Big Ten and SEC move to ban former NFL players from college football
Power conferences have unanimously approved rules to prevent athletes who signed professional contracts from returning to the field, citing legal uncertainty over fifth-year eligibility.
The Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) have taken decisive steps to restrict the return of former National Football League (NFL) players to college football. On Tuesday, the Big Ten became the first conference to levy significant penalties for this practice, with its athletic directors and faculty athletics representatives unanimously approving the ban. The move targets players pursuing a fifth year of eligibility within the league, marking a shift towards stricter institutional enforcement.
The penalties introduced by the Big Ten are modelled on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ghost transfer rule. Under this framework, coaches found in violation are banned from 50 per cent of games, while the school faces a financial penalty equal to 20 per cent of its football budget. The ban specifically covers players who signed a professional contract, were on a professional roster, or declared for the NFL draft without withdrawing.
The SEC followed suit later on Tuesday after a meeting at its headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. The conference also approved the policy unanimously. This decision came as LSU was considering adding two former NFL players to its roster, a move that had drawn scrutiny within the conference.
These developments arrive amid growing legal uncertainty regarding eligibility rights. The NCAA recently approved a measure allowing players to play up to five seasons within a five-year span, but this applied only to the class of 2023 and later. Consequently, players from the class of 2022 filed lawsuits seeking temporary injunctions to claim a fifth season, with some succeeding. This has led to a push from players who signed NFL contracts to return to school, utilising these court rulings.
LSU has been at the centre of the controversy, with head coach Lane Kiffin securing commitments from defensive tackle ZXavian Harris and former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Harris. While LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry has been supportive of the plan, Kiffin expressed reservations about the broader rule, arguing that the specific players in question were part of a class ruled wrong by the NCAA.
The Big 12 is currently mulling a similar ban, and the ACC is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss the subject. The SEC released a statement urging Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act in September, though the league is moving toward individual conference-wide rules and enforcement. This signals a potential step toward self-governance models, should federal legislation in Washington, D.C., fail to become law later this year.
