The rule used to be clear for athletes in the NCAA: Once a player signs a contract with a professional team, they can't return to play the same sport at the college level. Multiple players who spent time with NFL teams in training camp are returning to play college football this year thanks to an NCAA loophole. New UCLA head coach Bob Chesney gave his take on the matter, suggesting college football was becoming ever more for the NFL what the minor leagues are for the MLB.
More News: Kirk Herbstreit Calls Out Notre Dame for ‘Embarrassing’ Schedule More News: Three Teams That Can Win the Big 12 "We’re slowly moving to more of a triple-A team for the NFL in a way and I think just is what it is," Chesney said, via Ben Bolch. "There’s probably more stability in the NFL." The NFL has escaped the minor league model thanks to college football. However, college football has become a professional sport ever since players were permitted to be paid.
Now the instability of the NCAA is giving NFL teams a headache this summer as agents request some players from the class of 2022 be released early from training camp so they can find a spot on a college team for more money this fall than they otherwise would on an NFL practice squad. LSU is set to sign its second player who played at Ole Miss before joining the NFL this offseason. Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin defended his decision to bring in those athletes.
"At the end of the day, because of these rulings, they're either going to play for you or they're going to play for someone else around the country," Kiffin said, via ESPN. "So we've made the decision to recruit them like probably most people are." For many of those players, the minor league is more profitable than being a grunt in the NFL. For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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