The NCAA had a straightforward rule: athletes who signed contracts with professional teams could not return to play the same sport at the college level. This rule has changed.

Several players from NFL training camps are coming back to college football thanks to a loophole in NCAA regulations. This shift has sparked discussions in the sports world.

Bob Chesney, the new head coach at UCLA, commented on these changes. He said that college football is increasingly becoming similar to the minor leagues in baseball in its relationship with the NFL.

“We’re slowly moving to more of a triple-A team for the NFL in a way and I think just is what it is. There’s probably more stability in the NFL,” Chesney remarked, according to Ben Bolch.

The NFL has traditionally avoided the minor league route due to the presence of college football. Now that players can be paid, the NCAA’s structure has been altered, leading to issues for NFL teams. Some agents have requested that players from the 2022 class leave training camp early to join college teams, where they can earn more than on an NFL practice squad.

LSU is about to sign its second athlete who previously played at Ole Miss and joined the NFL. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin supports this move.

“At the end of the day, because of these rulings, they’re either going to play for you or they’re going to play for someone else around the country,” Kiffin expressed, via ESPN. “So we’ve made the decision to recruit them like probably most people are.”

For many players, college offers a more profitable platform than being in a lower-tier NFL role.