SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Advocates for NCAA Rules on Athlete Eligibility
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey recently addressed the issue of professional athletes returning to college sports in an affidavit submitted to a Louisiana court. He requested Judge Ronald Johnson to uphold NCAA regulations that bar such returns, specifically mentioning RJ Luis, a former Big East Player of the Year now at LSU.
Sankey emphasized that allowing former professional athletes to re-enter college athletics undermines the integrity of the sport and creates unfair advantages over current student-athletes who have chosen to remain committed to college sports. Luis is seeking to play in the 2026-27 season after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft and signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz.
Despite his professional contract, Luis did not participate in any regular-season games due to injury and was waived by the Maine Celtics. He is set for a preliminary injunction hearing in Baton Rouge following his filing on August 3. Sankey's stance on this matter is consistent, as he previously filed an affidavit regarding another player, Charles Bediako, who faced similar eligibility issues after returning to college from the G League.
