Southeastern Conference bigwigs met up via video conference on Thursday, and here’s the kicker: they didn’t even hold a vote on LSU’s membership. This is wild because the SEC had literally threatened to do exactly that earlier in the week as part of a federal lawsuit against LSU. Talk about a staredown! The whole thing got put on hold after LSU finally locked down its football roster, pulling a pair of NFL signees that first-year Tigers coach Lane Kiffin had apparently recruited back to college.
Kiffin’s Roster Gamble and LSU’s Swift Move
So, what really went down? Kiffin was trying to bring in tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Both of these guys played for Kiffin at Mississippi last year before taking a shot at NFL rosters this summer. Wright spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, while Harris was with the New Orleans Saints. LSU President Wade Rousse basically waved a one-page letter at SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, claiming the league’s lawsuit was moot because Kiffin finally played ball and complied with the conference ban on rostering players with previous NFL experience. This all happened right after a federal court hearing, scheduled for the day before, got postponed by a judge in Birmingham. The SEC put out a statement saying these “discussions will continue,” which tells you everything you need to know: this drama is far from over.
The Commissioner’s Concerns and What’s Ahead
This whole mess between LSU, a conference it helped found in 1933, and the SEC isn’t just about Kiffin’s recruiting. Sankey and other SEC leaders are super bothered by the court drama that blew up, too. Sankey even testified last week, insisting the league has every right to enforce its own rules. The SEC has a long-standing rule against rostering players with major pro experience, and they’ve even updated their enforcement rules to let the commissioner suspend coaches, hit universities with massive fines up to half a sport’s budget, and restrict their conference voting power. Sankey is also straight-up concerned that Rousse and athletic director Verge Ausberry have “no meaningful control” over Kiffin or the football program. This isn’t even Kiffin’s only headline-grabbing move; LSU also brought back Will Wade to coach men’s basketball, a coach previously fired after an NCAA investigation into improper inducement payments. It’s a soap opera, pure and simple. What’s next for LSU and the SEC? They’re still working toward an “appropriate resolution.” This is a battle over control, and it feels like the SEC is ready to keep pushing until it gets it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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