The SEC is officially fed up with Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers, and the entire conference is about to vote on kicking them out. This isn’t some minor slap on the wrist either. The SEC filed an amendment to its federal lawsuit against LSU, Kiffin, and other representatives, explicitly seeking the power to expel the university from the conference. This is real.
Kiffin’s Comments Are Fueling the Fire
The whole debacle stems from LSU signing actual pro football players to the team. You can’t do that, everyone knows it. But the SEC points directly to Kiffin’s antics and a complete lack of control. After their massive 51-10 landslide win over Clemson on Saturday, Kiffin dropped a bombshell comment: “Imagine if we had pro players.” Seriously? That quote, according to ESPN, is right there in the SEC’s amended complaint. It’s a blatant disregard for the rule that players who have signed a pro contract cannot return to college, and the SEC is not having it.
The complaint goes even further, stating that “LSU’s demonstrated lack of institutional control at the university level,including complete lack of control over Coach Kiffin’s actions , and other conduct alleged herein that is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the Conference” made this vote “imperative.” The conference isn’t just saying Kiffin messed up; they’re saying LSU itself failed to control him, and that’s a huge problem.
A Vote That Could Rewrite History
So, what does it take to boot a school from a powerhouse like the SEC? According to SEC rules, a two-thirds vote from all the university presidents is required. The SEC isn’t backing down, either. Their statement confirms they 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.” They’re defending their ability “to govern competition among its members.”
This kind of move is incredibly rare, but it’s happened before. Back in February 2001, Temple University got voted out of the Big East. That decision came because their program was just abysmal and they consistently failed to hit a 25,000-attendance benchmark. Temple fought hard and settled to stay until the 2004 season, ending with a 30-126 overall record in that league. They played independent for a couple of years, then went to the Mid-American Conference in 2007, and eventually, the Big East came crawling back after losing members.
LSU might not be so lucky. Conferences like the SEC have an image to uphold, whether that’s competitive teams, academic standards, or the money they bring in. If a school messes with that image, there are repercussions. The SEC is sending a loud and clear message that they will not tolerate any deviation from their rules.
The whole world will be watching on Thursday, September 10. That’s when the meeting is set to “decide whether to terminate Louisiana State University (“LSU”) as an SEC member institution.” This vote could reshape the landscape of college football, and LSU is right in the crosshairs.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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