LSU backed down, for now, in their explosive standoff with the SEC, deciding not to include Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris on the roster submitted Friday to the College Sports Commission. Those two former Ole Miss players, who signed NFL contracts this offseason, won’t play in the Tigers’ season opener Saturday against Clemson, despite Wright telling reporters Thursday he totally expected to be out there. This move comes after a Baton Rouge judge granted a preliminary injunction that allowed LSU to roster the players in the first place. This whole thing blew up way past what anyone expected.
The SEC Was Ready to Expel LSU, Seriously
The pressure on LSU hit “unprecedented levels,” and you gotta wonder how close we were to total chaos. On Monday, CBS Sports dropped a bombshell: the SEC was actually weighing possible forfeiture of games, a federal lawsuit, and even straight-up expulsion if LSU didn’t ditch the idea of rostering these former NFL guys. Think about that: expulsion, from the SEC! It was initially called “extremely, extremely unlikely,” but man, that just shows the frustration boiling over in the conference. Just three days later, the SEC filed a federal lawsuit against head coach Lane Kiffin, athletic director Verge Ausberry, the university, and anyone else tied to it. Multiple sources said the frustration among SEC presidents and chancellors was just ratcheting up all week. What started as unthinkable, LSU getting kicked out, became disturbingly realistic by Friday. Sources were saying if LSU didn’t deescalate, the votes were there for expulsion. Even Georgia attorney general Chris Carr jumped in, urging Commissioner Greg Sankey to “take all measures available,” including “suspending and/or removing LSU from the conference.” Wild stuff.
LSU Blinks, But the Fight Isn’t Over
LSU’s decision on Friday to leave Wright and Harris off the roster was a huge concession, essentially a “nuclear football disarmament” after all that talk of drastic measures. Sankey had full power from SEC leaders to punish any school or coach violating the ban on playing former professional players, with penalties like a head coach suspension for half the season and a massive fine. But here’s the kicker: LSU left two open spots on their 105-player roster. Wright and Harris are still enrolled at the school, which means the door is cracked open for them to potentially be added later. This battle isn’t over by a long shot, is it?
So, LSU plays Clemson on Saturday without Wright and Harris, but everyone’s gonna be watching those two open roster spots. This whole saga just showed us how far the SEC is willing to go. You gotta wonder if this “disarmament” is just a temporary cease-fire.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply