Georgia AG urges SEC to suspend or expel LSU if school rosters former NFL players, September 5 ruling pending
Georgia attorney general Chris Carr has urged SEC commissioner Greg Sankey to suspend or expel LSU from the conference if the Tigers roster former NFL players. A Louisiana judge is scheduled to rule on the eligibility question on September 5, 2026. The case involves athletes Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who participated in NFL preseason games before joining LSU.
Georgia attorney general Chris Carr has urged SEC commissioner Greg Sankey to suspend or expel LSU from the conference should the Tigers roster athletes who previously participated in NFL preseason games. Per CBS Sports, Carr wrote: "If LSU does in fact roster one or more pro athletes or demonstrates concrete plans to do so, we would strongly encourage the SEC to take all measures available to address this conduct, up to and including suspending and/or removing LSU from the Conference." According to CBS Sports, the athletes include Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both of whom participated in NFL preseason games. Wright and Harris both played at Ole Miss under coach Lane Kiffin in 2025, went through the NFL Draft process, and were cut from NFL rosters before joining a lawsuit to gain eligibility, per CBS Sports. Another player, Jack Pyburn, also joined the petition but ended his attempt to return after being picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs on the waiver wire. A prior preliminary ruling on Friday favored the athletes: the judge ruled the SEC could not enforce its new rule that would block their eligibility. If Judge Jorden rules in the players' favor at the September 5 hearing, they would legally be eligible. Carr wrote: "College sports are for college athletes only, and we are grateful that the SEC has taken swift action to maintain that standard. However, the rules cannot be ignored or twisted to benefit one coach, one institution, or one program, and we refuse to stand by while that happens." He added: "Conference members have the freedom to associate with institutions committed to following NCAA and conference rules. No institution should be allowed to ignore the obligations of conference membership while continuing to receive the benefits of membership." No. 11 LSU opens the 2026 season at home against Clemson on Saturday, per CBS Sports. The Tigers are believed to be one of the highest spenders in the sport over the offseason, landing a No. 1 overall transfer class with 44 transfers, according to the reporting. The case mirrors that of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was forced to step away from the program after pressure from state attorneys general and the Big 12 Conference, per CBS Sports' reporting.
Georgia's AG is demanding the SEC use its harshest penalties to block former pro athletes from competing for LSU, contingent on a state court ruling.
Judge Jorden's ruling on September 5 will determine whether the athletes gain legal eligibility before LSU's season opener on Saturday. If the judge rules in the players' favor, the SEC will face the immediate choice whether to comply with the court's decision, challenge it further, or respond to Carr's demand for conference penalties, a precedent-setting test of conference authority versus state court jurisdiction and whether conference membership can be revoked over eligibility disputes.
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