Texas A&M's Aggie football team has been fined $50,000 by the SEC for faking an injury during a game against Arkansas. The incident occurred in the fourth quarter, with defensive back Tyreek Chappell sitting down on the field to stop play after the ball had already been spotted. Chappell had no contact during the previous play and showed no signs of injury until he sat down and pointed to his right leg. This prompted a timeout, which is a clear violation of the NCAA's injury timeout rules. The SEC's national coordinator of football officials reviewed the video, which showed a Texas A&M staff member signaling to Chappell before he went down. The conference's policy on feigning injuries was established in 2022, and this is the first time an SEC team has been fined for such an offense. The SEC commissioner, Greg Sankey, has been cracking down on feigned injuries, calling the practice 'disrespectful to the game of football.' The team's coach, Mike Elko, received a public reprimand for the violation, and further infractions could result in a one-game suspension for Elko and additional fines for the team.
