Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has expressed significant concern regarding the eligibility of players who have previously entered the NFL to return to college football, particularly as the season's start approaches. Day is advocating for conferences to implement a roster lock to create a more stable and predictable environment for teams and current players.
"In my opinion, the conferences have to decide if there's a point where their rosters have to be locked in," Day stated. "Because once some of these guys become available, adding them to the roster is going to provide advantage for certain teams." He noted that he has been in communication with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti about the issue, who is actively working to address the situation.
The current landscape, influenced by court cases related to the NCAA's granting of a fifth year of eligibility, has opened the door for players to return to college even after signing with professional teams. This development has led to opportunistic recruitment by some programs, with LSU head coach Lane Kiffin reportedly being among the first to leverage these opportunities.
Day acknowledged the competitive pressure to adapt. "But we also, if there are teams that have some players out there who are cut from NFL rosters that are gonna be on other teams, we have to at least consider it and look at it," he said. "Do I like anything about it? Absolutely not, but we gotta do what’s right for Ohio State." He emphasized that the situation is fluid, but believes there should be a defined point at which rosters are finalized.
The coach likened the situation to other competitive imbalances in college athletics, such as recruiting class rankings or the utilization of the transfer portal and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. He suggested that failing to adapt to these new player acquisition methods would put a program at a disadvantage.
Day described the overall situation as "bizarre" and "absurd," referencing the news of LSU adding a tight end who had been with an NFL team. "Whenever I heard that we were in a meeting and someone says, 'Yeah, LSU just got a commitment from the Browns’ tight end,' I said, 'we are definitely in a different world right now,'" he concluded. The coach feels that the sport is navigating uncharted territory, and strong leadership is needed to manage these evolving dynamics.