Power 4 Conferences Unanimously Bar Former Professionals from Returning to College Athletics

Andrea Adelson Aug 27, 2026, 05:00 PM ET

The Atlantic Coast Conference has enacted a resolution prohibiting former professionals from returning to compete in college football and men’s and women’s basketball, aligning with the other Power 4 conferences to enforce strict eligibility standards.

The policy applies to athletes who declared for the NFL, NBA, or WNBA drafts without withdrawing beforehand, those who signed contracts with the NFL, NBA/G League, or WNBA, and anyone currently listed on a professional roster.

The board of directors approved the measure unanimously.

In a statement, the conference clarified its stance: “This action underscores the ACC’s dedication to maintaining college sports as a distinct opportunity for students, separate from professional athletics, while safeguarding competitive equity for current and future student-athletes.”

The shift toward stricter policies at major conferences follows the departures of Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris from NFL minicamps, as both intended to return to play at LSU.

The pair’s ability to return to college football stems from a court order that has caused significant disruption within the NCAA by granting athletes from the 2022 recruiting class an additional year of eligibility.

Wright and other members of the 2022 class had played four college seasons before turning professional, operating under the assumption that they had exhausted their eligibility. While the NCAA implemented a new age-based model in June allowing athletes up to five years of eligibility within a five-year window, the updated rules did not apply to those who began their careers in the 2022-23 season.

Earlier in the week, Duke head coach Manny Diaz expressed his support for the ACC establishing rules that prevent players who have signed professional contracts from returning to college play.

“I do not fault the players or the individual schools, as no one is violating any rules. However, if a situation fails the smell test, the decision-makers must step up and acknowledge that this is not something we stand for.”

Diaz further highlighted that teams are currently capped at 105 roster spots, meaning that unless a program intentionally kept vacancies, any returning professional would inevitably displace another athlete.

“You are removing a player who has already completed summer conditioning and an offseason program, which creates significant morale issues,” Diaz explained. “There are real-world consequences to these decisions. Unlike professional sports, where you simply check the waiver wire and make a cut, the ripple effects here are much deeper. I am curious to see what is truly occurring at all these institutions, not just with former NFL players, but across all eligibility cases—did someone else lose their roster spot in the process?”

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