In the aftermath of the temporary restraining order (TRO) by a Louisiana judge that allows a group of NFL rookies to return to college football for an additional year of eligibility, one Power 4 conference is taking a stand. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Big Ten will institute a new rule that allows all of those players who spent time on NFL rosters this summer from playing for their league. Four other players recently on NFL rosters — Seattle Seahawks running back TJ Harden (SMU), Seahawks running back Anthony Hankerson (Oregon State), Arizona Cardinals safety Wydett Williams Jr. (Ole Miss), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Jack Pyburn (LSU) — were also granted a fifth year of college eligibility.
Two of the more prominent head coaches in the Big Ten — Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Ohio State’s Ryan Day — both recently spoke out about why letting players, even ones who spent just a few weeks or months on an NFL team, was bad for college football. You don’t get the opportunity to come back. Two, most of us have built our rosters and you have a limited roster limit now.
So if you invited somebody back to your team, that means you’re kicking somebody else off your team to match your roster limits. Do I like anything about it? Absolutely not, but we got to do what’s right for Ohio State. … I think we would all agree, maybe not everybody, but that there has to be a certain point where your roster gets locked in.”
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