Big Ten Tells NCAA That Tampering Rules ‘Cannot Be Fairly or Equitably Enforced’

The Big Ten says it wants the NCAA to stop its investigations related to athlete tampering because the Power Four conference believes the rules “cannot be credibly or equitably enforced.”

The Big Ten sent a letter to the NCAA this week that called for a pause in tampering investigations and infractions proceedings, according to ESPN, which reported late Wednesday that it had obtained the letter. In it, the conference pledged its support for “a modern framework for contact rules that addresses the varied challenges and opportunities of the current collegiate landscape.”

“The Big Ten is committed to quickly engaging in a deliberative process drawing on athletics administrators, compliance professionals, coaches, legal counsel, and other stakeholders from across the membership and will work to produce a comprehensive proposal,” the letter reads. “We believe this collaborative, membership-driven approach is the best path to a durable solution and need the NCAA’s support in this effort.”

The Big Ten letter was sent after the NCAA football oversight committee recommended emergency legislation to protect the transfer portal window by issuing penalties for schools and coaches who circumvent the rules. Proposed last month, the legislation would become effective immediately if approved at the Division I cabinet meeting in April.

It also comes after Clemson coach Dabo Swinney accused Mississippi coach Pete Golding of tampering with transfer player Luke Ferrelli. Swinney said in January that he had forwarded evidence to the NCAA.

The Big Ten letter points out that the current tampering rules were implemented before a 2025 antitrust settlement cleared the way for schools to pay players through licensing deals. They also were drafted long before today’s era of almost unlimited movement via the transfer portal.

“These rules were not designed for a world in which student-athletes are compensated market participants making annual decisions with significant economic consequences,” the letter reads. “The collision between the old rules and new reality is producing outcomes that harm the population that the rules were designed to protect.”

Reporting by The Associated Press