The Big Ten has become the first conference to ban football players who have signed professional contracts from returning to play at its schools. This decision comes amid lawsuits and eligibility disputes in college sports. The issue gained attention when DaeโQuan Wright, a former Mississippi tight end, was allowed an unexpected fifth year of eligibility by a state court order. The Big Tenโs rule, approved unanimously by administrators, prohibits players who have signed professional contracts or declared for the NFL draft without withdrawing from maintaining eligibility. The Southeastern Conference also opposes professional athletes returning to college sports.
The Big Ten became the first conference Tuesday to adopt a rule prohibiting football players who have signed professional contracts from returning to play at its schools as college sports finds itself mired in lawsuits and disputes over eligibility.
The matter came to a head Monday when the agent for former Mississippi tight end DaeโQuan Wright said Wright could be heading to LSU thanks to a state-level court order allowing him and others an unexpected fifth year of eligibility despite a NCAA rule change in June impacting players who graduated from high school in 2022. There are a number of lawsuits in dispute around the country.
The Big Ten said that administrators unanimously approved the 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. It did not rule out restrictions in other sports like basketball.
Wake Forest athletic director John Currie, chairman of the Atlantic Coast Conference ADs group for the upcoming season, said his colleagues plan to discuss the issue in Wednesdayโs regularly scheduled call.
โI donโt think anybody in our league likes the idea of taking away…