SEC commissioner Greg Sankey urges court to uphold NCAA ban on pro-to-college returns as LSU’s RJ Luis fights for eligibility

The fight over whether a player can return to college basketball after taking a professional contract escalated this week in Louisiana court. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey filed an affidavit asking a judge to uphold NCAA rules that block certain former professional players from regaining eligibility, setting up a direct legal challenge tied to LSU guard RJ Luis.

According to reporting by CBS Sports, the dispute centers on Luis’s attempt to regain college eligibility after signing a two-way contract shortly after going undrafted in 2025. While two-way deals are often structured with a split role between an NBA team and its developmental affiliate, the NCAA eligibility question is whether signing such an agreement constitutes professional status under the conference-wide and national rules that govern amateur standing.

Sankey’s affidavit was filed with Judge Ronald Johnson in East Baton Rouge Parish court, and the SEC commissioner’s position, as described in the report, is that the NCAA framework should be enforced as written. The affidavit reportedly asks the court to reject an effort to allow a return to the college level that would conflict with NCAA restrictions aimed at preserving eligibility rules and amateur status.

Luis, who is identified in the report as a former Big East Player of the Year and as a current member of LSU’s basketball program, is seeking eligibility for the LSU season after the professional contract. For LSU and the SEC, the case is not only about one player’s timeline, but also about whether NCAA membership can draw a clear line between college athletes who remain amateurs and those who have signed professional agreements.

The NCAA’s amateurism standards have long been a flashpoint in college sports, especially as more players move through the NBA Draft process and sign short-term or development-focused contracts. The SEC’s interest is straightforward: if eligibility rules are treated as negotiable in court, the competitive balance of the conference could be affected, and future NIL-era and professional-entry pathways may prompt more challenges to eligibility determinations.

At the same time, the procedural posture matters. An affidavit is not a final ruling, and the reporting indicates that Sankey is asking the court to enforce NCAA limits rather than granting eligibility outright. Until the judge issues a decision, LSU’s eligibility picture remains uncertain, and it will likely hinge on how the court interprets the NCAA amateurism rules as applied to two-way contracts and the timing of the professional agreement.

For LSU fans, coaches, and recruiting targets watching from across the SEC, the next developments to monitor are the court’s handling of the rule interpretation, any responses from Luis and LSU, and how the NCAA’s position is treated in the record. If the case limits eligibility for players who sign professional contracts after going undrafted, it could reduce the likelihood of similar courtroom attempts. If the court takes a narrower view, more disputes could follow, particularly in circumstances involving developmental contracts.