NCAA suspensions for improper benefits may feel like a thing of the past, given how quickly compensation rules have been liberalized in the wake of NIL’s legalization in the summer of 2021.
However, Indianapolis is still watching.
LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith found that out Thursday when he was suspended a game—the Tigers’ opener against Florida State on Sept. 3—for an autograph-related violation that predates the NIL era. Smith was set to return against the Seminoles after suffering a season-ending injury in the two teams’ season-opening meeting last year.