A series of recent court rulings and restraining orders have granted multiple athletes an additional fifth year of NCAA eligibility. As each individual NCAA conference navigates former NFL players returning to college football, the College Football Playoffs could be off the table for teams that allow professional athletes to join their rosters. College Football Playoff leaders are reportedly expected to meet to discuss implementing a policy that will prohibit teams with professional players from competing in the postseason tournament, according to On3's Ross Dellenger.
The Big Ten was the first Power 4 conference to ban professional players from returning to college athletics. Now, the remaining three Power 4 conferences (SEC, ACC, Big 12) have approved rules banning professional players from joining college rosters. Although there are rules in place banning professional players, some athletes who have been involved with the NFL are still eligible to compete.
For example, even under the Big Ten's new policy, UCLA transfer Trent Hendrick remains eligible to compete this season. The Big Ten said athletes who have "signed a professional contract, were on a professional roster at any point or declared for the NFL Draft as an underclassman without withdrawing," would not be eligible this season. But Hendrick entered the 2026 NFL Draft after his senior season then he did not sign a contract nor join a professional roster.
Therefore, Hendrick is still eligible to compete even though he participated in rookie minicamps and organized team activities with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. There are still a lot of discussions going on about professional players returning to college sports, so it is possible Hendrick along with other athletes will lose their eligibility in the future.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
