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SEC, LSU squabble over pro player pursuit
The SEC has sued LSU over its pursuit of former professional players that it wants to roster for the upcoming college football season. FOX 4's Peyton Yager has more.
DALLAS - Days before most college football teams play their first games, a power conference is suing one of its founding members over its controversial decision to recruit former pro players.
SEC sues LSU
What we know:
The Southeastern Conference has filed a lawsuit against LSU, one of its founding members.
The lawsuit claims LSU leadership "waged a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes to play football for LSU during the 2026-27 season."
LSU administration and LSU head coach Lane Kiffin were named as defendants in the suit.
Pro players returning to college?
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - AUGUST 22: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the LSU Tigers in action during fall practice at Tiger Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
Big picture view:
The SEC's lawsuit stems from Lane Kiffin recruiting players to play for LSU that previously signed NFL contracts.
Two of the players LSU intends to roster are Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both of whom played for Kiffin when he was the head coach at Ole Miss last fall.
The players are pursuing an extra year of college eligibility since the NCAA expanded eligibility from four years to five years in June.
GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 08: TE Dae'Quan Wright #8 of the Ole Miss Rebels reacts after a touchdown during the Miami Hurricanes versus Ole Miss Rebels College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl on January 8, 2026 at State Farm Stadium in …
Wright and Harris both graduated from high school in 2022, which is the only class affected by the NCAA's ruling.
Kiffin told reporters this week that the players currently on LSU's roster have welcomed the idea of bringing back the former pro players.
What's New:
The SEC, along with several other conferences, barred football and basketball players who previously signed a professional contract from playing in the conference in August.
On Thursday, a judge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana granted a preliminary injunction against the SEC, allowing players such as Wright and Harris to play college football in 2026-27.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and others testified during the eligibility hearing.
Both Wright and Harris said after the ruling they expect to be added to LSU's roster.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JULY 23: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the LSU Tigers talking to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey during SEC Media Day 2026 at the JW Marriott Waterstreet on July 23, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Gett …
What they're saying:
"This is probably going to be an ongoing battle between trying to maximize the players' eligibility and also balance and maintaining competition for all student athletes."
Walter Musgrove, an attorney and NFL agent, tells FOX 4's Peyton Yager says these lawsuits have become common in this era of college football.
"Prior to NIL, it was simple. It was simply stated that if you have been paid to play, you are a pro. If you haven't, you are an amateur, a college athlete. Now, things have changed. With NIL, I don't know if we can apply that same rule, because college athletes are making more than professional athletes. Now we are grappling with the interplay of what constitutes being professional and what's a college athlete."
What's next:
SEC rosters must be finalized 24 hours before teams play their first game. LSU plays Clemson at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Attorneys representing the SEC say they plan on appealing the eligibility ruling as soon as possible.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a lawsuit filed by the SEC against LSU and a preliminary injunction hearing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.