Big Ten Bans NFL Returnees from Playing

In response to a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana judge, which allows NFL rookies to return to college football for another year, the Big Ten has moved swiftly. The conference will implement a new rule forbidding players who participated on NFL rosters from joining its schools.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Big Ten sources confirmed the impending rule. These players include those who declared for the NFL Draft, didn’t withdraw, or appeared on an NFL roster. The new policy will prevent them from joining any Big Ten team.

A few players, such as Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris from the New Orleans Saints, have already committed to LSU. Others like TJ Harden, Anthony Hankerson, Wydett Williams Jr., and Jack Pyburn have also been granted an additional year of eligibility.

“I think there’s a lot of negatives that are involved around this,”

Big Ten coaches, including Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Ohio State’s Ryan Day, have expressed their disapproval. Both emphasized that once a player is in the NFL, they should remain there. Allowing former NFL players to return disrupts roster planning and can be unfair to current team members.

Lanning believes players returning from the NFL are unfair to those who have worked year-round to earn their spot. “To let any of those players come back, fair or unfair to them, it’s unfair to the sport and… the players that are on current teams,” he stated.

Ryan Day highlighted the need for conferences to have locked rosters to avoid certain teams gaining an unfair advantage. Though critical of the idea, Day emphasized the necessity of doing what benefits Ohio State.