SEC announces ban for former pros: Does this make Mark Mitchell ineligible?

Jan 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Missouri Tigers forward Mark Mitchell (25) celebrates with guard Anthony Robinson II (0) during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The SEC is joining the Big Ten in prohibiting players who have moved on to professional sports from returning to play college sports at an SEC school.

On Tuesday, the league announced new bylaws to prevent professional players from returning to school.

Going forward, SEC schools are not permitted to have an athlete on a roster who has:

1. Previously declared for the NFL, NBA, or WNBA Draft, and did not appropriately withdraw,
2. Signed a contract with an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) team, or
3. Been listed on an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate roster).

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is also now authorized to enforce this expectation with penalties against member institutions.

Further, here is what else the SEC had to say:

“College athletes, not former professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference,” the SEC’s statement read. “Individuals who choose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts, and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition.”

So, what does this mean for Kentucky? It certainly makes it harder for guys like Mark Mitchell to play this season. Mitchell technically declared for the NBA Draft and agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract so he could play in the NBA Summer League for the Denver Nuggets. But at the time, he was effectively forced to do so since his eligibility clock was up.

A Louisville judge recently ruled that Mitchell is eligible for a fifth season of college basketball. Will that ruling hold up against these new SEC bylaws?

That remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: These new rules implemented by the SEC just made it more difficult for Mitchell and other class of 2022 players to play one more season. It’s unclear if these new bylaws mean Mitchell is now ineligible for next season, though the safe bet would be that, as of right now, he would not be allowed to play in games.

One thing Kentucky and Mitchell do have going for them is there’s still plenty of time before the season tips off. They’re definitely going to need several more weeks at the very least to get this all sorted out and, hopefully, have a final decision made whether Mitchell can play this season.

Expect more lawsuits to be filed and the fight to continue for those 2022 players to get one more season.