‘This Entire Charade Was Always About Trinidad Chambliss’ — CFB World Rips Louisiana Governor For Siding With LSU’s Lane Kiffin
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Lane Kiffin continues to find himself at the center of attention, and his push to open the door for NFL returnees has become one of the latest major talking points in college football.
In the middle of all the noise, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has made it clear he’s firmly supporting the LSU head coach, prompting plenty of discussion across the college football community.
Lane Kiffin Gets Louisiana Governor’s Backing in SEC Eligibility Battle
The latest eligibility dispute emerged after Kiffin pushed for the return of Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright to college football.
Kiffin and LSU are refusing to back down in their ongoing dispute with the SEC over the eligibility of former professional athletes. As the legal fight heads back to a courtroom in Baton Rouge, Landry has publicly thrown his support behind LSU’s position.
Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich reached out to Landry’s office for his thoughts on the developing dispute between LSU and the SEC. The governor did not hold back, describing the situation as “ridiculous.”
“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Landry said. “I’ve been saying for a year that college sports need to be fixed. The NCAA could have done it. Congress could have done it. Neither did.”
Landry argued that the SEC has helped create the current legal situation by initially telling athletes that they had exhausted their eligibility, only for the rules to change later. He also pointed to the league’s handling of previous cases involving Diego Pavia and Trinidad Chambliss, questioning why the latest situation should be treated differently.
However, Landry’s comment didn’t sit well with many in the college football community.
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“This entire charade was always about Trinidad Chambliss,” one fan said.
“First time a sitting governor has ever said ‘Don’t hate the player, hate the game’ in an on-the-record interview? Yes? No?” On3’s Andy Staples asked.
“Lane and this dude are a match made in heaven,” Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken remarked.
The controversy gained further traction after CBS Sports reported that Kiffin and LSU had contacted multiple players currently on NFL rosters, or their representatives, to encourage them to pursue legal action against the NCAA and return to college football. That report adds some context to Kiffin’s earlier justification that players are either going to play for LSU or play for another program.
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However, Landry is willing to stand behind the LSU coach despite the growing criticism.
In defending LSU’s position, Landry added that governing bodies cannot tell athletes that their college careers are finished, watch those players move on, change the eligibility rules afterward, and then penalize them for failing to anticipate those changes.
Meanwhile, critics continued to mock the governor’s comments.
“Can’t figure out if this is a Lane Kiffin tweet draft or a statement from a politician. Reads like the former. Wild that it’s the latter,” one said.
“Imagine Tate Reeves doing stuff like this,” SportsTalk Mississippi’s co-host Michael Borkey wrote.
“Some time down the road we are going to get a 30 for 30 type of show on LSU, and this guy won’t be talked about kindly in it,” Irish Breakdown’s Bryan Driskell wrote.
Regardless of how the legal dispute ultimately unfolds, the situation proves just how aggressive Kiffin is willing to be in pursuing to improve LSU’s roster.
After leaving Ole Miss shortly before the Rebels entered the final stretch of their playoff push last season, Kiffin is preparing for his first season in Baton Rouge under heavy expectations.
He has already brought in several highly regarded players through the transfer portal, and pursuing NFL returnees represents his latest attempt to strengthen LSU’s roster and increase its playoff chances.
According to PFN’s CFB Playoff Meter, LSU currently has a 31.7% chance of reaching the CFP this season.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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