Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman says the SEC is standing together behind its policy that bars athletes who have been on an NFL roster - or the roster of another professional football league - from returning to compete in the conference.
Plowman, who leads the SEC’s executive committee, said Tuesday the league is not wavering on the rule. “We have a responsibility to try and lead the best we can in this time of chaos.
Our group is united on this. This is not a rule we will budge on … Enough is enough,” she told ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Mark Schlabach.
The dispute has LSU at the center of the conversation, with the program continuing to push for the ability to recruit those players. On Monday, Lane Kiffin said that “every one of” the players on the team’s leadership committee was “emphatic” about him continuing to do so.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, whose team opens against LSU in Week 1, took aim at the practice and at Kiffin as well. He called it “kinda embarrassing” and added, “All that outside stuff … no pun intended, we just stay in our lane here at Clemson,” he said.
Plowman also drew a hard line on the broader issue, saying the debate is not really about the “five-for-five” label. “We want to clarify - this is not about the five-for-five,” she said.
“This is about - if you signed a contract, you signed a contract. That’s always been the bottom line.
You don’t get to un-sign it and come back.”
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Jim Knowles Just Revealed Tennessees Early Defensive Concern
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One of the more notable talking points was the impact of Edrees Farooqs injury, which has created an early roster concern for the Vols on that side of the ball. Knowles also said the group has made strides in tackling, while offering his read on quarterback Faizon Brandon and the way he plays, giving Tennessee a clearer picture of how the defense is shaping up before the opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]