SEC officials are weighing punishment for LSU, and Lane Kiffin’s possible return to Ole Miss is now part of the conversation.
According to USA TODAY Sports, SEC school representatives are meeting on Sept. 10 and could vote on sanctions against LSU, including a suspension for Kiffin before the Tigers play at Ole Miss in Week 3. The dispute centers on LSU’s attempt to add former NFL players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both former Ole Miss players, to the roster.
The SEC had even been considering expelling LSU over the effort to add pro players, but the Tigers completed their 105-player roster on Sept. 9 without Wright and Harris. USA TODAY reported that expulsion is no longer being seriously considered.
LSU president Wade Rousse also sent a letter to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, addressing the roster moves and saying the university did not intend to interfere with the conference meeting.
Even with expulsion off the table, conference officials still could impose penalties on the athletic department and discipline individuals involved in the dispute. SEC football officials told USA TODAY Sports that the issue reaches beyond Kiffin and the football program.
They also pointed to LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade, who has explored adding former professional players, including R.J. Luis Jr., as part of broader concerns about compliance inside the athletic department.
“(Lane) obviously shouldn't have gone against the SEC like he did; bad look. (But) he loves the attention,” an upper-level SEC football supervisor told USA TODAY Sports.
“I am just glad they're not taking it further. You could argue Lane should be suspended for two SEC games, but I ain't standing on the table for it.”
Some SEC officials cited the Big Ten’s handling of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh in 2023 as a possible template.
“The Big Ten suspended Harbaugh from the Ohio State game,” the person told USA TODAY Sports. “I think that can be done (for LSU's Sept. 19 game at Ole Miss).”
The legal fight between the SEC and LSU also hit a delay. A hearing set for Sept. 9 in Birmingham, Alabama, on the conference’s request for an injunction did not go forward as planned. The hearing was continued and will be reset by separate order, with no reason given for the postponement.
The SEC filed suit against LSU on Sept. 3, seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions tied to what it called its First Amendment right of “expressive association” - the argument that it cannot be forced to associate with a member acting against its mission and values. The conference had planned a vote on whether to dismiss LSU from the league or impose sanctions over the school’s moves toward rostering players who had signed with the NFL.
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