SEC files amended lawsuit seeking legal authority to expel LSU from conference

The SEC filed an amended federal complaint on Tuesday seeking to establish legal authority to expel LSU from the conference over the school's recruitment and rostering of players who held NFL contracts. The filing adds members of the LSU Board of Supervisors and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill as defendants. According to Front Office Sports, an SEC vote on expulsion is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, with the conference seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent LSU from blocking the meeting. SEC bylaws require a two-thirds majority of university presidents to expel a member. In a statement, the SEC said: "The SEC and its member universities have the right to establish, through agreed-upon governance procedures, the rules under which they voluntarily compete and to expect those rules to be followed. A commitment to those rules, and to the core principles of the Southeastern Conference, is an essential element of SEC membership." LSU did not roster tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris for the season opener against Clemson. Both players had previously signed with NFL teams. Wright received a $25,000 signing bonus from the Eagles before being cut; he then signed with the Browns and was cut following a preseason game. Harris signed with the Saints and was cut early in August, receiving $190 for gas according to his account. Both players said they could earn six figures playing for LSU this fall, per Front Office Sports. The SEC's amended complaint alleges the school "waged a deliberate, coordinated, and public campaign to recruit professional athletes to play football for LSU during the 2026-27 season, including players who had signed National Football League contracts with, or appeared on the NFL rosters of, the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers." LSU voted in favor of a professional player ban but abstained from a vote on penalties. On September 4, SEC officials met without LSU and affirmed the conference should have the right to expel if the school played Harris or Wright. The SEC's proposed penalties include a 50% fine of the sport's operating budget, a 50% suspension of the head coach for the season, and revocation of SEC voting privileges. The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment that LSU's conduct violated the SEC's First Amendment rights. The SEC complaint mentions LSU head coach Lane Kiffin 32 times across 44 pages. Kiffin has denied the allegation. In the SEC's 94-year history, the only separations between the league and member schools have been initiated by the departing institution. The most recent came in 1966 when Tulane left. No conference members have voted to expel another school. The only 21st-century precedent in a power conference came in the Big East, which expelled Temple following the 2004 season for allowing its football program to deteriorate. According to CBS Sports reporting, multiple sources believed the league had the necessary votes for expulsion should LSU refuse to de-escalate.