SEC threatens to expel LSU

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The Southeastern Conference is escalating its legal battle with LSU as lawsuits continue to be filed by players seeking a fifth year of college eligibility.

According to Pete Nakos of On3, the SEC filed an amendment Monday to its federal lawsuit against LSU and individuals associated with the program, including new LSU football coach Lane Kiffin. The lawsuit was filed last week in the Northern District of Alabama.

The amendment would affirm the SEC’s ability to expel LSU from the conference with a two-thirds vote from the league’s member schools, according to Nakos.

“Today’s filing is necessary to defend that right and preserve the Conference’s ability to govern competition among its members,” the SEC said in a statement, according to On3’s Wilson Alexander.

The SEC also announced a meeting of its Chief Executive Committee for Thursday, Sept. 10. According to a document obtained by Nakos, the committee will “decide whether to terminate Louisiana State University (“LSU”) as an SEC member institution” under Section 3.1.5 of the SEC Constitution and Bylaws.

The conference has also filed a motion seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent LSU or its representatives from interfering with Thursday’s meeting.

The legal dispute stems from the SEC’s attempt to prevent member schools from adding former professional athletes to their rosters. The conference argues that LSU’s pursuit of former professional players interferes with its ability to enforce its rules and govern its membership.

LSU ultimately elected not to add former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris or former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright to its roster before Saturday’s season opener. A Louisiana judge previously granted Harris, Wright and 40 other plaintiffs a preliminary injunction granting them a fifth year of eligibility against the NCAA and SEC.

Under the SEC’s professional-athlete prohibition, schools are barred from rostering athletes who previously declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA drafts, signed professional contracts with teams affiliated with those leagues or appeared on a professional roster. The SEC’s latest legal action could now put LSU’s future membership in the conference directly in question.

A major storyline to keep watching as the new season progresses.

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