College athletics' latest mess: Court orders say athletes can play, but SEC and Big Ten ready to fight
The college athletics world is reeling after the SEC and Big Ten created new guidelines governing the eligibility of athletes who planned to join teams this week following injunctions and temporary restraining orders granted by multiple judges.
On Tuesday, both conferences, who will soon be joined by the ACC and Big 12, voted to enact new rules that would prevent athletes who have participated in professional sports from reentering the college landscape.
The decision comes after players in several states were granted injunctions or temporary restraining orders allowing them to play this season.
Most of the lawsuits stem from the NCAA’s new eligibility guidelines, which give athletes five years to play five seasons of college athletics.
Under the new policies, any athlete who has signed with a professional team, declared for the NFL Draft or participated in any type of professional training camp will be ineligible for conference competition.
But, there was one difference from a public standpoint with the SEC and Big Ten.
On Tuesday evening, SEC presidents and chancellors held a vote on how to move forward with the new guidelines pertaining to these ongoing cases revolving around athletes who have participated at the professional level in some form or fashion.
In addition to the guidelines created by the SEC, the conference has also given Greg Sankey the power to enforce these rules, which include suspension of coaches and monetary fines to each school who violates them.
So, what does this mean for schools who are preparing to bring athletes onto campus for the upcoming college football or basketball season?
According to attorney Ryan Downton, who represents a number of players, the are currently "working on a legal strategy" on how to move forward against both the NCAA and participating conferences who have enacted these new guidelines.
"The SEC’s actions put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders," Downton told OutKick-Fox News on Tuesday night. "It is cartel-like conduct when NCAA conferences attempt to create their own spur of the moment rules in response to Courts enjoining those same rules at the NCAA level"
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Multiple sources told OutKick that the vote within the SEC was unanimous, though that does not mean there will not be legal action taken over the next few days.
"We are still working on a legal strategy," attorney Ryan Downton noted.
At the forefront of this fight, even though he was not the first coach or team to bring in a player who has in some way competed at the NFL level, is LSU coach Lane Kiffin.
Over the last few days, Kiffin has voiced his reasoning behind the recruitment of such athletes who have already gained NFL experience. Essentially, the Tigers coach mentioned that if he didn’t strike first, some other school would.
"So, you know, we have you know made a decision to recruit some kids around the country, and through these multiple injunctions around the country, which, this is not a first time in college sports, a group of players were granted a fifth year of eligibility, in multiple sports. And through them winning their injunction and entry into the portal, they’re available to recruit," Kiffin noted on Monday.
"So ourselves, like many places around the country, are recruiting them. At the end of the day, you know, because of these rulings, they’re either going to play for you or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country. So, we made a decision to recruit them, like probably most people are."
This includes former Ole Miss football players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who are both set to join the LSU roster thanks to a ruling from the 19th District Court of Louisiana that granted them an additional season of eligibility.
But, there have been plenty of others who have gone down this route, winning cases in state courts that allow them to return this season. Texas offensive lineman Cole Hutson is another, who sued the NCAA in a Texas court for an additional season.
Attorney Darren Heitner, who represents Dae'Quan Wright, told OutKick that the SEC should abide by the order granted by the 19th District Court of Louisiana.
"He should be rostered by LSU and be a great contributor for the Tigers. The SEC should heed the court order recently issued by a Louisiana judge," Heitner said.
The question is whether LSU, and others, will move forward in bringing in athletes knowing that it would be in violation of conference rules, but also legal in the eyes of the courts who have granted them injunctions.
Buckle up, this could get interesting over the next few days.