Texas A&M fans were disgusted, like many college football fans, when it was announced that Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers were set to add two players off of current NFL rosters to the team in Baton Rouge. This was an unprecedented step in college football of a distasteful sort, and fans everywhere wanted to see someone put a stop to it.
While the NCAA has completely lost their teeth when it comes to enforcing their rules, the conferences still have a bit of power in this regard. In other words, if the SEC stepped in and stopped the Tigers from carrying out this malfeasance, it would be far more effective than had the NCAA tried to do something about it.
That’s exactly where things looked like they were going as of last night, as SEC presidents issued a statement after a video conference on this exact subject. They joined the conference’s ADs in Birmingham today for a meeting to decide how to progress, and the rule emerging from that meeting looks like it will indeed put the kibosh on Kiffin’s antics— but the way they put it together means it will be impacting, surprisingly, Texas A&M basketball as well.
SEC stops Lane Kiffin’s NFL gambit, but Texas A&M basketball suffers a loss as a result
The conference issued this rule just minutes ago, putting its foot down on the kinds of things that LSU has been pursuing as of late— but, notably, they add in clauses about basketball as well.
Following meetings with the Presidents, Chancellors, and Athletics Directors of the Southeastern Conference, the SEC will enforce the following policy: pic.twitter.com/LohWnb7G1J
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) August 25, 2026
No doubt the Charles Bediako situation from last winter had a lot to do with the specific inclusion of basketball here rather than just football, but that is going to come at a cost for Texas A&M this year. The Aggies had as part of their roster Bryson Warren, a former G-League player, who was set to be a deadeye shooter for Bucky McMillan this season.
Warren never played in college, having gone directly to the G-League, but was planning on coming to college from the pros, much like we saw out of Ruben Dominguez and many others across the SEC last year. However, the text of the SEC’s new rule is clear: you cannot have played in the NBA or G-League and then play in the SEC.
This does not rule out foreign professional leagues for basketball, but obviously that is not Warren’s case— he was most recently playing for the Westchester Knicks. That is going to be a huge blow to McMillan’s team, as Warren looked to be the most talented outside shooter that they had on the roster.
Warren had had his eligibility waiver denied recently, so he was going to have to go to court anyway to be able to play for the Aggies. Now, though, he not only has the NCAA to fight against, but the SEC— and that feels like a tougher prospect to overcome.
We’ll see if this rule gets challenged by some of the players in question, but they seem like they’re in for a tougher fight than previously. This is an interesting development, welcome in many ways— but I’m sure Bucky McMillan would rather it have been worded slightly differently.
Add us as a preferred source on Google