NCAA suspends Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter for two games tied to $427 flight

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee senior linebacker Arion Carter will miss the first two games of the season because of an NCAA suspension tied to an agent paying for a $427 flight to an NFL training facility during the pre-draft process.

The Knoxville News Sentinel first reported Wednesday of the suspension, with the two-game length later confirmed by the school to The Associated Press. In a statement, coach Josh Heupel said the Volunteers “disagree” with the suspension, noting Carter repaid the agent for the flight cost as he returned to Tennessee.

The suspension will sideline the third-year linebacker and two-year starter for the Sept. 5 opener against Furman at home and the Sept. 12 trip to Georgia Tech.

The ruling comes amid a changed landscape across college athletics with athletes able to be paid directly by schools through revenue sharing, as well as having the ability to profit from use of their name, image and likeness. Those changes have meant millions of dollars in payouts in a far more permissive era compared to decades of rules that blocked athlete compensation.

Yet Carter's case is tied to travel worth a few hundred dollars, while NCAA rules vary by sport when it comes to what is permissible when declaring for the draft with a potential return to campus.

He had declared for the NFL draft in December, signed with an agent and accepted the $427.48 flight, Heupel said in his statement. Carter ultimately withdrew from the draft because of a medical procedure for a foot injury.

“Last January in good faith, he disengaged from the agent in terms of the NFL and paid back the flight in full,” Heupel said. “We disagree with the NCAA's ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being.”

The NCAA initially issued a three-game suspension, though Tennessee appealed and it was reduced to two, according to the News Sentinel.

“NCAA rules are clear: student-athletes may not sign with agents to pursue NFL Draft opportunities, and this student-athlete knowingly violated those longstanding rules," the NCAA said in a statement. "When student-athletes violate NCAA rules, the school declares them ineligible and works with the national office to determine requirements for reinstatement, which can include repayment and/or withholding from competition.”

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football