{
  "id": 4903702,
  "title": "Clemson coach calls NFL players returning to play college football ‘embarrassing’ for the sport",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/clemson-coach-calls-nfl-players-returning-to-play-college-football-4903702",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T17:23:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-eligibility-dabo-swinney-50aff66a7a7f0308227548d6a7e32bdc"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Clemson's head football coach Dabo Swinney voiced his disapproval on Tuesday regarding the notion of former professional players returning to college football this season. The Clemson coach labeled it a \"joke\" as his team gears up to face LSU, the institution that has sparked this controversy.\n\nBefore the start of Clemson's opening game against No. 11 LSU on Saturday night, Swinney expressed his frustration with the current state of college football. This sentiment is shared by several other coaches who have publicly criticized the idea of allowing former NFL players back into college football.\n\nOne such player, former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright, has been practicing with LSU under new first-year head coach Lane Kiffin. Wright, an Ole Miss alumnus, is not expected to play this week due to the NCAA's acclimatization protocol. The status of other players, including defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and defensive back Blake Cotton, who have spent part of the offseason with NFL clubs, remains uncertain.\n\nCurrently, all Power Five conferences, along with three of the Group of Six conferences, have prohibited former professional players from returning to college football. This decision has led to legal challenges. Kiffin, who recently transferred from Ole Miss to LSU, has been under scrutiny for his team's active recruitment of former NFL players.\n\nKiffin defended his decision on Monday, stating that his choices are made with the best interests of the players in the team room in mind, not for his own reputation. He further argued that if college players are being compensated like professionals, college teams should be allowed to make late roster additions, asserting that this is how the real world operates.\n\nWhile Swinney has only met Kiffin once, he has expressed no issues with the LSU coach. Swinney also acknowledged that he doesn't blame the players for seeking new opportunities after being cut from NFL rosters. However, he emphasized his frustration with the lack of proper governance in college football.",
  "summary": "CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — The list of football coaches publicly criticizing the possibility of former pros being allowed to return to play in college this season was joined Tuesday by Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who called it a…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "What is LSU football's all-time record vs. Clemson?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/what-is-lsu-footballs-all-time-record-vs-clemson",
        "published": "2026-09-01T12:25:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Clemson coach calls NFL players returning to play college football ’embarrassing’ for the sport",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/clemson-coach-calls-nfl-players-returning-to-play-college-football",
        "published": "2026-09-01T17:01:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}