I am no expert or insider but from my understanding, they are preemptively declaring the players ineligible in attempt to force the NCAA to make an official ruling on whether or not they will be eligible before the first game. By doing this they are trying to make the NCAA decide faster...which probably wouldn't happen (I would think) just from the severity of this whole scandal. It is similar to what happened to Cam Newton before the SEC Championship Game.
I am no expert or insider but from my understanding, they are preemptively declaring the players ineligible in attempt to force the NCAA to make an official ruling on whether or not they will be eligible before the first game. By doing this they are trying to make the NCAA decide faster...which probably wouldn't happen (I would think) just from the severity of this whole scandal. It is similar to what happened to Cam Newton before the SEC Championship Game.