Oregon’s Lanning Criticizes NCAA’s Eligibility Ruling Allowing NFL Players to Return to College

A federal court in Louisiana granted 16 players from the 2022 recruiting class a temporary restraining order against the NCAA on August 20, effectively awarding them an additional year of eligibility and access to the transfer portal. The ruling permits former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright and former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn, both currently on NFL training camp rosters, to potentially return to college football despite their professional commitments.

Wright has already capitalized on the opportunity, entering the transfer portal while simultaneously suiting up for the Cleveland Browns during preseason action. The legal decision arrived just as the 2024 college football season began on August 29, creating a window for players to abandon their professional pursuits and pursue additional eligibility at the collegiate level.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning voiced strong objections to the ruling during a media availability following a team practice on Saturday. Lanning contended that permitting athletes to depart the NFL and return to college disrupts roster management and unfairly disadvantages scholarship players who committed to their programs during the offseason.

“Once you go to the NFL, to me, you’re in the NFL,” Lanning stated. “You don’t get the opportunity to come back.” He added that the limited roster size mandates teams remove existing players to accommodate returning athletes, punishing those who prepared throughout spring and summer training.

The lawsuit followed the NCAA’s announcement of a new five-year, age-based eligibility framework allowing athletes five years to complete five seasons of play, measured from either their 19th birthday or enrollment date, whichever occurs first.