BATON ROUGE - The Southeastern Conference and Commissioner Greg Sankey cannot punish schools, for now, if they play a college football player who returns to campus after signing a contract with an NFL team this summer, ESPN reported.

ESPN said a Louisiana judge signed a temporary restraining order Friday that prevents the SEC from implementing a policy banning players who have declared for the draft, signed a contract with, or been listed on a roster in the NFL, NBA and WNBA, including any of their affiliate leagues, following a petition against the conference and the NCAA.

The petition, filed by Tony Clayton for "declaration relief and permanent injunction," says that when the NCAA instituted a rule allowing all players to compete in five seasons of eligibility, it "unfairly excluded all athletes from the Class of 2022 -- even though they are still within five years of enrolling in college for the first time.

According to the lawsuit, the new policy was a way for the SEC to "circumvent court orders by creating draconian penalties."

This comes after LSU received commitments from undrafted defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright. Both went to college at Ole Miss and are listed as plaintiffs. LSU football player Jack Pyburn, LSU basketball player Rashad King and LSU soccer player Jazmin Ferguson are also listed in the lawsuit.

On Monday, Harris and Wright were allowed to return to college football after a Louisiana judge issued a temporary restraining order against the NCAA on behalf of 33 student-athletes who graduated high school in 2022, granting them a fifth year of eligibility.

The judge also signed a show-cause order that requires the SEC and NCAA to explain during Thursday's hearing why the new penalties associated with their pro athlete rules does not put them in contempt of court and in violation of the judge's previous ruling in the case, ESPN reported.