The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against LSU, the school’s president Wade Rousse, athletic director Verge Ausberry, and head coach Lane Kiffin over the school’s recruitment of former NFL players.
Last month, after 33 athletes from multiple sports filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Louisiana state court, a judge granted numerous former college football players a temporary restraining order allowing them a fifth year of eligibility, despite many attending NFL training camps and some even playing in preseason games.
After the ruling, the SEC and Big Ten officially introduced new rules that prohibit schools from adding players who declared for the NFL, NBA, and WNBA Draft without withdrawing in addition to those who signed with a team or were listed on a roster at any point. Conferences like the Big 12 and ACC are also reportedly considering rules to stop players from returning to college football from the NFL.
Despite the new rules, LSU and Lane Kiffin still showed interest in signing three former NFL players, who were recently cut from NFL training camps. Kiffin insisted that he’s not breaking any SEC rules if the court allows the players to play. Because of this stance, it was reported that the SEC was considering kicking LSU out of the conference if Kiffin goes ahead and signs the former NFL players.
The SEC lawsuit claims LSU
On Thursday, the SEC filed a lawsuit against LSU in U.S. District Court in Alabama, claiming that by disobeying SEC rules that forbid signing and playing former NFL players, the university is violating the league’s First Amendment right to expressive association.
The SEC filed its lawsuit the same day a judge in Baton Rouge was scheduled to consider granting a preliminary injunction that would permit more than forty athletes to return to college for their fifth year of competition. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was expected to testify at that hearing.
“The SEC has endured and thrived for nearly a century because its members have adhered to that common set of rules, which each member institution, and every coach at those institutions, has agreed to follow,” ESPN reports the SEC lawsuit stated. “Among the most fundamental of those rules are the longstanding provisions that prohibit individuals who have entered a professional draft, signed professional contracts, or been rostered on a professional athletics team from returning to compete in college athletics (the “Professionalism Rules”).
“These rules are built upon an essential principle: college athletics is reserved for students who are actively pursuing an education while competing for their universities. The Professionalism Rules preserve competitive fairness, protect opportunities for high school students and current college athletes, and maintain the distinction between college and professional sports.”
Because the distinction between amateur and professional athletes is “critical” to the SEC’s structure and governance, the SEC is requesting a preliminary and permanent injunction from the federal court.
“Specifically, Defendants waged a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes to play football for LSU during the 2026-27 season, including players who had signed NFL contracts with the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” the lawsuit continued. “Numerous reports have shown that at least two of these professional athletes are on campus and actively practicing with LSU’s football team. Defendants have also expressed their unequivocal intent to place those athletes on LSU’s official football roster and allow them to participate in football games during the upcoming season.”
The SEC cannot enforce its own rules, according to a judge
According to a ruling made last week by Louisiana state court Judge William Jorden, the SEC cannot penalize member schools for playing a college football player who returns to campus after accepting a contract with an NFL team this summer
The new rules were approved by 15 of the 16 participating SEC schools. A half-season ban and a fine equal to 50% of the team’s budget might be imposed by the league on an SEC program that violates the rules.
SEC stated in its filing that, although LSU president Wade Rousse voted for the rules when the league’s leadership first convened to discuss them, LSU reportedly chose not to vote when they were approved.