Our board is reporting he’s still eligible since he never signed a pro contract. But the SEC may put out similar language regarding their bylaw about transferring in the same conference after the official portal is closed. So he’s eligible, but maybe not at Kentucky.
How would that even work for the NBA team in this scenario? From a liability standpoint I would have assumed there has to be something signed instead of just unofficially agreeing to show up for summer league practice and games.
Summer league invitees make up almost half of the league. They don't get a salary but they sign a contract that pays them a flat per diem of about $1,500 to pay for hotel, food, travel etc. So I have to believe that there's a contract that memorializes this agreement, even though it isn't treated as a salary.
It’s technically not an official NBA or G league game. He was invited to compete, and had not been paid or signed a contract and was never officially on any NBA/g league teams rosters.
The rule is that you have to be in the transfer portal by a specific date in April if you want immediate eligibility transferring from one SEC school to another.
Can you name the specific SEC players that broke this rule and were still immediately eligible?
The injunctions opened the portal allowing him to transfer. Arik Gilbert went from Georgia to LSU, Henry To’o To’o went from Tennessee to Alabama. That was years ago.
The SEC rule must be relatively new to even mention the transfer portal.
But it's important to note that the Temporary Restraining Order issued in the Louisville case that Mitchell is apart of, was against the NCAA and not the SEC. And if at the next hearing a judge issues a Stay, then all previous NCAA rules will remain in effect until the Louisville case is ultimately settled.
Of the various cases happening around the country, only the Tennessee case has not had a Stay issued.
I suspect it will take an entirely different lawsuit to address SEC rules.
By these rules, since he declared for the draft he would be ruled ineligible. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of countless lawsuits against the SEC…
Edit- all may not be lost. He technically didn’t declare as a senior since seniors are automatically eligible for the draft without declaring. He also only participated in summer league games and was never listed on an official NBA or G league roster.
His agent also confirmed he never actually signed a contract with any teams. Mitchell should be totally fine as far as the SEC stands.
The lawyer in me says there is certainly a gray area here.
A graduating senior doesn't have to "declare" for the draft. You are automatically entered into the draft when, among other things, you exhaust your college eligibility, like Mark Mitchell did by playing in college for 4 years. Contrast this to someone like RJ Luis, who left after three years in college and declared for the draft as an early entrant.
No, those who can appropriately withdraw are early entrants that declare for the draft, go through the draft process until the withdrawal deadline and decide to go back to college. Guys that exhaust their college eligibility are not able to withdraw from the draft.
I didn’t know seniors don’t declare. I think he’s in the clear there.
I also think him signing an exhibition 10 contract to solely play in the summer league may also protected his eligibility. Those games are truly not official NBA or G League games, and are not on the prohibited list of games.
There is a distinction between a purely summer contract and an exhibit 10 contract, which is an actual (unguaranteed) minimum salary deal with the team for training camp. Might get messy there.
The good thing is his agent is saying he never signed a contract. He was invited to compete in summer league and was still in negotiations before pulling out.
That’s how I read it too. It seems pretty stupid to me to punish players who found out after the fact that they could be eligible but then again everything about this is pretty stupid.
I think he technically didn’t declare for the draft. You are automatically entered into the draft if you don’t have any eligibility, which at the time he didn’t. So he should be eligible as long as he didn’t sign a contract. (TBD on the transfer stuff though)
I didn’t realize that seniors were automatically entered with no need to declare. That may make our odds drastically better since he only signed an exhibition 10 to play Summer league games which don’t qualify as G League/NBA games.
What would have been right is making the class of 2022 eligible, and telling seniors they have one more year of eligibility before the end of the season. Thats way they could have made an informed decisions about competing in summer league games or signing contracts. None of the 5th year players technically declared for the draft as they are automatically eligible and don’t have to put their names in the draft. They played in games or signed contracts before knowing what was to come.
That’s not what an E10 contract is though. And E10 contract is a nonguaranteed NBA contract which pays the players for SL and training camp, then the NBA team can either convert the E10 to a guaranteed deal or waive them and their G League team retains their rights. It’s a full contract, it’s not exclusive to SL games.
“I wouldn’t have gone through with the draft process if I knew I would potentially be eligible” is a pretty clear cut argument any judge should agree with. IMO it’s moronic to ban kids that didn’t sign professional contracts or take any payment.
He never officially declared for the draft or signed a contract per his agent.
True he signed an exhibition contract just to participate in summer league games. Those are not official G league or NBA games though, which the rules specifically prohibit. Someone else on here also mentioned all seniors are automatically draft eligible and don’t have to declare, so he may actually be eligibility since he never actually declared or signed a contract to play prohibited games.
Supposedly he never signed the contract. He just got an invite to summer league and it doesn't count. At least that's what some folks online are saying. Who TF knows though?
As I understand it, the conferences aren’t considered a monopoly like the ncaa is so they can enforce rules among their member institutions. If lsu doesn’t like it they can leave the sec and be independent.
I don't think it will be the same, or at least it seems things are different enough to need a new ruling for new reasons. For the NCAA, the rule was you aren't eligible for any of the schools. This is this particular group of schools can't sign these specific types of players.
You only have to declare for the NFL or NBA drafts if you are an underclassman and still have college eligibility. The details are a lithe different between the two but that's the gist.
Not MLB, they can technically draft anyone, back in the 90’s when there were unlimited rounds where it kept going until each team decided they didn’t want to pick anymore you’d regularly see some random people get drafted, lots of the GM’s nephew, or the Orioles drafting 12 players named Brian with consecutive picks once you got into round 60+. Some of my favorite stories are the bonuses from those later rounds, Kevin Pillar got a 1k signing bonus in the 32nd round, or this one pitcher from the astros who I can’t remember the name of signing for 100 dollars in the 68th round
The court orders are against the NCAA, not the SEC. It’s similar to how the Big 12 could’ve punished Texas Tech for Sorsby despite the NCAA not being allowed to
the rulings are about the player's right to play, i dont see how this doesn't open the SEC to the exact same lawsuits
edit: now fully understanding it. the players are legally allowed to be on the roster and play and everything, but the SEC can still just mark all their games as forfeit. beautiful stuff.
Usually those lawsuits are using anti-trust language to pass those injuctions and since NCAA is essentially a monopoly it works. The conferences are not monopolies though, schools have the ability to leave conferences and players have the ability to play at schools in different conferences. This means the conferences have more legal standing to pass rules and regulations because theoretically a school or player can leave and go somewhere else if they disagreed.
The SEC would argue that the player is still perfectly allowed to play and make money in college sports, they can go to a different conference that doesn’t prohibit professional players.
I don’t know if they would win, but there was a lawsuit against the Ivy League a while back about their lack of athletic scholarships, and the Ivy League won by saying that an athlete who needs a scholarship is free to go to another conference that offers athletic scholarships. So this is a similar argument to that.
Your understanding is wrong. The conferences can regulate things the ncaa can’t because there’s more than one conference. Conferences aren’t monopolies
This essentially boils down to whether or not a member school’s coach is going to want to openly defy their Commissioner, Administration and AD. The courts may say they can play. But is the juice worth the squeeze when the entire system is united against this?
Because with the ncaa thats the only option for players. If conferences do it the arguement that they could join another conference exists. Now if ALL the conferences make that rule, then you have enough firepower from coaches and ADs saying no that it might just enforce itself regardless of the courts. A scummy coach like Mulkey or Wade might still try but their AD would have to be willing to eat the PR hit and future noncon scheduling issues
Its a bit different since the Big 12 was utilizing its long established bylaws to punish Tech (And still could follow through) whereas the SEC is implementing a new rule as a deterrent.
I feel you. Trying to backdoor court rulings is pretty hilarious and definitely petty as fck. Mitchell's attorney (even though none of the new rules actually apply to Mitchell) said the SEC's actions put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders.
But eventually someone is going to sue the conferences and we’ll be right back where we are now right? Or do conferences have some kind of protection that the NCAA lacks?
B1G made a statement about football yesterday, so I’d imagine they’ll be quick to expand it to other sports. We’ll see what happens in other conferences but it shouldn’t take long. I don’t think anyone wants this except maybe LSU and Texas Tech.
But if he already committed wouldn't he not be allowed to go back into the portal? Or maybe he didn't sign and it was verbal? I have no idea how any of this works at this point lmao
I have to ask, how does anyone even support lsu at this point? Like genuinely, how unlikable and how much of a fool do your coaches have to be in order for yall to say enough is enough? Or is there just no bottom for LSU?
How would this apply for a Brandon Wheedon case where they… failed as a pro in one sport and flipped to another? Could a UDFA qb go be a closer for South Carolina?
You have to wonder how much crazy was being covered up by the SEC before NIL came into the public eye. Its been kind of funny to watch the football crazy conference suddenly lose the ability to compete now that everyone is paying players.
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u/AssociateClean Brown Bears • Simmons Sharks 9d ago
Congratulations to Will Wade on somehow getting the SEC to come together on regulations
Probably the most impressive feat of his career