Will LSU be able to start former NFL players??
BATON ROUGE, La. – The ongoing battle between LSU and the SEC reached a tipping point Thursday when the conference filed a federal lawsuit against the school over Lane Kiffin’s potential addition of players with NFL ties.
On Thursday, plaintiffs were granted a preliminary injunction by Judge William Jorden of the 19th District Court of Louisiana that allows them to be rostered by different schools for the upcoming season.
Because of this ruling, all eyes were on a Friday deadline in which schools are required to submit their rosters before their official season begins.
INSIDE A LOUISIANA COURTROOM: SEC-LSU LEGAL CIRCUS PLAYED OUT LIKE A JOHN GRISHAM NOVEL IN STUNNING SHOWDOWN
But, lost in the arguments around this deadline was an exemption the SEC enacted this past April that allows a team to add players to their roster if they are currently enrolled in classes as a full-time student.
According to multiple sources, LSU did not add Dae'Quan Wright or Zxavian Harris to its roster on Friday, but have the option to add them at a later time. This could come at any point over the course of the season, but would most likely happen sooner rather than later, if they do at all.
There was also a number of intense conversations had on Friday surrounding this situation, with the SEC hellbent on punishing LSU if they were to have added the players to their official roster.
What began as a lawsuit filed by members of the 2022 recruiting class seeking an additional season of eligibility has now escalated into a legal battle involving five different parties.
The dispute stems from the NCAA’s new "five-for-five" eligibility rule, which stipulates that athletes have five years to play five seasons of college sports.
JUDGE GRANTS INJUNCTION AGAINST NCAA, SEC, ALLOWING ATHLETES WITH NFL TIES ELIGIBLE TO PLAY FOR LSU, OTHERS
LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin talks with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey during SEC Media Day 2026 at the JW Marriott Waterstreet in Tampa, Fla., on July 23, 2026. (University Images via Getty Images)
Some of those athletes granted protection by the court included former Ole Miss football players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, who both told OutKick that they were under the impression that the Tigers would be adding them to the roster for the upcoming season.
This followed a highly contentious hearing that involved SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, who testified that any school in the conference that rostered players with professional ties would be violating newly created rules pertaining to the eligibility of those with NFL experience.
In a shocking turn of events that started just three minutes after Sankey took the stand, the SEC had already filed a federal lawsuit in a North Alabama court against LSU, Lane Kiffin and other school administrators for violating the SEC's first amendment rights to enforce conference rules.
