Johnny Football will start the season on the bench, but he won't be there for long.

Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel of No. 7 Texas A&M has been suspended for the first half of Saturday's season opener against the Rice Owls, A&M and the NCAA announced Wednesday in a joint statement.

The statement said there was no evidence that Manziel received payment for signing autographs.

The NCAA and A&M agreed on the one-half suspension because Manziel violated NCAA bylaw 12.5.2.1, an NCAA representative confirmed. The rule says student-athletes cannot permit their names or likenesses to be used for commercial purposes, including to advertise, recommend or promote sales of commercial products, or accept payment for the use of their names or likenesses.

"If additional information comes to light, the NCAA will review and consider if further action is appropriate," the NCAA said in the joint statement. "NCAA rules are clear that student-athletes may not accept money for items they sign, and based on information provided by Manziel, that did not happen in this case."

In addition to the suspension, Manziel will speak to his teammates about lessons learned from the situation and A&M will educate its athletes about signing multiple items for individuals.