The Southeastern Conference has drawn a line in the sand as more former professionals try to find their way back into college football.
In the aftermath of LSU’s agreement to sign former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright, the league issued new guidelines aimed at preventing schools from putting professional athletes on their rosters if those players had already taken certain steps into the pro game.
The SEC said on its social media pages that, after meetings with presidents, chancellors and athletics directors, member schools will not be allowed to roster an athlete who has previously declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA Draft and did not properly withdraw, signed a contract with an NFL team or another professional league, NBA-G League, WNBA or affiliate, or been listed on an NFL team or another professional league, NBA-G League, WNBA or affiliate. The conference also said the commissioner is authorized to enforce the policy with penalties against member institutions.
The move follows similar action from other leagues, including the Big Ten Conference, as conferences try to sort out what happens when professionals attempt to return to college athletics.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about Wright’s attempt to come back to college, a situation that would make him the first NFL player who appeared in a professional preseason game to return to the collegiate level.
"I don't even know, you know, [college football] is changing every day right now, it feels almost every three hours," Sarkisian said during his media availability on Aug. 24.
"It feels like almost every three hours, there's a new message from [Southeastern] Commissioner [Greg] Sankey about something that somebody's reporting in the media, that this is what might occur or what's occurring. I think it's important for us here, especially, we have a really good team, and focusing on our team to me is paramount and the most important thing right now."
Sarkisian also pointed to Texas offensive lineman Cole Hutson as an example of a different kind of case. Hutson took part in rookie minicamps with the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys, but he never signed a professional contract, which leaves him outside the SEC’s new restriction.
Hutson, a 2022 enrollee who is now in graduate school at Texas, sued the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility and was granted a temporary restraining order, which allowed him to rejoin the Longhorns during training camp.
Asked about the broader issue, Sarkisian said Hutson’s path was not the same as a player coming in from the outside.
"Cole [Hutson] was a little different," Sarkisian said. "He's been with our program for four years.
He knows who we are. He knows [offensive line] coach [Kyle] Flood.
He knows those guys in that room. To bring in a true outsider, and to think like all of a sudden, he's going to be our quarterback.
Like I don't know how to do that. I get every situation is a little bit different, and maybe there's better coaches out there than us, but I just think it's a delicate situation.
The powers that be are ultimately going to get to a final decision, and then when the final decision is made, then we're going to have choices to make, or maybe we will have no choices to make. I don't know.
We'll have to find out."
Wright was among 16 players who filed suit against the NCAA in Louisiana seeking another year of eligibility. The court ruled that the group, including some players competing in NFL training camps, could return to college with eligibility for the 2026 season.
Even with the SEC’s new guidelines, Wright is expected to challenge the ruling in court, which could still clear the way for him to play for LSU this season.
Wright played in 15 games last season under Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. at Ole Miss, catching 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns. Kiffin and Weis are now at LSU.
Texas is scheduled to play at LSU on Nov. 14.
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