The Southeastern Conference has become the latest league to bar athletes who already hold professional contracts from returning to college competition. The rule targets anyone drafted or listed on a roster in the NFL, NBA or WNBA, responding to a surge of cases that have blurred the line between collegiate and professional sport.
The Big Ten, which first applied the restriction to football, has indicated it will broaden the policy to other sports as the controversy spreads, signaling a coordinated effort across major conferences to curb the influx of professional players seeking an extra year of eligibility.
Legal upheaval over eligibility
State courts have begun granting former 2022 players a fifth year of eligibility, a move that directly contradicts the NCAA’s long‑standing five‑season limit and has created a patchwork of conflicting rulings.
Among those affected are Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, undrafted players from Mississippi who have taken part in NFL tryouts, and R.J. Luis Jr., who recently won a court decision that clears his path to LSU’s basketball program despite brief stints with the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics.
Penalties for violations are still being shaped, but SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has said he will determine sanctions broadly, while coaches such as Lane Kiffin and Manny Diaz have openly criticized the current landscape, likening it to mismanagement in other industries.
Sonny Dykes, head coach at TCU, described the situation as “rudderless,” underscoring the lack of clear direction among college administrators as they navigate the evolving rules.
The Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences are slated to discuss the issue on Wednesday, and both the SEC and the Big Ten say their actions are intended to curb the influx of professional players seeking an extra year of collegiate eligibility.