Big East opts not to follow Power Four in ruling against pros returning to campus
The Big East Conference on Thursday opted not to follow the Power Four conferences in establishing a rule barring pro athletes from returning to their schools, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Unlike the Power Four – the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC – the Big East is a basketball-centric league with no football.
In a Zoom meeting between league officials and athletic directors from the 11 Big East schools, a decision was made to stick with the “status quo” and “monitor the situation and see how it plays out,” one source said.
No rule change was proposed and no vote was held.
Prior to the meeting, one Big East head men’s basketball coach said he believed the league should follow the lead of the Big Ten and the SEC, which earlier this week were the first to take steps to ban pros from returning to campus.
“I think you have to be aligned with what the Big Ten and SEC are doing,” the Big East coach said.
A second Big East coach said he agreed with the league decision, citing concern over lawsuits from players.
It’s unclear where the dividing line is for the Big East, which recently named former MLB executive Tim Brosnan, a Georgetown graduate, its new Commissioner, replacing the retired Val Ackerman.
LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade took a commitment from former St. John’s star RJ Luis, a former Big East Player of the Year who signed a Two-Way contract with the Utah Jazz and an Exhibit-10 deal with the Boston Celtics. Luis this week was granted a preliminary injunction to play for LSU this season.
“We don’t have any RJ Luis cases in our league,” one Big East source said.
The Big Ten was the first to take action on Tuesday, officially making football players ineligible if they signed pro contracts, appeared on an NFL roster or declared for the NFL Draft as underclassmen and didn’t withdraw.
“The conference continues to evaluate potential rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition,” the league said in a statement.
The Big Ten also announced penalties for violating the rule, including a coach suspension for 50% of the season and an institutional fine.
The SEC announced similar rules later Tuesday, impacting both basketball and football.
The league said SEC schools are “not permitted to have an athlete on its roster who has:
- previously declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA Draft, and did not appropriately withdraw;
- signed a contract with an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League or WNBA (or affiliate) team, or
- been listed on an NFL or other professional football league, NBA/G League or WNBA (or affiliate) roster
The Big 12 on Wednesday then unanimously agreed to ban professionals from returning in all sports.
The ACC adopted similar language prohibiting former pros from returning to their campuses.
“The Board’s action reflects the ACC’s commitment to preserving college sports as an opportunity for college students that is clearly distinct from professional sports, protecting opportunities for current and future student-athletes and promoting competitive equity,” the ACC said in a statement.
The flurry of league decisions came in the wake of Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright and former New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Zxavian Harris opting to leave the pros to play for Lane Kiffin at LSU. Both players played for the coach at Ole Miss.
In the Big East, schools like St. John’s (Babacar Sane), Providence (Dink Pate) and Seton Hall (Nathan Mariano) have accepted commitments from former G League players.
Sane signed an Exhibit-10 deal with the Utah Jazz in 2024, Pate signed one with the Knicks last September and Mariano signed an Exhibit-10 with the Phoenix Suns in 2025 as well.
All three players need an NCAA waiver to play for their respective Big East teams (although St. John’s is said to feel confident on Sane).
Speaking with John Fanta, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said his team was “a little bit behind” because “we’ve had Visa problems, we’ve had all types of problems, they gotta get through the NCAA, you gotta have a waiver for them.
“But Babacar is really talented, I mean, really talented. He is a physical specimen. he’s 6-7 1/2, 235-240. When he goes down the lane, he’s like [Robert] ‘Tractor’ Traylor, he’s gonna make contact.”
Speaking with reporters via Zoom earlier this month, Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway said:
“Think about where we are right now. Every kid’s goal is to make the NBA. That’s every kid’s goal, or play professional basketball. You got guys that’s turning that down or trying to come back to try to play college. It goes to show you where we’re at with our sport. I don’t know if it’s good or bad.
“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know if it’s good or bad.”
Still, Holloway added that he, like every other coach, would do whatever was legal and within the rules to better his club.
“I had a meeting yesterday with our compliance for about an hour and a half to try to figure it out because it changes so much. Every day is something different…So I don’t know where that’s at right now,” Holloway added.
“But I’m letting you know right now everything’s on the table, [we’re] exploring everything from that [bringing back seniors], overseas, all type of stuff.”
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