NCAA Moves Toward Harsher Tampering Penalties Following Clemson Portal Controversy

The lines surrounding the NCAA’s tampering violations — whether in football or basketball — have been blurred for some time. This past transfer portal cycle, the Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney believed they experienced that reality firsthand.

Now, there may finally be movement toward accountability.

On Monday night, NCAA Vice President of Enforcement Jon Duncan distributed a memo explaining that the Division I Board of Directors has instructed his staff to “pursue significant penalties” in tampering cases, increase public disclosure of those cases and reiterate the importance of complying with the NCAA’s tampering bylaw, as first reported by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.

In a memo sent today to NCAA schools, VP of Enforcement Jon Duncan announces that the DI Board of Directors has charged the staff to “pursue significant penalties” for tampering violations, while also more publicly announcing cases, and reminded schools about the tampering bylaw. pic.twitter.com/UwLWVBQEkq
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 23, 2026

Duncan added that the NCAA is working on an “infractions modernization task force” to speed up investigations into possible tampering and other rule violations, aiming to better adapt to the changing landscape of Division I athletics.

The timing of the memo is significant for Clemson, but to understand why, you have to rewind to January.

During the beginning of the 15-day transfer portal window, former Cal linebacker Luke Ferrelli entered the portal fresh off an ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign and quickly committed to the Tigers following a January 6 visit.

He signed a financial aid agreement, enrolled in classes and even began participating in team activities. What Clemson did not have finalized, however, was a signed NIL or revenue-share agreement with Ferrelli, according to Tiger Illustrated.

The standout linebacker did, in fact, sign his scholarship papers, though, which officially removed him from the transfer portal. Had a revenue-sharing agreement been signed, Clemson would have been in a position to pursue damages directly from Ferrelli.

During that same window, Clemson officials say Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding reached out to Ferrelli to discuss his buyout and later increased the financial terms presented. Ferrelli relayed those communications to Swinney, according to the program.

Still, on the final day the portal remained open, Ferrelli informed Clemson he’d be re-entering and headed to Oxford, Mississippi, with him ultimately committing and signing with the Rebels at a later date.

Swinney, alongside Athletics Director Graham Neff, later addressed the situation in a press conference — which went viral due to the clear timeline and receipts of the incident — stating Clemson had turned over documentation of the communications to the NCAA and believed tampering had occurred.

Clemson isn’t the only school to publicly call out the tampering, either. At the end of January, Fresno State added onto Swinney and the program's complaint, alleging that Ole Miss also tampered with the Bulldogs’ leading receiver, Josiah Freeman.

While the directive doesn’t reference specific cases or outline whether prior complaints will be revisited, the call for "significant penalties” and increased transparency suggests enforcement officials recognize the growing frustration across programs navigating the portal landscape.

As programs across the country will be watching closely, the question still stands: Is the NCAA actually going to do something about it, and if they do, then when?