Judge says athletes who signed pro contracts can't return to college

Judge says athletes who signed pro contracts can't return to college

The Brief 

On July 31, a judge made clear in a new ruling that football players who signed professional contracts can’t change their minds and return to college.

Judge Charlotte Sweeney explained her ruling at the request of NCAA officials.

The NCAA has an eligibility rule for student-athletes to play five years in college, which is scheduled to begin in 2027.

A judge who allowed the right to play another year of college sports for some athletes whose eligibility expired in the 2025 school year issued a new order that makes clear that it does not apply to football players who signed professional contracts this summer but later changed their minds. 

According to The Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney responded to the NCAA’s request for clarity about her recent ruling that permitted a fifth year to athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and were not included in the new NCAA rule that allows five seasons of eligibility for Division I athletes. 

Judge’s ruling on NCAA athletes and professional contracts 

Dig deeper:

U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney’s ruling potentially could have altered the upcoming college football season, where teams are starting camp planning under the  "five for five" rule, a Division 1 eligibility model that allows student-athletes five years of eligibility to play up to five seasons of competition, to take effect beginning next fall.

The Associated Press reported that Sweeney acknowledged that her ruling has no effect on other NCAA rules like prohibition on players signing pro contracts, then returning to college. Extending it to student-athletes this fall permitted hundreds of players a chance to return to college. 

RELATED: NCAA approves 5-for-5 eligibility model for Division I athletes

However, Sweeney’s clarification states there are no changes to the NCAA’s rules on professionals; no exceptions over when athletes can enter the transfer portal; and no impact on elements of the House lawsuit settlement, which mandates how many players teams can add to their rosters and how much colleges can pay the athletes.

NCAA releases statement on judge’s ruling

What they're saying:

NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement, obtained by The Associated Press, following Judge Charlotte Sweeney’s initial ruling on July 31, sharing that the ruling was possibly "chaos-inducing" and a justification for Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act. 

RELATED: NCAA settlement chaos: New legal move could trigger massive increase in NIL spending

The AP reported that the legislation, being considered in the Senate, includes lawsuit protection for the NCAA over eligibility rules, the likes of which they defended in several courts nationwide.