The Big Ten drew a hard line Tuesday, and in doing so made the SEC look like it was still trying to figure out the rules of the game.
The conference announced a unanimous decision to block football players from returning to Big Ten programs after signing a professional contract, being on a professional roster at any point, or declaring for the NFL Draft as an underclassman without withdrawing. In the league’s own words: “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 said in a statement. “The conference continues to evaluate potential rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition.”
That move landed right after LSU benefited from a legal loophole tied to a Louisiana state judge’s temporary injunction. Under that setup, players can regain a fifth year of eligibility if they terminate their pro contracts and repay any pro earnings. That’s the opening that allowed two NFL players, Dae’Quan Wright of the Cleveland Browns and Zxavian Harris of the New Orleans Saints, to reenter the transfer portal and join the Tigers.
The SEC had already put its own stance on the record Monday, saying it believed athletes who leave college athletics for the professional ranks should not be allowed to come back. But the Big Ten didn’t just talk about it - it acted. And according to a CBS report, the league’s vote was unanimous.
That leaves the SEC looking far less decisive, especially with some of its own programs leaving the door open. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said there is a “possibility out there of someone who was on our roster in the past,” to potentially rejoin the Crimson Tide. DeBoer deferred to athletic director Greg Byrne, but the direction of travel is hard to miss.
Alabama has already shown it is willing to test the edges of this mess. Earlier this year, the Crimson Tide basketball team brought back center Charles Bediako mid-season after a Tuscaloosa court granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, even though he had signed and appeared in 82 NBA G League games over three seasons. Bediako was later ruled ineligible despite playing in five games, but the episode fit a pattern: Byrne and Alabama are not exactly strangers to squeezing every opening a broken system provides.
And that’s the larger issue here. College football’s rules seem to change every year, and sometimes every month, while injunctions and court rulings keep rewriting the playbook.
The Big Ten at least tried to draw a boundary. The SEC, for all its talk, is still stuck in the middle of the storm.
Commissioner Greg Sankey and the league’s presidents and chancellors are meeting in Birmingham, Alabama through Wednesday, with the future of college athletics supposed to be the focus, according to ESPN. If there isn’t some real plan to deal with situations like this, college football is going to keep drifting further off course.
In Other News...
Alabama May Be Losing Austin Mack To A Fascinating Portal Fit
Austin Macks time at Alabama appears headed toward an offseason decision, with the quarterback having lost the battle for the starting job to Keelon Russell and now expected to explore the transfer portal after the season. Mack came to Tuscaloosa with a reputation for size, arm talent and long-term upside, but his college rsum is still thin, leaving him in that familiar middle ground for quarterbacks who have shown enough traits to intrigue programs while still needing a clearer path to playing time.
The portal market could make this one worth watching, especially for a Miami team that may soon need help at the position if Darian Mensah departs. For Alabama, it is another reminder of how quickly quarterback rooms can change once a starter is named, and for Mack it could create a fascinating second act somewhere that offers a better runway to develop and play. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Just Drew A New Line In Future Alabama Roster Fights
The SEC has put a fresh boundary around roster building, unanimously approving a rule that keeps member schools from adding former NFL, NBA or WNBA players to their teams. The policy also covers players who have signed with pro football leagues, the G-League or WNBA affiliate teams, and it gives the commissioner power to hand down penalties, including suspensions, if schools cross the line.
For Alabama, the move matters because it narrows one more avenue in the ever-shifting talent market and creates a clearer standard across the league. The SEC is now aligned with the Big Ten in shutting the door on former NFL players in college rosters, a sign that conference leaders want to draw a firmer line as schools keep looking for any competitive edge they can find. [Read more 🡒]
Former Alabama Receiver Is Turning Heads With An Unusual NFL Choice
Germie Bernard is already making an impression in Pittsburgh, and not just because the former Alabama receiver is trying to carve out a role as a rookie for the Steelers. This season, Bernard has chosen to wear a guardian cap over his helmet in games, taking advantage of the NFLs recent approval of the protective gear despite its unusual look.
Bernard explained the decision on Cam Heywards podcast and pointed to the safety benefits of the cap as the reason for going that route. It is an eye-catching choice for a young receiver trying to establish himself, but it also fits a broader conversation around player protection and how some players are willing to embrace new equipment if they think it can help them stay on the field longer. [Read more 🡒]