The ACC has now fallen in line with the rest of the Power Four.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, the ACC Board of Directors unanimously approved a policy that bars professional athletes from coming back to compete in the conference. With that move, the ACC became the last Power Four league to adopt the rule, following the Big Ten first and then the SEC and Big 12.
The new policy applies to football and both men’s and women’s basketball. An ACC school cannot put a player on one of those rosters if that athlete has already entered the NFL, NBA or WNBA Draft and failed to withdraw by the NCAA deadline to preserve eligibility.
The same restriction also covers players who signed a contract with an NFL, NBA, G League, WNBA team or one of their affiliated teams. In the NBA Summer League setting, that includes certain paid deals such as an Exhibit 10 or Two-Way Contract.
The conference also made clear that roster eligibility is off the table for anyone who has been listed on a roster for an NFL or other professional football league team, or for an NBA, G-League or WNBA team, including affiliate teams.
The decision comes as Power Four conferences have moved to respond after a wave of student-athletes have sued the NCAA following the announcement of the 5-for-5 ruling, which is not set to take effect until the 2027-28 sports season.
One of the players involved is Louisville signee Seth Trimble, who joined a lawsuit on Aug. 27 alongside Kentucky linebacker Alex Afari as they seek a fifth year. Their special court hearing is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 31.
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