RotoWire.com, as part of our college football betting analysis, is breaking down the most penalized college football teams during the 2025 season, updating on a weekly basis for the most up-to-date stats. Using TeamRankings.com, we ranked teams based on a discipline score, which is found by taking Penalties per game + Penalty yards per game and dividing it by two. [(Penalties per game +penalty yards per game)/2]
2025's Most Penalized College Football Teams: Weekly Rankings & Analysis
Rank | Team | Discipline Score |
1 |
| 45.7 |
2 |
| 43.3 |
3 |
| 43.0 |
T4 |
| 41.5 |
T4 |
| 41.5 |
6 |
| 41.1 |
7 |
| 40.4 |
8 |
| 39.9 |
9 |
| 39.4 |
10 |
| 39.1 |
11 |
| 38.3 |
T12 |
| 37.8 |
T12 |
| 37.8 |
14 |
| 37.7 |
15 |
| 37.5 |
T16 |
| 37.4 |
T16 |
| 37.4 |
T16 |
| 37.4 |
19 |
| 37.2 |
20 |
| 37.1 |
Duke Blue Devils (-)
Pittsburgh Panthers (↑6)
UCLA Bruins (↑1)
James Madison Dukes (↓2)
UTSA Roadrunners (↑17)
Georgia State Panthers (↑3)
Cincinnati Bearcats (-)
Toledo Rockets (↑2)
Appalachian State Mountaineers (↑4)
Missouri State Bears (↓5)
Tulane Green Wave (↓4)
Arkansas Razorbacks (↑71)
Texas A&M Aggies (↑2)
Florida Atlantic Owls (↑3)
TCU Horned Frogs (↑3)
UAB Blazers (↓2)
UL Monroe Warhawks (↓7)
Texas Longhorns (↑2)This knowledge could give you an edge at sports betting apps this weekend.
Who Are America's Most-Penalized CFB Teams?
As far as discipline (or lack thereof), nobody's doing less with more than the 
Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Coach Jake Dickert's team ranks worst out of 136 FBS teams in penalty yards per game at 82.3. In penalties committed per game, Wake is at 9.1, which is 135th overall in FBS. On Saturday, Wake committed 11 penalties for 93 yards in a 42-7 loss to Florida State.
That lack of discipline gives the Demon Deacons a score of 45.7 in our analytics, based on data at TeamRankings.com, for most penalized teams. They are ahead of fellow miscreants Louisiana Tech (43.3 score), Duke (43.0), then Pittsburgh and UCLA (41.5 each).
The 
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs give the ACC team a run for its money, averaging 78.4 yards per game.
The Blue Devils are 134th nationally, at 78.0 yards per game. Pitt and UCLA are tied at 74.6 yards per game apiece.
Georgia State has had the most penalties per game (9.4) called against them, though the Panthers are eighth by our system with a score of 39.9 points. Wake (9.1), Miami of Florida (8.6), Pitt and UCLA (8.4 each) and James Madison (8.3) are next in line for most yellow flags per game.
Check out college football odds for this week's college football games at RotoWire.com.
Q&A
Q: What are the most penalized college football teams in 2025?
A: Each week of the 2025 season, RotoWire updates its rankings of the most penalized college football teams using penalty data from TeamRankings.com. Teams are ranked by their discipline score, which combines both penalties per game and penalty yards per game for all games played. The teams with the highest scores are considered the most penalized and least disciplined.
Q: How is the discipline score calculated?
A: The discipline score is designed to balance both the frequency of penalties and their impact. The formula is: (Penalties per game + Penalty yards per game) / 2. This ensures that a team that commits a lot of penalties and/or racks up significant yardage losses, gets reflected properly in the ranking.
Q: Why do penalties matter in college football?
A: Penalties can change the outcome of games. They can stall offensive drives, extend opponents' possessions, and swing momentum. Teams that consistently rank among the most penalized often struggle in close games, while disciplined teams are more likely to avoid costly mistakes in high pressure situations.
