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Jul 23, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. A stock image of a gavel has also been added to the top right corner of the image.
At what was just about the very last second they do could do, the LSU Tigers have seemingly blinked on their fight to add ex-NFL players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to their football roster.
Now, by its own doing, the school risks being held in contempt of court for its refusal to do so.
Early on Saturday morning, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that neither Wright nor Harris had been added to the official roster ahead of the team’s season-opener against Clemson, which sent an email to LSU on Friday expressing its objection to the players being rostered.
In theory, that could be the end of the whole saga if LSU has opted to tuck tail and give up the fight to field players who participated in NFL minicamps and/or preseasons.
But there could also be legal ramifications for the Tigers
LSU Could Be Charged With Contempt Of Court
When he initially granted the plaitiffs, Harris and Wright, a preliminary injunction in order to be eligible to join the team and to prevent the SEC and NCAA from punishing LSU, Judge William also enjoined the Tigers, among the defendants, preventing them from taking action to keep the players from competing.
The attorney for both Wright and Harris, Ryan Downton, then told reporters that he would seek to have the school held in contempt of court if it took actions to keep the two from playing.
Will Downton actually follow through on that threat? Only time will tell. But LSU seemingly backing down from the SEC at the last second opens the school up to significant legal liability of its own making.