The NCAA has reduced the suspension of Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter from two games to one, athletic director Danny White announced Tuesday.
The ruling will allow Carter to return for No. 20 Tennessee's game at Georgia Tech on Sept. 12. Carter remains suspended for Tennessee's opener against Furman on Sept. 5.
The NCAA had announced on July 29 that Carter would be suspended for two games for accepting a $427 flight from an agent after he declared for the NFL draft.
"While I strongly agree with [Tennessee coach] Josh Heupel's comment about how ridiculous this is in our current environment, 1 game is better than 2," White wrote in a statement posted to social media. "If players around the country are allowed to leave NFL camps and play college football, the NCAA should do the right thing and drop it all altogether.
"This is yet another example of applying archaic rules from another era, without evolving and, most importantly, putting student-athletes' experiences above bureaucracy. Arion doesn't deserve this unnecessary distraction."
Carter, a senior from Smyrna, Tennessee, played through a foot injury late in the 2025 season. After declaring for the draft, he aggravated the injury and needed surgery, and he ultimately decided to return to Tennessee for another season.
In a statement last month, Heupel said Carter disengaged from the agent and repaid him for the flight in January.
"We disagree with the NCAA's ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall," Heupel said of the ruling last month. "Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being. He will proudly graduate from Tennessee in public health with Dean's List honors in August. Our team stands behind AC and his family."
Carter had 76 tackles with 1.5 sacks and one fumble recovery last season.
