Ripple effects of injunction allowing pro players to play for LSU go beyond Lane Kiffin and the SEC
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Ripple effects of injunction allowing pro players to play for LSU go beyond Lane Kiffin and the SEC originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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What are the consequences – if any – at this point?
That is the question LSU must ask now ahead of Saturday's game against Clemson. On Thursday, Louisiana District Court Judge William Jorden granted a temporary injunction in favor of more than 40 student-athletes that will allow them to be rostered by FBS schools this weekend.
That includes potential LSU transfers Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris. This ruling comes on the same day the SEC filed a lawsuit in an attempt to bar those players from returning to college football. LSU was enjoined in the temporary injunction.
With all due respect to UMass over Rutgers– (apologies for that No. 138 ranking, by the way) – this is the largest upset of Week 1 because it's going to upset most of the college football world. It comes ahead of the into matchup between No. 11 LSU and Clemson at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. It's now 100% less about the game – and more about whether Wright and Harris will suit up for the game.
Is this a travesty or simply a loophole that is just part of the instability of college football in 2026? No matter where you fall – there will be consequences of this decision that reach beyond the courtroom.
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Why are former NFL players allowed to play college football?
Wright – a tight end – went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. He was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles before being claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns. Harris was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints and released. Now, there is a possibility they could play in prime-time on Saturday.
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard summed up the situation on Tuesday when he said, "That's the stupidest s— I've ever heard."
Too many people feel the same way about a process could have been avoided. The new "five-for-five" eligibility rule – which was enacted on June 23 – which was enacted in June – did not grant one more year of eligibility for players in the 2022 class. If the NCAA had granted exemptions with a hard deadline before NFL camps started, perhaps this problem could have been avoided. But you knew on the "Summer of the District Court Judge Ruling" that a handful of athletes were going to challenge this anyway. So we don't blame the NCAA here.
After all, college athletes are being paid now and can be considered professionals – and how can you deny that opportunity in a court of law – which is linear – even if the court of college football public opinion disagrees.
That public opinion won when Texas Tech transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby was granted an injunction despite allegations of placing bets on Indiana football when he was a member of the team. Texas Tech was hammered for attempting to let Sorsby play. Common sense won out.
It's hard to find any here. Which brings us to the potential consequences should Wright and Harris suit up Saturday. Let's run those down:
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People that will face consequences from Thursday's ruling
Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, "the judge explicitly stated that LSU, NCAA and SEC are all enjoined from taking ‘actions that negatively impact' the athletes. That means it's going to be difficult to prevent Wright and Harris to follow through on their intention to play for LSU if that's what they choose.
Will it be worth it for Wright and Harris? Both played for Lane Kiffin with the Rebels. Wright had 39 catches for 635 yards and five TDs in 2025. Harris had 58 tackles and nine tackles for loss last season. Both players expect to play, and they should be able to get the benefits of Name, Image and Likeness at the college football level.
How will that go over in the NFL for both players next year? That's a consequence of this action. Given Ballard's pointed reaction, and he wasn't the only NFL coach or executive who panned the move, it's a question they would have to answer before re-attempting to play at the next level. Good luck.
Lane Kiffin and the SEC
Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU last season, which hijacked Rivalry Week and a good chunk of the College Football Playoff. Now, the LSU coach faces a lawsuit from the SEC ahead of his debut with the Tigers.
Leaving for LSU was supposed to be the career-defining moment on the field for Kiffin. Now, it could be his undoing within the conference he represents. No matter what happens from here, the relationship between Kiffin and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is torn, perhaps beyond repair. It's a flat-out embarrassment for the conference. It doesn't matter if Kiffin wins this battle in court.
Kiffin might never win this decision in the court of public opinion, which leans into his role as the undisputed villain in college football. But this isn't wrestling. Jimmy Hart, "The Mouth of the South," is revered in that space. Then again, is college football professional wrestling now? It's that kind of show in Baton Rouge right now.
Does Kiffin believe that NFL players returning to college football will ever be normalized? Is this fight worth it given Wright and Harris would be role players for LSU? Given the potential long-term repercussions within the SEC, this simply does not seem worth it.
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College football as an enterprise
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry tweeted his support of the ruling Thursday. Landry wrote:
"The court has ruled in favor of the athletes! Again, they are not professional football players circling back after years in the NFL. They are college players who were told, by the NCAA, that they were done. So they took the only door that was open, only to watch the NCAA change the lock behind them.I am sure these athletes are relieved and anxious to get back in the game! Let's spot the ball!"
That's some spin, but it won't win. This ruling is a product of the notion that college football is the "Wild, Wild West," and maybe it is now just that. Choose your Western: "Tombstone" or "Deadwood." To a small cross-section of college fans, the sport they love will be dead to them. That's hyperbole, sure, we're still going to watch, but this ruling and the pending storm that follows will not make the sport better. It's much worse off for it. In fact, there's a word for it that the coach on the other sideline this weekend already used this week.
"It's kind of embarrassing," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "Honestly, it's embarrassing that's where we are. I don't blame the kids, but people trying to take advantage of the system. It's embarrassing, but we've been there for a while."
We're not going back either, consequences be damned.
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