The 2024-2025 college football season has been an eventful one as the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff draws closer and teams jockey for position.
On November 1, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey sent out a memo to league athletic directors and head football coaches on the possibility of fake injuries, outlining punishments for players who fake injuries and games.
“As plainly as it can be stated: Stop any and all activity related to faking injuries to create time-outs,” Sankey wrote in a memo that was obtained by ESPN.
“Play football and stop the feigned injury nonsense.”
The topic first gained nationwide attention last month amid accusations of University of Mississippi players faking injuries on several occasions by dropping down to the ground seemingly of their own accord without any direct reason.
On Saturday, the leading player on the Miami (Florida) Hurricanes, Heisman Trophy candidate Cam Ward, shared his thoughts on the phenomenon with a strong statement as told by an Associated Press journalist.
Ward was asked what he thought about the controversy to which he sent a strong message, according to reporter Tim Reynolds.
“Weak,” Ward said when asked to share his thoughts on faking injuries.
“Should be a penalty,” one commenter said in response.
“We got the real Cam,” another added in the comments section.
Social media personalities and readers have since begun posting videos of alleged fake injuries as the controversy has continued unabated.
Ward entered the weekend with the third-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy behind defensive back Travis Hunter of Colorado and running back Ashton Jeanty of Boise State.
He threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in his team’s 42-14 win over Wake Forest on Saturday while Colorado lost to Kansas, perhaps opening the door for a move up the rankings heading into next weekend.
