ACC Announces Rule Change Banning NFL, NBA and WNBA Players, Follows Lead of Big Ten, SEC, Big 12

The ACC announced a rule change prohibiting professional athletes in sports including football, men's basketball and women's basketball from returning to play in college on Thursday.

The ban includes players that previously declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA drafts and did not withdraw consistent with NCAA requirements as well as players that signed a contract with the NBA, WNBA, NFL or any other professional football league.

Players that have been listed on rosters in any of those leagues are also unable to return and compete at ACC schools.

The SEC previously announced a similar rule on Tuesday before the Big 12 followed suit on Wednesday.

The Big Ten also passed a rule that focused on football players getting banned from returning to the conference after signing with an NFL team or appearing on an NFL roster on Tuesday.

ACC athletic directors met on Wednesday to discuss joining the other conferences with the implementation of a ban, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The rule changes for each conference have come after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that LSU reached an agreement with tight end Dae'Quan Wright for the 2026 college football season after he cleared waivers following his exit from the Cleveland Browns.

The Tigers also received a commitment from former Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris after the New Orleans Saints waived him.

Several athletes, including Wright and Harris, were granted a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana court that made them eligible to return to the college level.

Meanwhile, former St. John's standout guard RJ Luis Jr. was granted a preliminary injunction by a Louisiana judge on Monday that paved the way for him to potentially to play for LSU during the 2026-27 season despite signing multiple NBA contracts.

As conferences continue to manage the eligibility of athletes that have joined professional leagues, the ACC updated its rules on Thursday.