The Southeastern Conference (SEC) governance has established a clear policy for the coming years.
Recent seasons have been a mess in the NCAA. Most notably, drafted and undrafted athletes have returned to the college level to utilise their remaining eligibility.
In 2023, James Nnaji was selected in the second round of the NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons and had a brief spell with the New York Knicks before deciding his future somehow lay in the NCAA.
The Baylor Bears jumped at the opportunity to add Nnaji to their roster. While the physical center didn’t have the greatest impact — 1.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game — his professional experience should never have been allowed to return to the NCAA.
Now, the SEC has taken the first steps toward abolishing this nonsensical recruitment entirely.
SEC’s newest policies are a huge step in the right direction
After several meetings, the SEC has created a set of policies that will prevent athletes such as James Nnaji from returning to their conference.
The newly set policy is not restricted just to men’s basketball; women’s basketball and college football will also follow this ruling in the SEC, preventing athletes who leaped into the professional world from returning to limit the opportunities of younger stars.
Unfortunately, other conferences are yet to follow suit with this decision, which could create serious issues later in the NCAA calendar.
British basketball fans will already be aware of Quinn Ellis making the lucrative move from the Italian professional leagues to St John’s — a programme in the Big East Conference.
This will not be an isolated incident this season, as LSU have also bagged a player who has rubbed shoulders with the professional game.
On August 24 2026, a judge ruled that RJ Luis Jr. would be allowed to feature for LSU during the 2026-27 season — despite recently having contracts with the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics.
Given the huge financial benefits involved in the NCAA, this is a problem that is going absolutely nowhere.
However, NCAA fans should take the little wins while they have the opportunity to do so. The SEC has set a promising precedent for the future.
Now, we can only hope other conferences fall into line.
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