Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has put LSU and the SEC in the middle of a growing fight over conference authority, sending an open letter to Greg Sankey that backs the idea of removing LSU from the league.
Carr’s argument centers on LSU’s refusal to follow the SEC’s guidance on not bringing back players who’ve been with an NFL franchise. The Tigers are moving ahead under favorable Louisiana court rulings, and Carr says that should not come with the perks of conference membership.
“College athletics are for college athletes only, and we are grateful the SEC has taken swift action to maintain that standard,” Carr wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN. “However, the rules cannot be ignored or twisted to benefit one coach, one institution, or one program, and we refuse to stand by while that happens.
“Conference members have the freedom to associate with institutions committed to following NCAA and Conference rules. No institution should be allowed to ignore the obligations of Conference membership while continuing to receive the benefits of membership.”
The dispute has already sparked plenty of frustration around the league, with school presidents and now state attorneys general getting involved. The situation also comes with an obvious football wrinkle: Lane Kiffin’s first game coaching LSU is Saturday night against Clemson in Death Valley on ABC/ESPN airwaves, one of the biggest matchups of Week 1.
That timing has raised eyebrows, especially since the reporting is coming through ESPN’s Pete Thamel during game week. Carr may be making a principled stand, but the timing gives the whole thing a bit of SEC soap opera energy.
Still, the practical questions are huge. Sankey would be weighing whether the conference really wants to push out a program like LSU, a major draw in the New Orleans and Louisiana regional markets.
There’s no easy replacement sitting there ready to step in, unless Tulane somehow gets thrown into the mix. And Tulane, even with an overperforming Green Wave Fund, does not run with an SEC budget.
There’s also the bigger domino effect. If LSU ever decided to see how life looks as an independent, the ripple could reach far beyond Baton Rouge. Schools like Texas and Alabama would have to consider what that kind of move might mean, and that’s the kind of shift that could shake the entire conference model.
For Auburn, the situation cuts both ways. LSU leaving could eventually make it easier for another school to imagine life outside the SEC, and Auburn has already lined up national powers like Notre Dame, Penn State, and Oregon over the past seven years. But Auburn also joined the rest of the league in supporting the ban on ex-NFL players returning to college football, which shows the Tigers still benefit plenty from being in the SEC.
That benefit is real. The SEC brings in the highest average revenue per athletic department at $215.5 million per school. Auburn may not be getting the same brand boost Texas has found through SEC membership, but the league still matters plenty on the Plains.
Carr’s move may be aimed at LSU, but the stakes stretch much wider than one program. LSU’s future in the SEC touches all 15 other SEC teams, all 66 other Power 4 teams, and, in truth, all 137 other FBS programs.
Now it’s up to Kiffin, LSU, and the SEC to see where this fight goes next.
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