If Lane Kiffin coached in the Big Ten, he’d have a problem.
That’s because the Big Ten Conference has passed a rule that prevents players who declared for the NFL draft and didn’t withdraw, appeared on an NFL roster or were part of another professional league from playing in the conference, ESPN reported on Tuesday morning. The action was unanimously approved by Big Ten athletic directors.
Later on Tuesday, the Big Ten released a statement addressing the decision.
“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 conference continues to evaluate potential rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition.”
To keep coaches from even considering circumventing this new policy, the Big Ten also confirmed to The Athletic that any coach who plays one of the now-prohibited players would be suspended for half the season, and incur an institutional fine.
This comes in the wake of several players who appeared on NFL rosters this summer going back to school to play college football, with temporary restraining orders being granted to 16 players in Louisiana, allowing individuals who graduated from high school in 2022 to play a fifth collegiate season.
On that front, the aforementioned Kiffin has added three players to his roster at LSU this month who each played for him on the Ole Miss Rebels last season: tight end Dae’Quan Wright, defensive tackle Zxavian Thomas and safety Wydatt Williams.
Elsewhere, former Oregon State Beavers running back Anthony Hankerson is expected to return to college after being waived by the Seattle Seahawks, with whom he played for in the NFL preseason.
After a videoconference, the SEC released a statement of its own on the matter on Monday night.
“College athletes, not former professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference,” the statement read. “Individuals who choose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts, and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition. Allowing that to occur will blur the line between college and professional sports, create significant competitive equity concerns, and reduce opportunities for high school and current college athletes.
“College sports are for college athletes. The current confusion around national eligibility standards emphasizes the need to advance the Protect College Sports Act.”
The Protect College Sports Act is a bipartisan federal bill that’s designed to establish guardrails regarding name, image and likeness (NIL) and college eligibility.
