SEC Exec Says League Won't Budge on Letting NFL Players Return to CFB, 'Enough Is Enough'

As the college football world waits to see whether former NFL players will be officially added to LSU's roster for the 2026 season, Tennessee chancellor and president of the SEC's executive committee Donde Plowman made the league's position on the issue perfectly clear.

"We have a responsibility to try and lead the best we can in this time of chaos," Plowman said while adding the SEC is "prepared to defend our rules," per ESPN's Pete Thamel and Mark Schlabach. "Our group is united on this. This is not a rule we will budge on. Enough is enough."

Zxavian Harris and Dae'Quan Wright both previously signed NFL deals but plan on playing for LSU during the upcoming campaign.

With that looming, the SEC issued a statement last month saying it planned on preventing athletes from returning to the college ranks after they joined NFL teams.

Yet a Texas judge issued an order overruling that statement. What's more, Thamel and Schlabach noted the SEC taking immediate action to punish LSU would violate a standing court order issued by a judge in Louisiana stating the league cannot keep players involved in an ongoing lawsuit off the field.

Plowman explained she and her colleagues are concerned with the "narrow" issue of former NFL players returning to the college ranks, which she called a "line in the sand" that is separate from others looking for a fifth year of eligibility.

"It's not a new rule," Plowman said. "We didn't just cook up a rule. It's not a new rule. The way we see it. We are a voluntary membership organization, and we have a right to set and enforce our rules. We want to clarify—this is not about the five-for-five.

"This is about—if you signed a contract, you signed a contract. That's always been the bottom line. You don't get to un-sign it and come back."

According to Thamel and Schlabach, a Thursday hearing in a Louisiana state court could lead to a preliminary injunction allowing the players in question to take the field for the Tigers. However, LSU would have to decide if playing them is worth the risk of future punishments from the SEC.

That is notable since Plowman said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey "has the full spectrum of penalties that he can use. He needs to feel he has our authority to use those."

The comments come after the SEC passed penalties that included suspending a coach half the season and docking league voting rights and half of the sport's annual budget for violators who play former NFL players.

For his part, LSU head coach Kiffin told Thamel he is in "daily communication" with the SEC regarding the issue.

The Tigers face Clemson in a highly anticipated season opener on Saturday.