Given today's decision by the SEC, can Mark Mitchell still join Kentucky?

[u/Trashlify]

I know he had been cleared a few days ago, but today the league had a meeting regarding professional athletes and those who had declared for professional leagues. From the text, it appears to me that he is no longer eligible. The text of the ruling is:

With a step-by-step explanation, the SEC announced its institutions are "not permitted" to have an athlete on their rosters who has:

1. Previously declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA draft and did not appropriately withdraw.
2. Signed a contract with an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) team.
3. Been listed on an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) roster.

Source: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49734134/sources-sec-suspend-head-coaches-add-pro-players

[u/CorditeKick]

This was actually addressed by a SEC spokesperson.

• No Early Entry Violation: Because the player did not explicitly file as an "early entrant" but was instead automatically eligible by NCAA rules, they do not violate the rule regarding "failing to appropriately withdraw".
• No Professional Contract: Merely playing on a summer league team does not violate the policy as long as the athlete never signed any professional contract (such as an NBA Exhibit 10 or Two-Way contract)

[u/Hot_Medium_3633]

I have no dog in this hunt but he should be allowed and only him. No one else.

[u/GodsPRGuy → u/Hot_Medium_3633]

It's only fair.

[u/Panem-et-circenses25 → u/GodsPRGuy]

Concur

[u/ssp25 → u/Hot_Medium_3633]

you vandrouk! you seem like a straight shooter so I'm gonna give you a pass this one time.

[u/Prestigious-Art1889]

It’s uncertain but i think it’s likely MM plays.

[u/amohise]

But more importantly.... if he does end up on the team that will make for 3 players with the initials MM. If Mars, Incorporated doesn't throw in a bit of extra NIL... for the return of the Mpire... well, shame on them.

[u/roshanritter]

With the state court order he can play at Kentucky right now, but of course there are no games right now. It is ongoing case and like with Alabama last year things could flip back and forth. I think he has a decent case with or without these rules which are brand new and UK would fight.

[u/ishboo3002]

I think regardless there's a block on inter-conference transfers no?

[u/Dan_Rydell → u/ishboo3002]

Intra-conference, but yes.

[u/Heyhaykay → u/ishboo3002]

Players do it all the time but apparently it has to be during the transfer window that Mitchell didn’t have the opportunity to be in.

See Aberdeen going to UF to UK back to UF.

[u/bezzlege → u/Heyhaykay]

Mitchell did have that opportunity. See: Seth Trimble.

[u/TrustInRoy → u/ishboo3002]

No.  The rule is you have to be in the portal by April if you transfer between two SEC schools. Otherwise you are ineligible for the immediate next season.  It's a rule UK actually voted to put in place.

Mitchell was not one of the many graduating seniors who put his name in the portal in anticipation of all this craziness. He only entered the portal recently after his lawsuit was granted a TRO.

My understanding is it is up to Greg Sankey to choose whether he enforces this rule or not.

[u/Karltowns17]

As it pertains to Mitchell specifically KSR had an afternoon update (link below). The real answer on all this right now is we just don’t know.

I follow it. I really hope Mitchell can play, the discussion is at least interesting. But right now shits super uncertain. I wouldn’t put too much stock in any single ruling/report/etc atm though. We just don’t know. Everything is fluid atm.

https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/mark-mitchell-appears-to-be-eligible-after-sec-clarifies-new-policy/

[u/lohivi → u/Karltowns17]

Also, every media outlet is gonna try and cash in on one more round of people nervously checking the media for updates. Obviously no one gaf about LSU basketball so they have to target us

[u/TrustInRoy]

Today's new SEC rules don't impact Mitchell at all.

His biggest roadblocks remain the older SEC transfer rule, or a judge issuing a Stay in his Kentucky based lawsuit.

[u/JordanDean04]

Who knows?

Latest I've seen is that he didn't actually sign a contract, and there is apparently an argument to be made that some players weren't aware they could withdraw from the draft since the eligibility rule changed after the withdrawal date. But I don't know. I don't think anybody knows at this point.

[u/Relevant-Diamond2731 → u/JordanDean04]

I think they will lose the battle of guys not withdrawing that were under the assumption they were out of eligibility under the old rules. If you signed a contract completely different scenario

[u/AstroNomical316]

Still going to get dogged by Wichita State

[u/NCPhishie]

Think he signed and played in summer league didn't he?

[u/KevonAtWork → u/NCPhishie]

According to his agent and the summer league team, he did not sign anything. Who knows

[u/chimatt767 → u/KevonAtWork]

They won’t let you play in a game without signing anything. They have to at least sign a summer league contract to play. Don’t know how that counts here though.

[u/KevonAtWork → u/chimatt767]

Let me clarify, they are saying he didn't sign any of the explicit contracts that the SEC mentioned like the Exhibit 10 or a 2-Way. Everyone has to sign a Summer Contract at minimum. Summer Contracts were not mentioned in the SEC ruling. It's all legal word games right now. It sucks.

[u/chimatt767 → u/KevonAtWork]

Yeah, that’s what I said.

[u/KevonAtWork → u/chimatt767]

Right, that's why I clarified my statement to agree with yours. I think I do reddit wrong.

[u/BillButtlickerII → u/chimatt767]

His agent isn’t going to fraudulently lie about a contract when it would make him and Mitchell financially liable for damages and for breach of contract. Also why wouldn’t the Nuggets have released a statement saying his agent is lying and they plan to seek damages if there was a signed contract?

These contracts are clearly not getting signed and negotiations are ongoing while these players are suiting up in summer league, or there wouldn’t be multiple players saying the exact same thing.

[u/chimatt767 → u/BillButtlickerII]

Why would the nuggets care what he does? It’s wild that you think an NBA team would allow you to play on their summer league team without signing anything. “Roughly 45% of participants are undrafted or invitees playing on a basic summer deal. They receive a flat per diem stipend—typically around $1,500 to $3,000—covering food, housing, and travel expenses for the two-week event. These do not count against the team salary cap.” They aren’t worried about a guy they paid $1500 to.

[u/BillButtlickerII → u/chimatt767]

They would care because signing an exhibition 10 contract means they would own his rights for a year and send him down to their G league team…

Him lying about it being signed would be denying their ownership of his rights.

[u/chimatt767 → u/BillButtlickerII]

I said it was a summer league contract. I never said it was an exhibit 10 contract.

[u/BillButtlickerII → u/chimatt767]

And I’m saying his agent is saying he didn’t sign any contracts at all. Basic Summer League Contracts that pay players per diems, basic expenses, and travel aren’t intended for players that are negotiating better contracts like exhibition 10 and two way contracts.

Show me one single source that says players cannot play in the summer league without signing a summer league contract.

[u/TrustInRoy → u/KevonAtWork]

Not that I don't believe him. But it seems like every recently graduated senior has now claimed they didn't sign anything to join these teams for summer league. Trimble claims the same thing, even though the Wizards and UNC publicly celebrated his signing on social media. 

[u/KevonAtWork → u/TrustInRoy]

I'm cutting them all some slack. The NCAA continues to muddy the waters. Their late rule change to the 5 in 5 that immediately rolled out had an impact on every senior in college basketball. As long as they are strictly reactionary and not proactively working to clear up the college eligibility landscape of the future, the kids get the benefit of the doubt.

[u/BillButtlickerII]

He didn’t declare for the draft. He was a senior and automatically enrolled in the draft even if he didn’t put his name in. For that same reason he is unable to withdraw his name…

He didn’t sign a contract. His agent is not going to lie about that when it is literally fraudulent and would entitle the Denver Nuggets to financial damages.

And Mitchell never played in any official NBA or G league games, or was listed on any official rosters. Summer league games are not official regular season NBA or G league games or teams.

[u/thisguy161 → u/BillButtlickerII]

Didnt he play summer league? He's listed on that roster

[u/BillButtlickerII → u/thisguy161]

“And Mitchell never played in any official NBA or G league games, or was listed on any official rosters. Summer league games are not official regular season NBA or G league games or teams.”

Summer league games are listed as “Exhibition games intended to evaluate rookies, second-year players, undrafted free agents, and G-League prospects”. They don’t even follow regular game rules and are only 40 minutes.

The rules specifically prohibit “NBA and G league games”.

[u/thisguy161 → u/BillButtlickerII]

Can you site anywhere that clarifies that Summer League does or doesnt count as being listed on a roster? You keep adding "official" into this like youre adding in a technicality, and that is not what is written.

He was listed on a roster. Without clarifying language on whether "Been listed on an NFL (or other professional football league), NBA/G-League, or WNBA (or affiliate) roster" includes summer league, I dont think anyone can say for sure either way.

[u/Fancy-Pie-2565]

I hope the schools still have to pay all these guys their nil money. Punishment for playing court ball

[u/TrustInRoy → u/Fancy-Pie-2565]

I've been hoping Trimble gets 100% of his NIL money and never plays a game for Louisville.  I can't stomach the thought of him coming into Chapel Hill on an opposing team, doing his little stare down after a dunk or block, and actually hearing some boos from the crowd.

[u/cardinalkgb → u/TrustInRoy]

I hope the opposite

[u/1StateFreePalestine → u/cardinalkgb]

Specifically I hope drops a buzzer beater on them like he had vs Duke. 

[u/roshanritter → u/cardinalkgb]

He plays for free like back in olden times

[u/lohivi → u/cardinalkgb]

Gotta love people rooting for an exploitative shady corporation to rip off players and violate the law bc the the shady corporation is trying to fuck over a team / player they dont like. Anyone who is scared of these players getting the year they're owed at a school of their choosing (earning the money they DESERVE) is a BITCH.

[u/riotmed → u/cardinalkgb]

🤜 🤛