SEC seeks legal authority to expel LSU amid eligibility dispute
The conference has amended its federal lawsuit as its presidents and chancellors prepare to consider LSU’s membership on 10 September.
The Southeastern Conference has amended its federal lawsuit against LSU, coach Lane Kiffin and university officials to seek legal authority to terminate the school’s membership, according to ESPN.
SEC presidents and chancellors are due to meet on 10 September to consider whether to end LSU’s membership under the conference constitution and bylaws. At least two-thirds of all presidents would be required to approve such a measure. LSU has not been expelled, and the SEC’s requested legal relief has not been granted.
The dispute centres on SEC rules that bar athletes who have signed professional contracts from returning to college competition. Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris signed NFL contracts before attempting to return to LSU and, according to the filing, have been practising with the team.
A Louisiana court issued orders clearing a path for athletes in the related lawsuit to play. The SEC has separately sought federal authority to enforce its rules, while the federal judge had not issued an order at the time of the report.
The amended complaint cites Kiffin’s public comments about Wright and Harris and alleges a lack of institutional control at LSU. Those claims are disputed legal allegations, not established findings. The SEC has also added Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill as a defendant.
The conference is seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent LSU officials and their lawyers from interfering with the scheduled meeting or with what the SEC describes as its First Amendment rights. The filing presents the case as a dispute over the conference’s authority to set and enforce competition rules, rather than a completed decision to remove LSU.
