The SEC joined the Big Ten on Tuesday in its unanimous opposition to athletes leaving the NFL and returning to college teams, swiftly passing a new conference rule that gives commissioner Greg Sankey full authority to enforce it “with penalties.”
During an in-person meeting with league presidents, chancellors and athletic directors, the SEC took it even further than the Big Ten, prohibiting anyone who has previously declared for professional basketball from rejoining college athletics without appropriately withdrawing.
Sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel the vote to implement the policy was 16-0 — an important show of unity from conference leaders at a time when some of their own coaches are attempting to add players who were cut from professional teams.
With a step-by-step explanation, the SEC announced its institutions are “not permitted to have an athlete on its roster who has:
1. Previously declared for the NFL, NBA, or WNBA draft, and did not appropriately withdraw.
2. Signed a contract with an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) team.
3. Been listed on an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) roster.”
The announcement stated Sankey “is authorized to enforce this expectation with penalties against member institutions.” An SEC spokesperson later told ESPN that penalties are “to be announced.”
The fundamental principle of NCAA eligibility has been called into question again this month following a flurry of news about former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who hoped to clear waivers with the Cleveland Browns so he can return to college and play for LSU in what would be his fifth season of college eligibility. Wright’s highly publicized situation is unprecedented, but it stood to become part of a trend this year because of an ongoing legal fight between the NCAA and athletes who are pursuing a fifth year.
Wright dressed for the Browns’ preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday but didn’t play. He was waived Monday and went unclaimed by Tuesday’s deadline. He is currently available in the NCAA transfer portal after a judge in Louisiana granted him a temporary restraining order and an opportunity to return to college for a fifth year.
Another athlete, star basketball player RJ Luis Jr., received a temporary injunction to play for LSU this season from a Louisiana judge on Monday, despite signing multiple NBA contracts.
School officials at LSU did not immediately return requests for comment. It’s unclear if LSU football coach Lane Kiffin and men’s basketball coach Will Wade will continue to pursue these players in violation of the new conference rules, if they will let the courts decide or if they will part ways in compliance with the conference.
As the Big Ten and SEC pushed back on these state-by-state court rulings on eligibility, the ACC, the Big 12 and Notre Dame also indicated they weren’t far behind. “Notre Dame is also totally opposed” to any pro-to-college transaction, school sources said.
Meanwhile, athletic directors from the Big 12 met Tuesday, and they will do so again Wednesday, sources told Thamel. They are expected to land in a similar place to that of the SEC and Big Ten on football athletes returning to school but have not formalized what the Big 12’s policy will look like.
The ACC’s members also have meetings scheduled Wednesday with commissioner Jim Phillips, sources told Thamel.
The SEC’s new eligibility rule came a day after the league office issued a statement emphasizing its belief that athletes who choose to leave college athletics and sign professional contracts “should not then be permitted to return to college competition.” The conference presidents and chancellors met on a video conference Monday to discuss it before gathering in person in Birmingham, Alabama, for a previously scheduled meeting.
In its Monday statement, the SEC said pro-to-college moves would “blur the line” between the two levels of play and “create significant competitive equity concerns, and reduce opportunities for high school and current college athletes.”
“College sports are for college athletes,” the statement said. “The current confusion around national eligibility standards emphasizes the need to advance the Protect College Sports Act.”
Attorney Ryan Downton, who represents clients impacted by the SEC’s ruling, told Thamel the league’s actions “put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders.”
“It is cartel-like conduct,” Downton said, “when NCAA conferences attempt to create their own spur-of-the-moment rules in response to courts enjoining those same rules at the NCAA level.”
