The rules surrounding eligibility in college football have a lot of people confused, but one NFL coach had a unique response to a recent court ruling regarding the matter.
“I feel like I took a freakin’ gummy,” Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters when asked about the shifting landscape of college football eligibility. “I can’t even comprehend this stuff. It’s wild.”
McVay made the comments after former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright moved toward joining LSU following a brief stint in the NFL. Wright spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent before joining the Cleveland Browns.
After being waived by Cleveland, Wright opted to re-enter college football following a court ruling in Louisiana.
Former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent before he signed with the Cleveland Browns before being waived in August. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
A Louisiana judge issued a temporary restraining order granting a fifth year of eligibility to Wright and several other players excluded from a recent NCAA rule change. The ruling allows athletes who started college during the 2022-23 academic year an extra season and temporarily reopened the transfer portal for plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
However, major college conferences moved quickly to shut down the pipeline.
The Big Ten unanimously adopted a rule Tuesday prohibiting football players who signed a professional contract, appeared on a professional roster, or declared for the NFL draft without withdrawing from maintaining college eligibility. Big Ten coaches who attempt to field prohibited players face a half-season suspension and institutional fines.
The SEC later followed suit to block former professionals by announcing it will enforce a policy stating that member institutions are not permitted to roster any athlete who previously declared for a professional draft without withdrawing, signed a contract with a professional team or league, or was listed on a professional roster.
The conference authorized its commissioner to enforce the policy with penalties against member institutions.
The SEC policy directly impacts LSU and coach Lane Kiffin, who had been actively recruiting players cleared by the court order.
“They were granted a fifth year by a judge, saying they were wronged by the NCAA,” Kiffin said prior to the SEC statement. “It’s simply that a judge decided they should have a fifth year, like everyone moving forward will have.”
Public opposition across college football remains strong, with multiple head coaches, including Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Florida’s Jon Sumrall expressing frustration with the legal situation.
With a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for Aug. 31, the legal clash between court orders and conference regulations continues to create uncertainty.