Ole Miss football finally got the much-awaited update on the tampering allegations Dabo Swinney shook the whole college football with.
NCAA Vice President of Enforcement Jon Duncan sent a memo on Feb. 23, signaling a seismic shift in punishments in tampering allegations, per Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger.
NCAA's word on Ole Miss tampering allegations
"It is our sincerest hope that these potential policy and rules changes will better serve the new era of Division I while balancing fairness and efficiency to meet membership expectations," the memo said, according to the report.
Per Duncan, the NCAA will be working with Geoff Means, the chair of the Division I Board of Directors Infractions Process Committee, to expedite the resolution of violations.
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
The memo also stated how the process will also include "streamlining various stages of an investigation, collecting information from schools or student-athletes more quickly, conducting interviews on a shorter schedule and/or limiting extension requests often made by parties in infractions cases."
"Communications of any kind are not permitted with a student-athlete at another school — or any other representatives of their interests, including agents — before that student-athlete entered the NCAA transfer portal," the memo said.
Given how the whole situation is escalating, recruiting Luke Ferrelli might prove to be more costly to Ole Miss than Pete Golding anticipated.
That is, if the NCAA finally decides to walk the walk they have been talking about.
The million-dollar question is whether the NCAA finally puts its foot down this time, or continues blowing the whistle on a dead ball.