COLLEGE SPORTS
ACC, Big 12, Big 10, SEC ban pro returns
The Southeastern Conference passed a rule Tuesday banning players who have been drafted by NFL, NBA or WNBA teams or listed on rosters in those leagues, joining the Big Ten in taking a strong stand against an unexpected surge of pro players trying to return to college with the NCAA mired in a sprawling legal fight over eligibility.
The SEC’s rule goes beyond the one adopted earlier in the day by the Big Ten, which only included football in its decision and is expected address other sports later.
The news was the latest in a head-spinning week of court rulings, emergency rulemaking sessions and player signings, all of which point to a college sports landscape in disarray. The moves by the nation’s two biggest conferences, four days before the start of football season, are intended to tamp down the latest crisis — one involving players who came back to college after being released from pro rosters.
“I feel like I took a freaking gummy,” said Sean McVay, the coach of the Los Angeles Rams, when asked about the prospect of a player he released returning to college. “I don’t even understand it.”
The rules — which seem likely to be challenged in court — came after a series of losses for the NCAA in state courts around the country, where judges are granting players who graduated high school in 2022 a fifth year of eligibility. In June, the NCAA passed a rule giving most players five years to finish five seasons of eligibility in college, but did not grandfather in the Class of ’22.
Hundreds of those players saw their fourth — and supposedly final — year of eligibility run out last spring. They are arguing that they’re being denied educational opportunities and the chance to earn name, image and likeness money that they could get in a fifth year.
College rosters are largely set and incoming freshmen and other new players on teams are now faced with sudden competition from athletes whose eligibility had supposedly run out.
Big Twelve bans pro return
The Big 12 Conference on Wednesday followed the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences in banning players who were on NFL rosters from returning to college.
The rule unanimously adopted by the Big 12 bars its schools from adding professional athletes in football or any other conference-sponsored sport. The league said its rule would apply independently of the status of NCAA eligibility determinations.
According to the Big 12 decision, athletes would be ineligible if they declared for the draft or supplemental draft of any professional sports league and did not timely withdraw before the draft, have been listed on a professional roster or signed a contract to provide athletic services with any sports league.
The ACC's plan lays out guidelines for ineligibility
Under the ACC resolution, a school is not permitted to include an individual on its football or men’s or women’s basketball roster when he or she:
— Has previously declared for an NFL, NBA, or WNBA draft and did not appropriately withdraw consistent with NCAA requirements to retain eligibility;
— Signed a contract with the NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, WNBA (or affiliate) or any team that is a member of any such league.
— Been listed on any roster for an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) team.
“Just to me, that’s kind of a cutoff, when a guy goes pro,” N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren said after Thursday’s practice and before the ACC adopted its policy. “And we say ‘Goodbye, good luck,’ and we move on. And there shouldn’t be the ability to come back. If it’s the Big Ten, SEC — it doesn’t matter to me: it’s an amateurism rule.”
Mountain West joins pro ban
Consistent with NCAA eligibility standards, the Mountain West Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a Conference rule prohibiting professional athletes from competing in the sport of football.
Under the rule, a student-athlete shall be ineligible to represent a Mountain West institution in football if the individual: declares for a professional sports league draft and does not timely withdraw; appears on the roster of a professional sports league; or signs a contract with a professional sports league to provide athletic services. Any student-athlete who meets one or more of these criteria shall be deemed ineligible for football competition at a Mountain West member institution.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated August 28, 2026