Texas Judge Blocks SEC Rule on Pro Athletes Returning to College Sports

A Texas judge on Thursday, August 27, 2026, temporarily blocked the Southeastern Conference from enforcing a new rule that would have prevented professional athletes from returning to play college sports. The temporary restraining order, issued by Dallas County Judge Martin Hoffman, applies to more than 40 players named as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the NCAA, the SEC, and conference commissioner Greg Sankey. The ruling comes just two days after the SEC passed its prohibition and amid a flurry of similar actions by other major conferences. The SEC's rule, approved unanimously on August 25, was designed to bar schools from placing athletes on their rosters if they had declared for a professional draft without withdrawing, signed a contract with a professional league, or been listed on a professional roster. The policy included severe penalties for non-compliance, such as coach suspensions and fines. The SEC's move was part of a broader effort by the NCAA and its member conferences to address a wave of lawsuits from players seeking a fifth year of eligibility, a right granted by a prior court injunction for athletes who exhausted their fourth year of eligibility in the spring.