The Southeastern Conference (SEC) filed a lawsuit Tuesday in the Northern District Court of Alabama accusing Louisiana State University of violating the league’s professionalism rules. The conference says LSU is attempting to recruit, and possibly sign, athletes who have already played professionally in the NFL or NBA, thereby undermining the SEC’s effort to enforce its new standards.

Background of the dispute

Earlier this year, a Louisiana district court ruled that former professional football players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris were eligible to play this season for LSU. In response, the SEC and other conferences adopted a rule barring athletes with professional experience from returning to college sports. LSU’s football and basketball programs subsequently added the SEC as a defendant in the ongoing eligibility lawsuits filed by several athletes.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey testified for more than five hours before a Baton Rouge judge, asserting that LSU’s legal strategy was designed to prevent the conference from governing itself. The filing states, “Defendants have already shown they will use Louisiana’s courts to stop the Conference from governing itself.”

SEC claims First Amendment interference

The conference argues that LSU’s actions threaten the SEC’s First Amendment freedoms to set and enforce its own rules. It alleges that LSU worked “hand in glove” with plaintiffs to obtain state‑court orders that block the conference from applying its professionalism rules.

Attorney General Liz Murrill of Louisiana called the SEC’s lawsuit “garbage,” saying the university has broken no rules and that the case should be dismissed.

Impact on LSU’s football and basketball rosters

On the football side, LSU chose not to add Wright and Harris to its roster, a decision the SEC says does not nullify its claims. The conference also noted that LSU’s football program has not interfered with a September 10 meeting concerning the matter.

In basketball, head coach Will Wade has focused on recruiting players with professional experience, including former NBA player RJ Luis Jr., who has been allowed to practice with the team but has not yet been officially added to the roster. The SEC’s motion states, “LSU has openly recruited former NBA player RJ Luis Jr., has allowed him to practice with LSU’s men’s basketball team, and has refused to publicly and definitively state that he will not be included on LSU’s basketball roster.”

Wade told reporters during SEC Media Days that LSU will follow all SEC protocols, noting that the player in question has not traveled with the team and has not been rostered.

Legal outlook

The case now awaits a ruling from a federal judge in Alabama. If the court allows the SEC’s suit to proceed, LSU could face sanctions for continuing to recruit athletes with professional experience, potentially including fines or restrictions on future recruiting.

Regardless of the outcome, the dispute highlights a broader clash between college athletic programs seeking competitive advantages and conferences striving to maintain consistent eligibility standards.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.