Power conferences crackdown on former NFL players returning to college football
The Big Ten became the first power conference to bar former NFL players from pursuing a fifth year of eligibility, with coaches who violate the rule facing a 50% suspension of their team’s remaining games and a financial penalty equal to 20% of the football budget; the SEC followed with a similar policy, and the Big 12 and ACC are weighing their own versions, as players explore eligibility via lawsuits and the transfer portal. The moves signal a shift toward conference-enforced governance outside the NCAA, though legal challenges and enforcement questions loom.
