Back in January, right before the biggest stage of the season, Mario Cristobal slammed the targeting rule. He said it needed a serious rethink after Miami DB Xavier Lucas got flagged for targeting late in the CFP semifinal that went on to affect their national championship game performance. By late February, the NCAA stepped in with a proposal for the higher ups to change the targeting penalty and now, the changes are here.
For the 2026 season, the DI FBS Oversight Committee has approved a one-year trial change to the targeting penalty structure. It’s a test run that could directly address the kind of situation Xavier Lucas found himself in. Under the new rule, a player flagged for targeting for the first time in a season will not have to miss any part of the next game. That’s the change Mario Cristobal has been pushing for.
Back in that Ole Miss clash in the Fiesta Bowl, the helmet-to-helmet contact on Rebels WR Cayden Lee was reviewed and upheld. That meant Lucas not only got ejected from that game but also had to sit out the first half of the national title clash against Indiana. And that’s why Mario Cristobal didn’t hold himself back.
“We feel it was unjustly administered, and now it impacts the last game of the season,” he said.
Changes to penalty structure for targeting in DI football approved.https://t.co/QsuqtaKBqq
— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) March 19, 2026
We’ll just have to wait and see if the new changes will make a meaningful impact on the field. But with this change comes a big catch. The change only helps first-time offenders as repeat violations still carry escalating penalties. A second targeting offense will cost the first half of the next game. A third violation and they won’t be playing their next game at all. But well, not a single player went on to test the offense for a third time in 2025.
Also, the conferences will have the option to appeal targeting calls, especially second and third offenses, by sending them to the NCAA’s national coordinator of football officials for video review. If overturned, the suspension disappears. But just as crucial, this is only a one-year trial for the 2026 season, meaning the NCAA is still very much in evaluation mode before making anything permanent. It has still come a long way though. Targeting was introduced back in 2008, with automatic ejections coming in 2013. Since 2022, conferences have had limited appeal options. But targeting wasn’t the only change on the table.
Other changes the NCAA brought
The NCAA also approved a rule that allows teams to attempt a fair-catch kick, which is like a free field goal, from the spot of a fair catch. The defense has to stay 10 yards back. If it goes through, the team wins three points. This change drives college football into similar territory with the NFL and high school rules.
There were also adjustments to offensive pass interference, now reduced from 15 yards to 10. and clearer guidelines around unsportsmanlike conduct which include deeper look into player taunts and inappropriate celebrations. But for fans waiting for dress code changes, the NCAA didn’t crack down on uniform trends and short pants are still safe.
Mario Cristobal’s frustration didn’t rewrite the rulebook overnight but it definitely echoed in the room. The NCAA heard it and it’s giving a first warning without consequences for players. But the question remains if this one-year trial will be a boon or bust.
