Gov. Jeff Landry Slams SEC Threat to Expel LSU Over Player Eligibility Dispute
As the sports calendar moves deeper into October 2026, a legal dispute between Louisiana State University and the Southeastern Conference has intensified over roster eligibility rules, center-staged by a federal court filing in the Northern District of Alabama on Tuesday evening.
Federal Court Filings Expose Roster Dispute
The legal battle centers on whether athletic departments can use court orders to bypass conference rules regarding athletes with professional experience in the NFL or NBA. According to a filing submitted Tuesday by the SEC, the conference alleges that LSU has attempted to skirt professionalism rules. The filing stated that the threat from the university is not hypothetical and that defendants have already shown they will use Louisiana’s courts to stop the conference from governing itself.
The friction escalated after a Louisiana district court judge ruled that Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris were eligible to play football this season following their professional football experience. That decision prompted the SEC and other conferences to adopt a rule barring athletes with professional experience from returning to college sports. Attorneys for the plaintiffs subsequently added the SEC to the ongoing lawsuit in a Baton Rouge court, leading SEC commissioner Greg Sankey to take the witness stand for over five hours.
Will Wade Roster Strategy Draws Conference Scrutiny
While the football program ultimately left former professional athletes off its final roster ahead of its game against Clemson, attention has shifted to the men’s basketball program under head coach Will Wade. According to the SEC’s Tuesday filing in opposition to LSU’s motion to dismiss, the conference noted that LSU has openly recruited former NBA player RJ Luis Jr., allowed him to practice with the men’s basketball team, and refused to state definitively whether he will be included on the roster.
Will Wade addressed the protocol during SEC Media Days on Tuesday. We’re going to follow all the SEC protocols with him,
Wade said. I think it’s been pretty clear what the SEC protocols are on all that. He didn’t travel with us to McNeese, and he hasn’t been rostered.
Responses and Next Steps in the Legal Battle
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill responded to the SEC’s latest filing late Tuesday night, labeling the conference’s lawsuit as garbage. The new response by SEC lawyers proves that the Commissioner was never acting in good faith,
AG Murrill said. LSU has broken no rules, and the case is moot. The lawsuit was garbage from the start and should be dismissed.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also weighed in on the dispute, describing the SEC’s threat to expel LSU as ridiculous during an appearance on America Reports. Meanwhile, LSU has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, and the conference maintains that its claims remain active despite roster decisions. Legal proceedings continue as the parties await further rulings from the federal court in Alabama.
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