This fall, 91 ex-professional athletes are on a college football roster. Seven of those 91 belong to the SEC. Two of those seven are on LSU.
Yet, the only school on the hot block is in Baton Rouge.
Last Thursday, the Southeastern Conference filed a lawsuit against one of its constituents, Louisiana State University, over its use of professional players. The SEC stated that LSU violated the SEC’s “Professionalism Rules,” regulations that permanently ban any athlete who has entered a professional sports path from returning to college athletics.
Yet this week, the SEC went a step further and filed an amendment seeking authority to expel LSU from the conference. The new amendment, established Tuesday, asks a federal judge for clear, unencumbered authority to let the conference govern itself as a private entity, effectively blocking Louisiana State courts from interfering with the conference’s actions.
The SEC’s frustration comes from what it feels is a betrayal. Last month, LSU leadership, along with the rest of the conference presidents, explicitly voted to reaffirm these professionalism rules.
Yet, despite private agreement, LSU allowed coach Lane Kiffin to launch a highly publicized campaign to add former NFL athletes into its talent pool.
LSU leaned on a Louisiana state court injunction to enroll former NFL players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, allowing them to practice and strategically challenging the league’s authority while leaving two roster spots open in the moment a legal window cleared up.
The SEC is seeking a declaration that would prevent LSU from using state court injunctions to stop the conference from enforcing its bylaws, paving a direct legal path toward total banishment from the SEC.
The conference’s patience officially gave out after a series of public comments that mocked its rules enforcing amateurism. During ABC’s broadcast of LSU’s season opener against Clemson, Kiffin openly taunted the conference, joking to sideline reporter Holly Rowe: “Imagine if we had pro players.”
Kiffin doubled down in his postgame press conference, criticizing the conference rules. In its court filings, the SEC pointed to this behavior as definitive proof of “complete lack of institutional control over Coach Kiffin’s actions,” as LSU leadership remained silent.
The SEC has scheduled a meeting with its presidents and chancellors on Thursday to decide whether to terminate Louisiana State University’s membership in the SEC. The conference needs a two-thirds majority vote to terminate membership, putting one of college football’s most iconic brands on the hot seat.
