The ACC has drawn a hard line: if a player has signed with an NFL, NBA or WNBA team, or has declared for one of those leagues’ drafts, that player cannot be rostered by a member school.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Board of Directors unanimously approved the rule on Thursday, and the league’s release added NBA Summer League and G League contracts to the list as well. The move comes as more professional athletes have explored taking an extra year of eligibility and returning to college programs.
That trend has been front and center this week. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday that ACC athletic directors had met and were expected to reach an agreement soon. The Big 12 put a similar ban in place Wednesday, while the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten issued statements Tuesday.
The timing matters because a number of players have already made the leap back to college. Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Zxavian Harris both said they would rejoin their former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin at LSU. They were among several athletes whose path back to campus was opened by a court order giving the 2022 class a fifth year of eligibility.
Syracuse could also feel the impact. Wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons is still fighting for an extra year, and his status remains unresolved.
Ross-Simmons was one of SU’s top receivers in 2025 after spending two seasons at Colorado State and two more with the Orange. He was not drafted and did not go through NFL camps, but Yahoo! Sports reported that because he played four seasons, his name may have been entered into the NFL Draft.
In Other News...
Syracuse Fans Are About To Feel A Big Dome Gameday Shift
Syracuse football fans heading to the Dome in 2026 are going to notice a different rhythm to home Saturdays. Syracuse University said it is changing the gameday location and overall experience for its home football schedule, and the revised setup will open the area three hours before kickoff. The season itself begins Sept. 5 against New Hampshire at the JMA Wireless Dome, giving supporters an early look at how the new approach will work in practice.
The timing matters because the Orange are entering this stretch with a different look in leadership, too, after the university brought in new chancellor Mike Haynie and new athletic director Bryan Blair. Those changes have already raised expectations around how Syracuse presents its biggest events, and football gamedays are an obvious place to start. What the new pregame flow feels like inside and around the Dome will be one of the more visible tests of that reset once the home schedule gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Is Changing Game Day In A Way Fans Will Notice Fast
Syracuse fans will notice a different feel around football Saturdays in 2026, with athletics rolling out a slate of changes aimed at making the Dome experience louder, brighter and more interactive before kickoff. The updates include a large-format videoboard, live music from local artists, expanded fan amenities and a Toyota Fun Zone, all part of a broader push to make game day feel more like an event from the moment people arrive.
The changes also reach inside the stadium, where the focus shifts toward keeping students and the crowd engaged throughout the game. Syracuse is also planning a new team-arrival tradition with the Crouse College Chimes playing Thunderstruck, along with a new third-down song on defense and a DJ request system that gives the building a more customized soundtrack. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Making Another Important In-State Impression With Rising 2028 Athlete
Brysen Fry has already started to become a familiar name around Syracuse recruiting, and the Chenango Forks High School athlete is set to be back on campus for a game day visit on Oct. 17. The rising 2028 two-way player from Binghamton made an earlier trip to Syracuse University this year, and the Orange have kept the conversation going as they continue to evaluate him as both a football prospect and a local connection worth developing.
Fry has been in touch with Syracuse coaches about his growth, his academics and how he might fit into the program, which is the kind of early groundwork the staff has leaned on with in-state targets. He has come away impressed with what Syracuse is building and the attention it gives to New York players, leaving this next visit as another important chance to deepen a relationship that already appears to be moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]