LSU Excludes Former NFL Players After SEC Lawsuit Threat — SkimNews
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- LSU excluded former Ole Miss players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both of whom signed NFL contracts, from its 105-player roster submitted to the College Sports Commission on Friday.
- Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris will not play in Saturday's season opener against Clemson, despite Wright telling reporters Thursday he expected to suit up; both remain enrolled at LSU.
- The SEC filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Lane Kiffin, athletic director Verge Ausberry, LSU, and others after commissioner Greg Sankey was granted full authority to punish violators of the conference's ban on former professional players.
- Potential SEC penalties included suspending the head coach for half the season and fines up to 50% of the program's operating budget, with expulsion from the conference treated as a last-resort option.
- Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr wrote to commissioner Greg Sankey urging him to "take all measures available," including suspending or removing LSU from the conference.
- LSU had the backing of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and state Attorney General Liz Murrill in its legal challenge to the SEC's roster ban.
- The underlying fight is about the SEC's ability to self-govern and enforce its rules as the NCAA's enforcement role continues to erode under legal challenges.
Why it matters: The SEC needed to enforce this rule to preserve its self-governance authority as the NCAA's enforcement power collapses under legal pressure; LSU's concession preserves the conference's ban on former pros for now, but the two open roster spots leave an unresolved test case that could reignite the standoff at any moment.
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