ACC Board prohibits member schools from rostering professional players
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The Atlantic Coast Conference Board of Directors unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday that prohibits its member schools from rostering a player who’s signed with an NFL, NBA or WNBA team or declared for one of the leagues’ professional drafts.
The decision comes in wake of many professional athletes opting for an extra year of eligibility and rejoining collegiate squads.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday that ACC athletic directors met and would likely reach an agreement in the near future. The Big 12 enforced a similar ban Wednesday, while the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten released statements Tuesday.
The ACC’s official release states that athletes can’t join its member schools if they’ve played in the three aforementioned professional leagues or declared for their drafts. Players who signed NBA Summer League and G League contracts would also be ineligible, per the resolution.
Most recently, Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Zxavian Harris announced they would rejoin their former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin at LSU. Wright and Harris were among many athletes who could return to college thanks to a court order allowing the 2022 high school class a fifth year of eligibility.
Syracuse may be directly affected by the ACC’s decision, with wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons fighting for an extra year.
Ross-Simmons, one of SU’s top wideouts in 2025, played two years at Colorado State before two seasons with the Orange. He wasn’t drafted and didn’t participate in NFL camps, but because he played four seasons, his name may have been entered into the NFL Draft, per Yahoo! Sports. Ross-Simmons’ eligibility status is currently undetermined.
