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08/25/26 06:47:00

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08/25 18:45 CDT SEC joins Big Ten in banning pros from returning to college, including basketball players SEC joins Big Ten in banning pros from returning to college, including basketball players By EDDIE PELLS and ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writers The Southeastern Conference passed a rule Tuesday banning players who have been drafted by NFL, NBA or WNBA teams or listed on rosters in those leagues, joining the Big Ten in taking a strong stand against this month's unexpected surge of pro players trying to return to college. The SEC's rule differs from the one adopted by the Big Ten, which only included football in its decision released earlier in the day. Combined, it leaves little doubt about where the nation's two biggest conferences stand in the wake of court orders that were allowing players who had been on pro rosters, then released, to return back to college. The SEC rule puts LSU on notice. This week, Tigers coach Lane Kiffin added Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, a pair of undrafted players out of Mississippi who had tryouts in the NFL over the summer, but were released by their teams during training camp. The rule would also apply to basketball player R.J. Luis, who Monday won a court ruling that allowed him to sign with Will Wade's program at LSU despite having briefly been under contract with the Jazz and Celtics of the NBA. There was no immediate comment from LSU. The Big Ten's penalties for violating its rule include a half-season suspension for the head coach and a fine to the school. The SEC did not immediately divulge its penalties. The burst of rulemaking marked the latest chapter in a remarkable month for college sports, which was suddenly faced with the once-unthinkable but now court-approved return to college of players who had signed and sometimes played for professional teams. "I feel like I took a freaking gummy," said Sean McVay, the coach of the Los Angeles Rams, when asked about the prospect of a player he released returning to college. "I don't even understand it." Kiffin was much more in tune with the change, suggesting in a news conference Monday that if LSU didn't take such players, other teams certainly would. Now, nobody can --- at least not among the 34 teams that make up the two biggest leagues in college and play an outsize role in spearheading policy across the industry. Another Power Four league, the Atlantic Coast Conference, was set to discuss the issue Wednesday. They are reacting to a series of losses in state courts around the country, where judges are granting players who graduated high school in 2022 a fifth year of eligibility. In June, the NCAA passed a rule giving most players five years to finish five seasons of eligibility in college, but did not grandfather in the Class of '22. Hundreds of those players saw their fourth --- and supposedly final --- year of eligibility run out last spring. They are arguing in courts that they're being denied educational opportunities and the chance to earn name, image and likeness money that they could get in a fifth year. ___ AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard and Stephen Hawkins and AP freelance writer Dan Greenspan contributed to this report. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
 
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