A Baton Rouge judge is set to preside over a hearing this Thursday that could actually see former NFL players hit the college gridiron for LSU. But before that can even happen, the big shots in the SEC are already trying to shut it down.
The Blowback Is REAL
School officials aren’t messing around, reportedly discussing harsh penalties if LSU plays these guys, with sources telling Front Office Sports they’re even talking about expelling LSU from the conference. Expulsion! And it’s not just whispers. Georgia attorney general Chris Carr jumped into the fray, publicly offering to back the conference. “If LSU does in fact roster one or more pro athletes or demonstrates concrete plans to do so, we would strongly encourage the SEC to take all measures available to address this conduct, up to and including suspending and/or removing LSU from the Conference,” Carr wrote in a letter to the SEC, first reported by ESPN. That’s a direct shot.
How We Got To This Absolute Mess
How did we get here? This wild ride didn’t even start with bringing NFL players back. It kicked off with a Louisiana state lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility policy, which gives players five years to complete five seasons, instead of four. Players who started in 2022 and burned through four years of eligibility before this new policy dropped are now suing to grab that fifth year. Two plaintiffs in this specific case, Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, actually participated in NFL preseason activities. LSU scooped them up, causing a nationwide uproar. The SEC, along with other power conferences, quickly shot back with conference-wide policies that straight-up ban any player who signed an NFL contract or even just showed up on an NFL roster, even for preseason. Wright and Harris would both be banned under those rules. The original penalties? Suspending the head coach for 50% of the season, a fine equalling 50% of the sport’s annual operating budget, and losing SEC voting privileges. That’s serious business.
The Battle Rages On
But here’s the kicker: neither the players nor LSU backed down. The players’ attorneys actually got the SEC added to the original temporary restraining order, meaning the SEC AND the NCAA can’t enforce their pro player bans right now. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin himself confirmed earlier this week that Wright is playing with the team, though he’s still waiting for clear guidance on whether Wright can actually suit up for a game. The conference is still digging in, stating they fully intend to enforce their pro player ban, but they also said they’ll comply with all court orders. Meanwhile, those university officials are still weighing that expulsion option. There’s some skepticism that schools would *really* pull that “nuclear option” trigger, but one source put it perfectly: “There is real talk about that, but talk is cheap.”
This Thursday is gonna be massive. Will the judge let these guys play? Will the SEC actually drop the hammer or will they have to fall in line? The future of LSU’s season, and maybe even the entire conference, hangs in the balance.
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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