A Texas judge has put the SEC’s new crackdown on former professional athletes returning to college on hold, at least for now.
On Thursday, a collection of former college athletes won temporary restraining orders against the NCAA, the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey, marking the first legal challenge to the conference’s newly approved policy. The ruling gives the athletes temporary eligibility to play this season and enter the transfer portal.
The SEC had just moved this week to ban professional athletes from returning to college, and the league went even further by voting to punish schools and coaches who ignore the rule. Fifteen of the SEC’s 16 schools backed the penalty plan. LSU was the lone holdout in that second vote.
Among the players covered by the Texas ruling are receiver Jordan Hudson, linebacker Wesley Bissainthe and receiver Omari Evans. All three are currently listed on NFL rosters. Hudson is with the Cowboys, while Bissainthe and Evans are with the Chiefs.
“Double-digit football players were granted TROs today against the NCAA as well as the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey that have them currently eligible to play this season and enter the transfer portal, per @TexasTrialGroup.”
That legal fight may be just the beginning. Yahoo Sports reported that the Louisiana eligibility lawsuit has now been amended to include the SEC and Sankey as well. That case involves three former Ole Miss players, including tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive tackle Xzavian Harris, both of whom have already committed to LSU.
The timing adds another layer to an already tense dynamic between LSU and the SEC, and these lawsuits are likely to sharpen it further.
The SEC’s penalty system, approved on Wednesday, would have suspended a head coach for 50% of the season and hit the school with a financial penalty equal to 50% of the sport’s operation budget. With the restraining order now in place, the conference’s ability to enforce that policy is suddenly in doubt.
The SEC is not the only league trying to draw a hard line. The Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 have also voted to impose strict penalties on teams that play former professional athletes, but none of those conferences has faced a court challenge yet.
In Other News...
LSU Just Made A No. 18 Choice Fans Will Debate
LSUs latest nod to its locker-room standards came with a familiar kind of weight, as center Braelin Moore was chosen to carry the No. 18 tradition into this season. The honor has long been reserved for players who embody leadership and selflessness, and it remains one of the programs more meaningful internal markers. Moore is only the second offensive lineman to earn the distinction, which says plenty about how the Tigers view his role beyond the line of scrimmage.
Because of NCAA numbering rules, Moore will wear a patch representing No. 18 rather than the number itself, but the symbolism is still the point. The tradition dates back to quarterback Matt Mauck and has been passed along to players whose value shows up in the huddle, in the meeting room and in the way teammates respond to them. For LSU, the selection is another reminder that some of its biggest expectations are measured less by statistics than by the standard a player sets every day. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Made A No. 18 Choice Fans Will Read Into
LSU added a familiar bit of symbolism to its roster this week by honoring Braelin Moore with the No. 18 jersey, a number reserved for the Tiger who best reflects leadership and character. Moore, a fifth-year senior center, will keep wearing No. 61 on game day because of NCAA numbering rules, but the patch attached to his uniform carries real meaning around the program.
The choice is notable for another reason: it is only the second time an LSU offensive lineman has received the honor, following Lloyd Cushenberry in 2019. For a position group that usually gets its praise in quieter ways, the gesture says plenty about how Moore is viewed inside the program and why this one figures to resonate with fans who pay attention to the details. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Is Fueling A Debate LSU Fans Can't Ignore
Lane Kiffin is back in the conversation around LSU, but this time it has nothing to do with play-calling or the transfer portal. He appears as the villain in a new Dr. Pepper "Fansville" commercial set to air this football season, another reminder that his image still carries plenty of edge in college football circles and plenty of baggage for fans who remember his Ole Miss days well.
The timing makes the spot especially hard for LSU fans to ignore, because the Tigers have just added former NFL players DaaQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris after both were cut and then entered the transfer portal. Both players once played for Kiffin at Ole Miss before he took over at LSU, which gives the commercial a little extra irony for a fan base still sorting through how to view its coachs old ties. [Read more 🡒]