A significant shift in college athletics occurred this week as the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference (SEC), and Big 12 Conference each adopted policies prohibiting former professional football players from returning to play in their respective leagues. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is also considering a similar move, aligning the major conferences on this issue.
On Wednesday, the Big 12 Conference announced its decision to ban players who were on NFL rosters from returning to college, following similar rulings by the SEC and Big Ten on Tuesday. The NFL also clarified that players who leave the professional league to return to college will not be eligible to rejoin the NFL this season.
The Big Ten initiated the policy changes on Tuesday, making football players ineligible if they signed professional contracts, appeared on an NFL roster, or declared for the NFL Draft as underclassmen without withdrawing. The conference also outlined penalties for violations, including a coach suspension for 50% of the season and an institutional fine.
The SEC followed suit on Tuesday afternoon, implementing a similar policy that extends to both football and basketball. The SEC stated its commitment to preserving college sports as distinct from professional sports, protecting opportunities for current and future student-athletes, and promoting competitive equity. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was granted full authority to enforce the policy, which could include suspending a school from competition.
The Big 12’s policy, passed on Wednesday, prohibits athletes from competing in all sports if they were on a professional roster. The ACC’s policy, which uses language similar to the SEC’s, also forbids professional football and basketball players from returning. Even the Mountain West Conference announced a similar policy hours after the ACC.
These discussions gained momentum following reports that former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright and former New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Zxavian Harris were reportedly leaving the professional ranks to play for LSU. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin defended the idea of courting professional players, noting that if they do not play for one team, they will play for another.
The SEC presidents met virtually on Monday to express opposition to professional players returning to college, emphasizing that college athletes, not former professional athletes, are at the heart of the conference. The new rules mean SEC schools can no longer have such athletes on their football or basketball rosters.
Legal challenges may arise from these new conference-wide rules, as leagues could become defendants in new lawsuits filed by athletes, potentially in front of the same judges currently handling existing lawsuits against the NCAA. If conferences are unable to enforce these policies, commissioners and presidents will need to determine how to sanction schools directly for playing ineligible athletes.
