SEC Files to Expel LSU, Schedules Vote for September 10

The Southeastern Conference escalated its legal battle with LSU on Tuesday, filing an amended federal complaint that seeks a court declaration that the conference has the power to expel the school and scheduling a vote by conference presidents for Thursday, September 10, on whether to terminate LSU's membership.

The filing adds members of LSU's Board of Supervisors and Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill as defendants and requests a temporary restraining order to prevent LSU officials from blocking the Thursday meeting. The SEC also seeks a declaratory judgment that LSU's actions have violated the conference's First Amendment rights, according to Front Office Sports reporting.

The dispute centers on LSU's recruitment of former NFL players, specifically Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both of whom played for LSU coach Lane Kiffin at Mississippi last year, went undrafted in April, and later signed NFL contracts before being released. Wright testified he received a $25,000 signing bonus from the Philadelphia Eagles before being cut, then signed and cut by the Cleveland Browns. Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints and testified he received $190 for gas. Both players said they could earn six figures playing for LSU in 2026.

LSU did not roster Wright and Harris for its season opener against Clemson on Saturday, which LSU won 51-10, per ESPN reporting. During halftime of that game, Kiffin told an ABC TV sideline reporter, "Imagine if we had pro players," according to ESPN. On September 4, SEC officials met without LSU and affirmed the conference should have the right to expel LSU if it played either player. LSU voted in favor of a professional player ban on that date but abstained from voting on penalties.

SEC bylaws require a two-thirds majority of conference presidents to expel a member, per Front Office Sports. The SEC has proposed penalties for violating the professional player ban that include a 50 percent fine of the sport's operating budget, suspension of the head coach for 50 percent of the season, and revocation of SEC voting privileges, which amounts to tens of millions of dollars according to ESPN.

The SEC alleges in its complaint that at least two professional athletes are currently on LSU's campus, enrolled at the university, and actively practicing with the football team. Wright and Harris are both on campus and have been practicing with the Tigers, per ESPN reporting.

A Louisiana state judge on an unspecified recent date completed an all-day hearing and instructed the SEC it was not allowed to enforce new rules or penalize LSU if it decided to put athletes named in the lawsuit on its roster, according to ESPN. The Louisiana state judge had earlier signed a preliminary injunction clearing a path for all athletes in the litigation to play this season. The legal battle began in August when a group of players from the freshman class of 2022 filed a Louisiana state court lawsuit arguing they should receive a fifth year of eligibility after the NCAA changed its eligibility policy. The SEC has alleged in court documents that Kiffin orchestrated the suit, though he has denied the allegation, per Front Office Sports.

Section 3.1.5 of the SEC Constitution and Bylaws grants conference presidents "plenary power and authority with respect to all affairs of the Conference of any type or nature whatsoever," including the power to "[t]ake all actions specified and contemplated in Article 3 [of the Constitution] in their sole discretion," per ESPN. The SEC stated in the complaint: "A commitment to those rules, and to the core principles of the Southeastern Conference, is an essential element of SEC membership," per Front Office Sports reporting.