Big 12 makes major eligibility decision on former pro athletes

The college-eligibility battle hit an inflection point in recent weeks, with several players on NFL training camp rosters entering the transfer portal and announcing their intent to return to college football. With NFL cut-down days coming early next week and college football rosters needing to be finalized ahead of games, big decisions were coming.

For the Big 12, that decision came Wednesday evening, with the conference announcing it has unanimously adopted a conference rule barring Big 12 schools from fielding professional athletes in any conference-sponsored sport.

The decision comes after both the Big Ten and SEC announced similar rules, with the ACC expected to do the same in the coming days. While other conferences limited the rule to certain professional leagues, the Big 12 went a step further, incorporating all college sports and nearly all professional sports leagues.

• Athletes who declared for the draft or supplemental draft of a professional sports league and did not timely withdraw before the draft
• Been listed on the roster of a professional sports league; or
• Signed a contract with any professional sports league to provide athletic services

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark wanted a stronger, more wide-ranging policy than those of the other power conferences.

Official statement from the Big 12 Conference. pic.twitter.com/QWiHdvoZ4N

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 26, 2026

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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Big 12 makes major eligibility decision on former pro athletes