College football will be about to look a bit different in 2026, in fact — and that’s a lot in all. The NCAA rules committee is well on its way to exploring two opposing ends of the spectrum proposals: a long overdue change to the polarizing targeting rule and a surprisingly draconian crackdown on the way players don their uniforms.
The governing organization is attempting to strike a balance between player safety and a re-emphasis on “the look” of the game, according to a report from The Athletic’s Chris Vannini.
Since its introduction in 2008, the targeting rule has been the most draconian "love-it-or-hate-it" rule. Even if that has not helped eliminate head-on collisions, the punishment has generally appeared to be inadequate: More specifically, the “carry-over” penal sanction has been too simple for the crime to justify, they say. According to existing guidelines, a player flagged for targeting in the second half of a game has to be sidelined the next week’s first half.
The committee is said to be seeking to eliminate that provision for first-time offenders.
The goal?
Retaining the deterrent but keeping the punishment in place for a situation in which a team should not be handicapped for a split-second call and deciding in a past game on a split-second call for a result. The targeting talk should come as expected but the committee’s mention of pant length may surprise some players.
If you have seen more players sporting the “high-water” look with exposed knees, you’re not the only one — and the NCAA isn’t a fan. The committee is advocating for stricter enforcement of existing rules governing equipment, largely for two reasons.
Officials supposedly think "inconsistently short pants" are a minus for the team-sport aesthetic. Short pants can result in displaced thigh and knee pads, which become useless if they’re not actually covering the joints they are meant to protect. The crackdown will not end at the hemline. There will be more yellow flags or formal warnings on jersey-length violations (the “crop top” look) and players with multiple mouthguards.
These rules will be tested right away upon opening the 2026 season on August 29. So, this is truly a world opening weekend, with TCU vs. North Carolina in Dublin and an ACC game between Virginia and NC State in Rio de Janeiro. And whether in Ireland, Brazil or the United States, players should at least ensure their pads are tucked and their hits low, or they’re going to be on the wrong side of the NCAA’s new era of enforcement.