All 4 power conferences now considering bans on pro players returning to college to play

Four major American college sports conferences are contemplating bans on professional football players returning to college to play, according to recent reports. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Big 12 are also mulling over a similar ban, as reported by Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. The Big Ten is expected to announce its policy on Tuesday, which would prohibit its institutions from allowing former NFL players to join their teams.

This move comes after reports surfaced about NFL players Dae Quan Wright of the Cleveland Browns and Zxavian Harris of the New Orleans Saints leaving their respective teams to play for LSU. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, who previously coached both players at Ole Miss, defended his actions but emphasized that players would either join LSU or another team.

The SEC presidents met virtually on Monday to oppose the return of professional players to college athletics, emphasizing that college athletes should not be permitted to return to college competition after signing professional contracts. The SEC's stance is likely to be echoed by the other conferences as they consider implementing similar policies.

However, this decision may expose the conferences to potential legal challenges, as they could be sued by athletes as defendants in separate lawsuits or added as defendants in existing cases. With all four conferences now considering a ban, the issue may shift the focus from the NCAA to the individual conferences, leaving them to determine the penalties for playing ineligible players.