Conference crackdown

The SEC and Big Ten created their own fifth-year, former professional eligibility rules. Plus: Keyshawn Hall landed at St. John’s, Butler grabbed its highest-rated recruit ever, and more.

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Sean Paul
August 26, 2026

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Good morning everyone! College sports just keep getting crazier by the day. Let’s get to the news.

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1. Conferences pushing own fifth-year rules

With state lawsuits giving class of 2022 eligibility —including some players seeking a release from NFL rosters to earn more NIL money in college —leagues have started to act with their own rules.

The Big Ten was the first on Tuesday with the following rule: "The Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday the unanimous adoption of a conference rule to prohibit football players who have signed a professional contract, were on a professional roster at any point, or declared for the NFL Draft as an underclassman without withdrawing, from maintaining eligibility for athletic competition at a conference institution."

Meanwhile, the SEC went deeper than the NFL -- they said: "any player who entered the NFL/NBA/WNBA draft without properly withdrawing isn't permitted to be on an SEC roster." The same applies if a player has signed a contract or affiliate contract with any of the leagues or been listed on a roster.

That affects LSU wing RJ Luis, just a day after the courts ruled him eligible to play. Meanwhile, it wouldn’t affect Kentucky’s Mark Mitchell Jr, as he never signed his exhibit 10 contract with the Denver Nuggets, instead agreeing in principle.

Of course, lawyers will challenge the rules in hopes of making more players eligible.

The Big 12 is also expected to release its set of rules and potential punishments as soon as today, as the SEC and Big Ten did on Tuesday.

In more positive news for player eligibility — Louisville guard Seth Trimble — who became ineligible due to the stay on the Colorado class action lawsuit, has joined a lawsuit in Louisville to get his eligibility back.

2. Keyshawn Hall lands with St. John’s

One of the best pure scorers in the portal has found a new home.

St. John’s snagged Auburn transfer Keyshawn Hall, one of the top scorers in the SEC last year. Hall, now on his fifth school, had his best college season in 2025-26, averaging 19.3 ppg and shooting 45% from the field and 37% from 3.

We know Hall can score, but can he contribute to winning? That's the knock on him. George Mason and UCF both have two of their best years in the last decade and made great defensive strides after Hall transferred.

If there's any coach I trust to bring the winning style out of Hall, it's Rick Pitino. He won't be shy to sit Hall if his defense isn't up to par, but his scoring can really help this Red Storm squad. When Donnie Freeman went down with an injury, that created a need for a 13-15 ppg scorer, and Hall can do that with ease.

Hall also played for the Miami Heat in the NBA Summer League -- but he didn't sign an NBA deal, and the Big East hasn't brought in any rules regarding pros playing for Big East schools. So, Hall would be good to play if he joined a state-specific lawsuit.

I'd expect a lot of scoring from the trio of Hall, Tounde Yessoufou, and Ian Jackson. All three can create their own shot, but trying to score within offensive flow will be key to the Johnnies' success in 2026-27.

Two other notable fifth-years found their new homes:

Stanford made a splash with Yale transfer Nick Townsend. The 6-7 forward snagged Ivy League POY honors, averaging 16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 4.3 apg, while shooting 46% from 3.

Townsend might be small for an ACC big, but I expect him to translate thanks to his point-forward mentality. He can shoot the ball, can use his 240-pound frame to score against less burly bigs, and play inside and out.

The other fifth-year commitment is FIU transfer Corey Stephenson, who's heading to Ole Miss.

A 6-6 wing, Stephenson averaged 18 ppg on 45% shooting and 37.8% from 3 in his lone season at FIU. With his size, shooting, and athleticism, I expect him to be a key cog for an Ole Miss backcourt that features Ilias Kamardine and Seton Hall transfer Budd Clark. Stephenson can be a nice off-ball scorer to feed off of Clark and Kamardine's playmaking.

3. Butler grabs highest-rated recruit in program history

High school recruiting matters, too. Especially for programs like Butler who lack the NIL resources to land top-tier transfers.

New Butler head coach Ronald Nored was a savvy point guard for the Bulldogs in his playing days — and he reeled in the No. 1 recruit in program history, 2027 point guard J’lon Lyons.

Lyons, a 6-2 guard who attends Clinton Grace Christian in Clinton, MD, is known as one of the more speedy guards in the 2027 class. He might not be a strong shooter yet, but he does all the little things well to make him a potential day one starter in Indy. He also performed well for Team Takeover this summer, averaging 12.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 4.8 apg.

Another 2027 guard who found a school is Isaiah Mack-Russell, a top-100 guard that’s heading to UNLV.

Mack-Russell is more of a two or a three with a solid frame, standing 6-4 and weighing in at 215 pounds. The Cincinnati native held offers from a plethora of high-majors, including both Cincinnati and Xavier, but decided UNLV was the best choice. He also had a terrific year for Winton Woods HS in Cincy — averaging 23.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg and shot 57% from the field.

Other commits:

Louisville or Kentucky?

We embraced the debate earlier this offseason, but now with the additions of Seth Trimble and Mark Mitchell, we once again pose the question: Who has the better roster, Louisville or Kentucky?

Links as we remember Dolly Parton…

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