The Big Ten has adopted a new rule prohibiting football players with professional experience from returning to compete for one of its schools, becoming the first of the Power Four conferences to formally establish such a restriction as college football confronts a growing eligibility dispute. The policy applies to players who declared for the NFL draft and did not withdraw, appeared on an NFL roster or signed a contract with a professional football league. The decision was unanimously supported by the conference’s athletic directors, according to reports.
The move follows a Louisiana court ruling that temporarily restored a fifth year of eligibility for a group of athletes from the 2022 high school class. Among them are former Ole Miss players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who pursued NFL opportunities before seeking to return to college. Wright, a tight end, was waived by the Cleveland Browns after previously signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, while Harris was released by the New Orleans Saints. Both are expected to join LSU under coach Lane Kiffin, who coached them at Ole Miss. Sixteen football players were included in the Louisiana temporary restraining order.
The situation has prompted concerns throughout the sport about roster competition, fairness and where the boundary between professional and college football should be drawn. The SEC said Monday that athletes who leave college, sign professional contracts and compete professionally should not subsequently return to college competition, arguing that doing so could create competitive-equity issues and reduce opportunities for current and future college players. Kiffin, meanwhile, has defended LSU’s pursuit of players made eligible by the court rulings, saying, “At the end of the day, because of these rulings, they’re either going to play for you or they’re going to play for someone else around the country.”
The Big Ten’s action could quickly become a broader Power Four policy. The SEC is considering its own conference-wide restriction, while the ACC and Big 12 are also weighing similar bans, according to reporting from Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. The conferences are considering league-specific rules as the NCAA continues to deal with court challenges over eligibility.
The dispute reflects the increasingly unsettled structure of college football following the expansion of player compensation, the transfer portal and recent court decisions affecting eligibility. With NFL teams preparing to finalize their rosters and the college season beginning, conferences are now attempting to establish their own boundaries over whether players who have crossed into professional football should be allowed to return.
Editorial credit: Joseph Hendrickson / Shutterstock.com
