SEC joins Big Ten banning return of NFL players, adds pro basketball ban
The SEC has joined the Big Ten in banning football players who have signed a professional contract or been on a professional team from being on one of its conference members’ rosters.
The SEC announced its ruling Tuesday after SEC presidents, chancellors, and athletic directors held the first of two days of previously scheduled meetings in Birmingham, Ala.
The Big Ten’s ruling earlier Tuesday announced that a violation of the rules would subject a head coach to suspension for 50% of remaining games plus an undisclosed fine.
“The Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday the unanimous adoption of a conference rule to prohibit football players who have signed a professional contract, were on a professional roster at any point, or declared for the NFL Draft as an underclassman without withdrawing, from maintaining eligibility for athletic competition at a conference institution,” the league said, per ESPN.
“The conference continues to evaluate potential rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition.”
The SEC ruling also included a statute involving professional basketball.
Per the SEC release shared on the “X” social media platform:
“An SEC Institution is not permitted to have an athlete on its roster who has:
- Previously declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA Draft, and did not appropriately withdraw
- Signed a contract with an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliated) team, or
- Been listed on an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) roster.
“The commissioner is authorized to enforce this expectation with penalties against member institution.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart made it clear the Bulldogs were not actively evaluating any NFL players with a return to the college ranks in mind.
“We’re not currently evaluating anybody that are on NFL rosters,” Smart said on Tuesday. “My thought is just to each his own. I’m worried about our team, our organization, how we do things. The opportunities presented to the guys on our team are important to me.
“They’ve earned those opportunities through an offseason, through a summer program, through a really tough fall camp. You have to decide, each and every person, if that’s valuable enough to warrant replacing your players that have worked with your team with others.”
ESPN reported that ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said his conference plans to discuss the topic this week, while Big 12 ADs are scheduled to meet on Wednesday and follow the lead of the Big Ten and SEC.
Per ESPN’s Heather Dinich, Notre Dame is “totally opposed” to players returning to play college football after time in the NFL.
The LSU football team had previously had three players with agreements or commitments to return to the collegiate ranks who had finished their previous eligibility clock.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s reasoning was that the players were going to return to the collegiate level elsewhere, if not his program.
“At the end of the day, because of these (court) rulings, they’re either going to play for you, or they’re going to play for someone else around the country,” Kiffin said at an LSU football press conference on Monday, per ESPN.
“So we’ve made the decision to recruit them like probably most people are.”
The players’ decisions involving LSU came after a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order allowing 16 players to return for a fifth year of eligibility.
LSU was also planning to get former St. John’s basketball star and 2025 Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. on its basketball roster for the 2026-27 season after he was granted a preliminary injunction by the Louisiana judge.
Luis went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft but signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, was traded to the Boston Celtics, and spent time with a G League affiliate before being waived.