BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU’s football program chose not to add former Ole Miss players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to its official roster for the upcoming season, citing a pending federal lawsuit filed by the SEC.
SEC lawsuit triggers precautionary pause
On Thursday, a federal judge in the 19th District Court of Louisiana granted a preliminary injunction that allows the contested players to be rostered by other schools. The SEC, however, has already sued LSU, head coach Lane Kiffin, and university administrators in a North Alabama federal court, alleging violations of the conference’s newly adopted eligibility rules for athletes with professional experience.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey testified that the conference’s “first amendment right for freedom of association” permits it to enforce rules that prohibit member schools from adding players who have ties to the NFL. The lawsuit seeks to uphold those rules and threatens penalties, including a possible 50 % suspension of the head coach and substantial fines for any school that violates the guidelines.
Exemption in the SEC rulebook
In April, the SEC enacted an exemption allowing a team to add a player who is enrolled full‑time as a student. LSU officials have indicated they could still add Wright and Harris later in the season under that provision, but they have not done so for the upcoming Friday roster deadline.
Multiple sources said the decision to hold off was made after extensive discussions involving LSU legal counsel, Governor Jeff Landry, and university President Wade Rousse. The administration wants to avoid a contempt of court order that could be filed if the players were added and later removed.
Impact on the Tigers and the broader college‑football landscape
The dispute stems from the NCAA’s new “five‑for‑five” eligibility rule, which limits athletes to five seasons of competition within five years. The lawsuit originally began when members of the 2022 recruiting class sought an additional season of eligibility, but it has since expanded to involve five parties.
While LSU has not added the players to its official list for the upcoming Clemson game, the legal battle continues to unfold. Attorney Ryan Downton warned that if LSU were to add and later drop the athletes, the university could face a contempt of court filing.
For now, LSU fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the Tigers focus on the upcoming slate of games, while lawyers on all sides sort out the next steps. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for how SEC schools handle transfers with professional experience, influencing decisions at other programs across the conference.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
