Maybe the SEC is desperate to keep up the illusion that the players are amateur students

The SEC is desperate to keep professional athletes out of college sports. Everyone is viewing this in a vacuum. If the SEC folds here and says “Well these players should have been eligible, so we are going to ignore they played in professional football games,” what happens when five for five is thrown out the window next offseason? What happens when a player wins a court case that says they can have 6, 7 or unlimited eligibility if they are a student in good standing at a university? The SEC would have already set a precedent that playing in a professional league isn’t disqualifying. Now you have full blown professional football players who couldn’t cut in the league coming back to college football.

Four years to play five and now five years to play five is completely arbitrary and based on tradition. Some judge is eventually going to throw it out and when that happens the flood gates are going to open.

That is why holding the line on professional players matters. It isn’t about a few players in 2026.

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What happens when a player wins a court case that says they can have 6

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Like Trinidad Chambliss?

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They did not play in professional football games, preseason or regular.

One didn't even practice a single snap with a pro team.

On the flip side, guys who DID practice multiple times with multiple pro teams are fine, because the practices happened in May or June.

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They signed professional contracts. Cole Hutson with Texas for example didn't sign a contract.

That is the line that the SEC has chosen.

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Like Trinidad Chambliss?

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Yes, exactly. It is only going to get worse from here with timelines of eligibility. I think the SEC knows player eligibility is only going to increase. So this is an important line to draw.

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They signed professional contracts.

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Zxavian Harris' was for 0 dollars, for instance. And they "signed" (worthless) contracts because the NCAA told them they had no other choice, and unlike Hutson, were good enough to get to that point

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Cole Hutson with Texas for example didn't sign a contract.

That is the line that the SEC has chosen.

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Yeah that's exactly the point. Its distinction without a difference. A completely arbitrary line that defies reason

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Zxavian Harris' was for 0 dollars, for instance. And they "signed" (worthless) contracts because the NCAA told them they had no other choice, and unlike Hutson, were good enough to get to that point

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But it’s still a professional contract.

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Yeah that's exactly the point. Its distinction without a difference. A completely arbitrary line that defies reason

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I’m not quite sure I would agree with that. If you are trying to define what constitutes a professional a contract with a professional organization is a pretty distinct line.

Only to someone that has no understanding of the NFL.

Its in their name

So we’re going to pretend that these guys weren’t on professional contracts a year ago with their NIL deals? The funny thing is that these professional contracts were way less than what they were on contract for in college last year.

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What’s keeping that player from suing and getting that 5th college season back?

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It’s really fricking simple. The schools simply dont endorse it and don’t welcome those players.

People blame the ncaa for everything when in reality it’s the schools acting in their own self interest that has ruined the sport. Don’t like a rule? Just sue.

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They signed professional contracts

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Contracts that don’t activate or pay any salary unless a player makes the 53 man roster.

They get per diems in training camp, just like the minicamp players.