternoon, Cleveland Browns tight end Dae\u2019Quan Wright is set to return to college from the NFL and transfer to LSU to play for his old head coach Lane Kiffin, per ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter. Wright spent the offseason and training camp playing professional football under a rookie undrafted free agent agreement. And no, there is no punishment pending from the NCAA as part of that process. <\/p>\n

History: the Browns are waiving tight end Dae\u2019Quan Wright and, if he clears waivers, he has an agreement in place for the 2026 season to play for LSU, per agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln. <\/p>\n

Wright is believed to be the first player who could play for an NFL team, and then\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/3MLKNFYInY<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Sure, Wright got a judge in Louisiana to sign off on his petition to return<\/a> to college, so the NCAA can say it\u2019s been hamstrung. <\/p>\n

And to that and to them \u2014 and to Tennessee \u2014 I say who gives a darn? <\/p>\n

Tennessee should play Arion Carter despite NCAA suspension if NFL returnees suit up Week 1<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t even need to explain the pure ridiculousness of Carter watching from the sideline against Georgia Tech while Wright is making plays against Clemson and celebrating with his teammates on the field, do I? Good. The punitive results of the two situations are as egregious and unbelievably ridiculous as anyone could ever imagine. <\/p>\n

There is no doubt the NCAA will hide behind the excuse of legalities for separating Carter\u2019s situation from that of Wright, or of Bucs EDGE Jack Pyburn, who is also fighting to make Tampa Bay\u2019s roster but also considering a return to college. They\u2019ll surely say they would punish Wright and any others but their hands are tied. <\/p>\n

But the NCAA is so toothless that it ended up getting in a situation where it can\u2019t stop NFL players from returning to college. What are they going to do when Tennessee says to heck with your ruling (one that Josh Heupel very fairly called \u201cbullshit\u201d)? Is the NCAA, with a straight face, going to enact \u201cpenalties\u201d after the fact or strip wins for that minor of a violation while comparative highway robbery is going on in Baton Rouge and elsewhere? And what\u2019s to stop a conference from saying, \u201cnah, if you\u2019re going to allow that kind of nonsense with other schools, we don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to let you do that to our program\u201d? I don\u2019t know. But then again, there are no true rules anymore, so it\u2019s worth a shot. <\/p>\n

Tennessee has been fearless against an NCAA organization that\u2019s had a bone to pick with the program for years now. Tennessee beat them in court on the Nico Iamaleava situation. Perhaps it\u2019s time the Vols up the ante and take that fight to the field as well. <\/p>\n

To be clear, Tennessee doesn\u2019t need Carter to beat Georgia Tech. He\u2019s certainly outstanding, but the Vols are talented and deep in their linebacker room. <\/p>\n

But it goes beyond that to something deeper: fundamental fairness. And if a group of players who decided that college football is just minor league football can still suit up for 12+ games this fall, then someone who chose college football months before that shouldn\u2019t be watching any games from the sideline. <\/p>\n

\"Play<\/a><\/p>\n

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Tennessee Volunteers News<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tESPN\u2019s preseason bowl projections make it clear what they think of the Tennessee Vols\u2019 outlook for 2026\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

The Tennessee Vols begin their 2026 season in just under two weeks. The Vols are an interesting team, as there\u2019s no doubt they have plenty of talent on the roster, particularly at the skill positions on offense and linebackers on defense. However, there are plenty of question marks that Tennessee has to answer this year. [\u2026]<\/p>\n