National outlet says the Tennessee Vols were involved in one of the worst officiating calls of the season
There have been some tough officiating calls this season, and the Tennessee Volunteers were involved in one of the more notable ones.
On3 ranked the top 10 worst officiating calls of the season so far, and Tennessee was involved in one of the plays that made their list.
Tennessee’s successful onside kick at the end of their loss to Texas in September was ranked as the No. 7 worst officiating call through the first half of the 2026 season.
The SEC announced two days after the game that the kick should’ve been a penalty on Tennessee.
“The onside kick with 1:22 to play in the Texas at Tennessee football game on Saturday was incorrectly officiated and should have resulted in a five-yard penalty on Tennessee and a replay of the down,” read the statement. “A drop kick is permissible, but a free kick must be made from the kicking team’s restraining line which is the 35-yard line on a kickoff, unless relocated by penalty. The ball was at least one yard behind the 35-yard line when it was kicked.
“In addition, after the ball is ready for play the kicker may not change his lateral position between the hash marks. That spot can change only after a charged timeout or on a subsequent kick. The kicker’s movement after the ready signal violated the rule. The correct enforcement is a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down. The Southeastern Conference regrets the error and will continue working with the Secretary/Editor for NCAA Football Rules and officials to ensure consistent application of free-kick rules.”
Vols head coach Josh Heupel was a little prickly when asked about the ruling from the SEC.
“That kick was actually run previously inside of this league,” said Heupel. “We had had earlier communication with the league, as well…we’ll adjust to the new rule.”
“The ruling we got today as I was walking down here,” added Heupel when asked to specify what he meant by “new rule.”
Ultimately, the call had no impact on the final score of the game (the Vols attempted a Hail Mary as time expired that fell incomplete). Had a penalty been called, Texas would’ve run the clock out and won the game by the same final score (20-17).
