A Baton Rouge judge has handed LSU and a pair of former NFL players a major break just before the season opener, ruling against the NCAA in an eligibility fight that could send Dae'Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and others back to college football.
The decision from Judge William Jorden clears the way for Wright and Harris to return, and it also gives LSU the bigger payoff: both players are expected to reunite with Lane Kiffin. Kiffin has been pushing for Wright and Harris to be on the Tigers roster, even though the argument might sound unusual at first glance. His case centers on players who only went through NFL minicamps or were cut before reaching a final roster.
The NCAA’s eligibility framework at issue is tied to a five-year rule that has been extended to players from the 2022 recruiting class. Under that rule, players who previously spent time with professional teams should be allowed to come back to college within that five-year window.
Jorden made his ruling after hearing testimony in the case, including from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. The SEC also filed a separate lawsuit against LSU and Kiffin earlier Thursday in an effort to block former professional players from competing in the conference, but this latest ruling could undercut that push.
The players’ attorneys argued they were not given a chance to return before the NCAA acted on the five-year eligibility rule. The legal battle between the NCAA, the SEC and former pro players is still alive, but Thursday’s ruling dealt it a serious setback.
LSU is planning to add players with prior NFL experience to its roster, though Sankey and the SEC still reserve the right to try to kick LSU out of the conference. That fight is clearly not finished, and it figures to escalate before everything gets settled.
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LSU Just Got Pulled Into A Roster Fight With Real Stakes
The SEC has now turned a roster dispute into a legal one, filing suit against LSU, its Board of Supervisors, president Wade Rousse, athletic director Verge Ausberry and head coach Lane Kiffin over the programs pursuit of former professional athletes. At the center of it is a simple but consequential question for the Tigers: whether the conference believes LSU crossed the line by recruiting players who had already signed NFL contracts.
The league is seeking an injunction to keep LSU from associating with conduct it says runs counter to the SECs purpose, adding another layer to a situation already unfolding in Baton Rouge. A separate court hearing is still underway there to determine whether the players in question are eligible under NCAA and SEC rules, leaving the Tigers caught between immediate roster needs and a fight that now has real legal stakes. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Sent LSU A Clemson Warning Fans Will Feel
Nick Sabans memories of LSU still come with a useful warning attached. Looking back on his early years in Baton Rouge, he said those teams sometimes leaned too hard on the energy inside Tiger Stadium instead of trusting their own execution, a habit that can be easy to miss when the crowd is rolling and the place is loud. After a loss in his first season, he tried to stamp out that thinking by putting up a reminder in the locker room that the result had to come from the players, not from the people in the stands.
That message feels aimed straight at LSUs opener against Clemson, a stage where home atmosphere can only carry a team so far. Saban said he hopes this version of the Tigers does not make the same mistake, and it is the kind of warning that lands differently when it comes from someone who once had to correct it himself. For LSU, the challenge is simple enough to say and harder to live: bring the crowd with you, but do not depend on it. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Lands In A High Stakes Eligibility Fight Before The Opener
With LSUs opener approaching, the school has landed in the middle of a legal fight that could shape how Lane Kiffin and his staff navigate the roster in the final stretch before kickoff. The SEC filed a federal lawsuit against LSU, Kiffin and other administrators over the eligibility status of several potential Tigers who spent time on NFL training camp rosters, turning a personnel issue into a conference-level dispute.
The league is seeking injunctions to keep LSU from violating conference rules by recruiting and rostering professional athletes, arguing the schools actions damage the SEC. At the same time, a separate state court hearing is moving forward on the eligibility of specific players, including DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, leaving LSU with one more off-field issue to manage as the season opens. [Read more 🡒]