SEC and LSU Locked in Legal Standoff Over Former NFL Talent
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Despite a courtroom victory, LSU sidelines former pros as the SEC fights to enforce a ban on professional players returning to college football.
**OPINION:** The SEC is playing a dangerous game of legal chicken with LSU. As first reported by CBS Sports, the league is attempting to protect a fragile status quo by sidelining professional talent in the face of a judicial green light, but the resulting fallout will only expose the instability of current eligibility loopholes.
According to reporting from CBS Sports, LSU opted not to include Zxavian Harris and Dae'Quan Wright on its roster for the season opener against Clemson. This decision occurred just one day after a Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction that would have allowed the Tigers to play the two athletes.
Both Harris and Wright previously starred at Ole Miss. CBS Sports reports that Harris spent time with the New Orleans Saints after his eligibility expired following the 2025-26 season, while Wright spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles after completing his final season with the Rebels. LSU coach Lane Kiffin sought to bring these players back—along with others who had been with NFL franchises—as other four-year college players gained legal momentum to play a fifth season under updated NCAA eligibility rules.
However, the SEC is resisting this move. CBS Sports reports that the conference filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against LSU and Coach Kiffin. The league is pursuing legal authority to uphold rules that were approved by a 15-0 vote of its members to ban professional players from returning to the college game. The SEC has discussed severe penalties for those who violate this ban, including the possibility of game forfeitures.
The controversy has extended beyond the football field and into the political arena. CBS Sports notes that Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has urged SEC member institutions to take direct action if LSU permits former professionals to play, suggesting the conference employ "all measures available," which could include expulsion or suspension.
Opponents of the move have also spoken out. On Tuesday, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney described the idea of NFL players returning to college football as "embarrassing," per CBS Sports. While LSU's decision to keep Harris and Wright off the roster means Swinney did not have to face former pros in Week 1, the Tigers may still add the players to their roster later this season as they navigate the ongoing legal battle.