A Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction against the NCAA Thursday night, clearing the way for 11th-ranked LSU to list former NFL players on its roster. This ruling comes at a wild time, landing just one day before LSU had to submit its 105-man roster to the Southeastern Conference, which, get this, just last week announced potential heavy punishments for teams bringing in ex-pros. Yeah, talk about cutting it close!
The Courtroom Drama That Rocked Baton Rouge
This whole thing exploded after a nearly nine-hour hearing in Baton Rouge, right near the LSU campus. Judge William Jorden oversaw the marathon session, where athlete after athlete took the stand, pleading their case to play college sports again after brief pro stints. It wasn’t just football, either. Two LSU soccer players, Jazmin Ferguson and Jocelyn Ollivierre, already snagged earlier court orders and have hit the field this season. Ferguson even testified she paid back $4,500 from a USL team, trying to clear her path. Two LSU softball players also spoke up. From the gridiron side, former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and ex-Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright, both hoping to suit up for LSU, were right there in the gallery. Harris and Wright each said they pulled in about $1 million in college. Harris told the court he only got $190 in travel expenses from the Saints, spending his whole time rehabbing a foot injury. Wright, who signed a $25,000 bonus with Philadelphia before landing with the Browns, even offered to pay that money back for another shot at LSU. The powerful SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was on the stand for over two hours, defending the league’s authority against these players, arguing for the line between pro and college ball.
The SEC’s Next Play and What’s Still Up In The Air
Even with Jorden’s ruling, the fight is far from over. The judge said he thought about sanctioning the SEC and NCAA but wasn’t ready to pull that trigger yet. The big question now is how many games these former pros might actually be eligible to play, because this legal battle is still grinding through the courts. The SEC, clearly not happy, isn’t backing down. They’ve already doubled down by filing a lawsuit against LSU in federal court, which could be their best shot at stopping these players this season. Commissioner Sankey and the league’s presidents and chancellors are really trying to draw a line in the sand between professional and college sports with those new week-old rules. It’s wild because 11th-ranked LSU kicks off its season at home against Clemson in just two days! This is going to be a fascinating story to watch unfold, both on the field and in the courtroom, to see who gets the last word.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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