Big 12 Unanimously Bans Pros From Returning in All Sports as ACC Weighs Similar Rule
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Aug 26
Big 12 Unanimously Bans Pros From Returning in All Sports as ACC Weighs Similar Rule
3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Aug 26
Summary
Big 12 athletic directors voted unanimously Wednesday night to bar professional athletes from returning to conference schools in every sport, making it the first league to apply the ban across the board.
The rule covers athletes who stayed in a pro draft, appeared on a professional roster or signed with any pro league, closing a path opened by a court order for some 2022 entrants.
Two NFL players — Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Zxavian Harris — had planned to leave their teams and join LSU, accelerating pressure on conferences to act.
Big Ten and SEC announced similar restrictions Tuesday, though with narrower sport coverage, and ACC athletic directors met Wednesday with momentum building for at least an NFL-player ban.
The dispute stems from a June NCAA eligibility model granting up to 5 years within 5 years, while leaving athletes who started in 2022-23 outside the new framework.