The Southeastern Conference passed a rule Tuesday banning players who have been drafted by NFL, NBA or WNBA teams or listed on rosters in those leagues, joining the Big Ten in taking a strong stand against this month’s unexpected surge of pro players trying to return to college.
The SEC’s rule differs from the one adopted by the Big Ten, which only included football in its decision released earlier in the day and is expected address other sports later.
The news was the latest in a head-spinning week of court rulings, emergency rulemaking sessions and player signings, all of which point to a college sports landscape in disarray. The moves by the nation’s two biggest conferences, four days before the start of football season, are intended to tamp down on the latest crisis 鈥� one involving players who came back to college after being released from pro rosters.
鈥淚 feel like I took a freaking gummy,鈥� said Sean McVay, the coach of the Los Angeles Rams, when asked about the prospect of a player he released returning to college. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even understand it.鈥�
The SEC rule puts LSU on notice. This week, Tigers coach Lane Kiffin added and Zxavian Harris, a pair of undrafted players out of Mississippi who had tryouts in the NFL over the summer, but were released by their teams during training camp.
The rule, which also applies to players signed by the NBA G League, will impact R.J. Luis Jr., who Monday that allowed him to sign with Will Wade鈥檚 basketball program at LSU despite having briefly been under contract with the Jazz and Celtics of the NBA.
There was no immediate comment from LSU.
The Big Ten’s penalties for violating its rule include a half-season suspension for the head coach and a fine to the school. The SEC did not immediately divulge its penalties, though commissioner Greg Sankey is expected to have wide latitude in figuring out punishment.
鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 run any other type of corporation, organization, anything else the way we鈥檙e being run right now,鈥� Duke football coach Manny Diaz said. 鈥淎nd so I hope the leagues do step up because somebody has to right now, because when there鈥檚 a vacuum, this is what you see.鈥�
The other Power 4 leagues, the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 Conferences, are expected to discuss the issue Wednesday.
Kiffin, the LSU football coach, suggested in a news conference Monday that if LSU didn’t take players who didn’t make it in the pros, other teams certainly would. Now, nobody can 鈥� at least not among the 34 teams that make up the two biggest leagues in college and play an outsize role in spearheading policy across the industry.
They are reacting to a series of losses in state courts around the country, where judges are granting players who graduated high school in 2022 a fifth year of eligibility. In June, the NCAA passed a rule giving most players five years to finish five seasons of eligibility in college, but did not grandfather in the Class of ’22.
Hundreds of those players saw their fourth 鈥� and supposedly final 鈥� year of eligibility run out last spring. They are arguing in courts that they’re being denied educational opportunities and the chance to earn name, image and likeness money that they could get in a fifth year.
TCU coach Sonny Dykes, whose team plays North Carolina in Saturday’s season opener in Ireland, said eligibility issues are out of control.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a rudderless ship right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 mean, I don鈥檛 know who鈥檚 in charge of football anymore.鈥�
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AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard and Stephen Hawkins and AP freelance writer Dan Greenspan contributed to this report.
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