Chaos in Baton Rouge: SEC Could Kick LSU Out of the Conference
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Chaos in Baton Rouge: SEC Moves Toward Possible LSU Expulsionc
The SEC and LSU are officially at war.
What started as a dispute over whether former professional football players should be allowed to return to college football has now escalated into something much bigger.
The Southeastern Conference is preparing to meet Thursday to discuss whether LSU should be terminated as a member of the conference, according to an amended federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. A two-thirds majority of the SEC’s university presidents and chancellors would be required to remove the Tigers.
For LSU, this is about as serious as it gets.
How Did We Get Here?
The controversy began when LSU coach Lane Kiffin brought former NFL players into his program after they had already entered the professional ranks.
Two of the biggest names involved are Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who previously played under Kiffin at Ole Miss before spending time with NFL teams.
The SEC had established rules prohibiting players who had signed professional contracts from returning to college competition. The conference then voted 15-0, with LSU abstaining, to authorize significant penalties against schools that violated the policy.
Then a Louisiana judge issued an injunction allowing the players covered by the case to pursue college eligibility.
That sent the situation into overdrive.
The SEC Takes LSU to Court
The SEC responded by filing a federal lawsuit against LSU, Kiffin and several university officials.
The conference argued that LSU’s actions threatened the SEC’s ability to establish and enforce its own rules. The SEC is now asking the federal court for authority to move forward with the potential expulsion process.
The conference has also asked for a temporary restraining order that would prevent LSU from interfering with Thursday’s meeting.
This is no longer just a disagreement over two football players.
The future relationship between LSU and the SEC is now at stake.
Could LSU Actually Get Kicked Out?
That’s the question everyone is asking.
LSU has been a member of the SEC since 1933, making the Tigers one of the conference’s founding members. Removing a school with that kind of history would be an unprecedented move.
For the Tigers to be expelled, at least two-thirds of the conference’s CEOs would have to vote in favor of termination.
Whether that actually happens remains unclear.
But the fact that the SEC is even holding the meeting shows just how far this situation has escalated.
LSU’s Future Is Suddenly Uncertain
LSU avoided using Wright and Harris in its season opener against Clemson, despite the Louisiana court ruling that temporarily cleared the way for them to play.
The Tigers went on to crush Clemson 51-10, but the legal battle didn’t disappear.
Now LSU has to deal with the possibility of something much bigger than player eligibility.
The SEC could actually be considering kicking the Tigers out of the conference.
The meeting Thursday could become one of the most important moments in SEC history.
LSU isn’t just fighting for two players anymore. It’s fighting for its place in the SEC.
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