By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa –  Just a short while ago, the concern was that many college athletes were pre-occupied with getting to the NFL or to the NBA, and the sooner it happened, the better.

But then along came name, image and likeness, the transfer portal and the NCAA’s inability to govern in this new age, and now some athletes just can’t seem to get enough of the new college experience.

The situation has reached the point where the Big Ten Conference passed a rule on Tuesday that doesn’t allow players to return from the NFL and play for a Big Ten school.

The Big Ten released a statement shortly after its administrators voted unanimously to establish the 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. “The conference continues to evaluate potential rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition.”

That this kind of rule had to even be passed shows just how crazy the situation has become with college sports.

Paying college athletes is one thing, and the right thing to do.

The recently established “5-in-5” rule also makes sense.

However, there also has to be a point of no return, like for example, once a college athlete declares for a professional sports draft and then signs with a professional team, either as a draft pick or as a free agent, that should be it as far as playing college sports.

The folks at LSU apparently feel differently as they reportedly have reached a deal with former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright, assuming he clears waivers after having been waived by both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns.

Wright caused a stir when he he showed up in the transfer portal last week despite being signed with an NFL team at the time.

Wright had signed a free agency deal with the Eagles after going undrafted; he was waived by the team earlier this month and claimed by the Browns off waivers.

Cleveland head coach Todd Monken described Wright’s situation perfectly after a preseason game last Saturday.

“Man, ain’t this s*** crazy? I mean I don’t even know what to say,” Monken said.

A caller to the Hawk Fanatic radio show and podcast on Monday brought up the chance of former Iowa defensive lineman Aaron Graves returning to Iowa for a fifth season if he were waived by the Baltimore Ravens.

The caller said he was mostly against letting players return to college after signing a professional contract, but would make an exception for Graves, mostly because Graves is one of four starting defensive linemen from last season that Iowa has to be replace.

The caller was sort of kidding, but also probably figured if LSU can’t do it, then why not Iowa?

Wright’s decision to enter the transfer portal after reaching the NFL would have seemed silly or absurd not so long ago.

But now to some, it’s just business as usual in this age of temporary restraining orders and court-room drama.

The boundaries that used to help regulate college sports are now blurred or erased all together.

Some will argue that the Big Ten will be at a disadvantage by establishing this rule, while other conferences don’t abide by the same rule.

And that’s a fair point.

But hopefully in this case, the Big Ten will inspire other conferences to set the same rule, because without this rule, there would be chaos.

Or maybe the NCAA will finally establish new guidelines or guard rails, or just do something to help restore some normalcy in major college sports, though it seems that ship has sailed.

The college football season starts for some teams as soon as this week, and yet, some college rosters still are fluid and subject to change as NFL teams trim their rosters.

The Big Ten Conference sees how ridiculous that is, and is now taking steps to prevent it.

Thamel also reported on Tuesday that this new rule banning NFL players from playing in the Big Ten was unanimously approved by Big Ten athletic directors.

So “Hats off” to them for helping to remove some of the wackiness in major college sports.