Notre Dame joins Big Ten, SEC in ban on professional players returning to college

The Big Ten and SEC issued policies on Tuesday banning professional players from returning to the collegiate level. With the Notre Dame Fighting Irish being an independent program, the school had the choice to either allow it or not.

Reports indicate that Notre Dame is joining the Big Ten and SEC in the policy bans, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports. The Irish are on the board with preventing NFL, NBA, WNBA, and G League players from going back to college to play sports.

“Notre Dame officials have communicated to both the SEC and Big Ten that the school is aligned with the prohibition on signing players who have been part of professional organizations, sources tell Yahoo! Sports,” Dellenger reported. “The Irish are adamantly opposed to adding pro players.”

Dellenger also claimed that the ACC and Big 12 are expected to adopt similar policies. If that is the case, each of the major programs, along with Notre Dame, is on the same page. Nothing has been said about the minor programs. Not yet, at least.

“ACC leaders meet later this week to consider a similar policy and Big 12 administrators are expected to also take up the matter,” Dellenger said. “The power leagues and Notre Dame seem aligned: Professional athletes do not belong in college sports.”

The decision comes right before the start of the 2026-27 campaign. Timing is everything, as Chris Vanini of The Athletic reported that NFL final cuts are set for Sunday, August 30. It appears college football programs were expecting multiple pro players to attempt to return to college sports and have promptly put a stop to it.

“Important note about the timing of these conference bans: NFL final cuts come Sunday, and CFB teams must lock in their rosters the day before their first game,” Vanini reported. “A flood was coming.”

One of the only major programs potentially upset with the new policies is the LSU Tigers. Lane Kiffin was in line to sign not one, but two players who were previously cut from the NFL. However, that will no longer come to fruition.

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