The ruling to ban players who signed pro contracts could be implemented as soon as possible. Joseph Cress / USA Today Network via Reuters ConnectAug. 25, 2026 10:07 am EDT Updated Big Ten officials and athletic directors are considering a conference-wide rule that would prohibit football players from returning to college after signing with NFL teams, multiple people involved in the discussions told The Athletic.A meeting is scheduled for later Tuesday with commissioner Tony Petitti, with player eligibility on the agenda, according to two people involved in the meeting.Two of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the conference was not making its internal discussions public, said they expected a new eligibility rule to pass a vote and be implemented as soon as possible.
The move comes in response to several players who have gone through at least parts of NFL preseason training camps eyeing a return to college football after winning a court ruling in Louisiana last week.LSU appears to be the destination for at least two of the plaintiffs in the Louisiana case, including former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who was recently waived by the Browns.Wright would rejoin former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge. Kiffin acknowledged Monday that LSU was recruiting players attempting to bounce back from the NFL but did not name any specific players.
