LSU avoided immediate punishment from the SEC on Thursday, but the matter is far from settled.
After a videoconference meeting of Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors, the league said no fines, suspensions or other penalties were handed down. Even so, the conference made clear the issue is still active.
“The presidents and chancellors of the Southeastern Conference met Thursday by videoconference to discuss regent matters involving conference expectations and responsibilities. Those discussions will continue as the conference and its member universities work toward an appropriate resolution,” the statement reads.
The league had been expected to weigh possible discipline for LSU football and head coach Lane Kiffin. At one point, presidents were scheduled to vote on expelling LSU from the SEC, but that item was removed from the agenda on Wednesday. For now, LSU has bought time, not absolution.
That pause comes after LSU chose to fill the final two openings on its 105-man football roster without adding tight end Dae’Quan Wright or defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Both players were among a group of class of 2022 athletes who won a preliminary injunction allowing them to return for a fifth season of college sports. The ruling from Baton Rouge Judge William Jorden also blocked the SEC from enforcing a rule that punished schools for signing former NFL, NBA and WNBA players.
LSU technically could have rostered Wright and Harris under that ruling, but it left both off the list before its season opener against Clemson. The school was concerned about SEC appeals and a federal lawsuit, so it kept two roster spots open in case it could add them later in the season. Those spots were later filled by cornerback Aiden Anding and defensive end Gabriel Reliford on Tuesday night, which means Wright and Harris can no longer be signed this season.
The legal fight is still alive. LSU remains tied up in the SEC’s lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Northern Alabama, and the temporary restraining order hearing in that case was postponed on Wednesday for no stated reason.
In Other News...
LSU Is Stuck In An SEC Fight With No Clear End
Pete Thamels latest Week 2 update offered a mixed bag for the SECs heavyweights, with Texas getting healthier up front and still waiting on one key eligibility ruling. Left tackle Trevor Goosby is back from a knee injury, while offensive lineman Cole Hutson is practicing but remains ineligible as his NCAA appeal continues to work through the process.
LSUs news, though, is less about the depth chart and more about the larger picture around the program. After a conference meeting, the Tigers SEC membership situation is still unresolved, and the league is monitoring the issue as legal complications continue to shape the timeline. For LSU, it is the kind of off-field uncertainty that can linger well beyond a single game week, with no clear end in sight yet. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Jefferson Just Added Fuel To LSU's New Identity
Justin Jeffersons return to Baton Rouge came with more than nostalgia. The former LSU star was at the Tigers game against Clemson and offered support for the direction Lane Kiffin is pushing, backing a team that has leaned into a sharper, more aggressive edge under its new head coach. With so many new faces in the program, LSU is trying to establish a fresh identity quickly, and Jeffersons approval only adds a little more weight to the message.
The part that stands out is how openly the Tigers have embraced the idea of being the villain now. Kiffins arrival from Ole Miss has given LSU a different kind of swagger, and Jefferson said the roster still has the kind of talent that can put it in the national championship conversation despite the turnover. For a program built on expectations, the challenge now is proving that the attitude matches the results. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Kelly Just Validated What LSU Fans Loved In Clemson Blowout
A familiar voice chimed in after LSUs season-opening win over Clemson, and Brian Kelly made sure to point toward the parts of the performance that tend to travel well in September. Now working as a CBS Sports analyst after leaving Baton Rouge, Kelly singled out the defense and the running game, two areas that looked especially sharp in LSUs debut under Lane Kiffin.
The praise carried a little extra weight because Kelly was also pointing back to Blake Baker, the defensive coordinator he hired. LSU held Clemson to 145 total yards while piling up 309 on the ground, the kind of balanced showing that gives a new staff a fast way to win over a skeptical fan base and, at least for one night, made Kellys old blueprint look pretty sound. [Read more 🡒]