LSU could be kicked out of the SEC: Here’s what the explosive fight is really about
Credit: On3
The Southeastern Conference has raised the stakes in its escalating legal dispute with LSU, filing an amended federal complaint that seeks to preserve the conference’s authority to expel the school if it determines that LSU has violated SEC rules.
The filing, made Tuesday, September 8, 2026, comes days after LSU opened its season with a 51-10 victory over Clemson and as the conference continues its legal fight over whether athletes who have signed professional contracts can return to college football.
The SEC is not expected to actually remove LSU from the conference, but the request signals how seriously league officials are treating the dispute and their effort to establish that conference rules can be enforced even when challenged in court.
The latest development also puts the future of two LSU players, Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, at the center of a much larger battle over college sports eligibility, professional contracts and conference governance.
Why the SEC is seeking authority to expel LSU
The SEC’s amended complaint asks a federal court to recognize the conference’s ability to enforce its own membership rules, including provisions that could allow LSU’s membership to be terminated.
According to the filing, SEC presidents and chancellors are scheduled to meet Thursday to consider whether to terminate LSU’s membership under Section 3.1.5 of the SEC Constitution and Bylaws.
That provision gives the league’s presidents and chancellors broad authority over conference affairs.
A decision to expel a member would require support from at least two-thirds of SEC presidents, according to the conference rules cited in the lawsuit.
The SEC’s move does not mean LSU is about to be expelled. Rather, it represents an attempt by the league to establish that its governing structure gives it the power to take that step if necessary.
What triggered the LSU-SEC legal fight
The dispute centers on athletes who attempted to return to college football after signing professional contracts.
The conflict began after a group of athletes filed a lawsuit in Louisiana seeking an additional year of college eligibility.
A Baton Rouge judge issued a temporary restraining order and later a preliminary injunction that opened the door for the athletes involved in the case to play during the 2026 season.
Three athletes connected to LSU, Wright, Harris and Jack Pyburn, had signed NFL contracts before seeking to return to college football.
Pyburn has since withdrawn from the case, while Wright and Harris remain at LSU and have been practicing with the Tigers.
Neither Wright nor Harris was included on LSU’s roster for the team’s season opener against Clemson.
The athletes’ legal position is that changes to eligibility rules occurred after they had already made decisions to pursue professional football, making it unfair to prevent them from returning to college.
Lane Kiffin’s comments have become part of the SEC case
LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has also become a central figure in the dispute.
During halftime of LSU’s victory over Clemson, Kiffin told an ABC sideline reporter that the game could have been even more one-sided if Wright and Harris had been available.
“Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin said.
The SEC cited Kiffin’s comments in its amended complaint, arguing that they demonstrate LSU’s continuing disagreement with the conference’s rules governing professional athletes.
The league contrasted Kiffin’s public comments with what it described as the silence of LSU President William Tate and Athletic Director Scott Woodward.
The SEC alleges that the situation reflects what it calls a lack of institutional control over LSU’s athletics programme.
LSU has declined to comment on the latest filing.
SEC had already tightened its rule on former professionals
The latest filing follows a significant move by SEC presidents in August.
After the Louisiana court intervened in the eligibility dispute, SEC presidents moved to clarify a longstanding rule concerning professional athletes returning to college competition.
The conference announced that athletes who had signed contracts with the NFL, NBA or WNBA would not be eligible to return to college competition.
Every SEC institution except LSU also agreed that Commissioner Greg Sankey could impose significant penalties against a school that placed a former professional athlete on its roster.
Those potential penalties included a suspension for a head coach covering half of the regular season and a fine equivalent to half of a team’s annual operating budget.
For major SEC programmes, that type of financial penalty could amount to tens of millions of dollars.
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Why LSU’s legal position is important for college football
The case goes beyond the eligibility of two LSU players.
At its core, the dispute raises questions about how much authority conferences have to establish and enforce rules when those rules collide with court orders.
The SEC wants to preserve its ability to govern competition among its members without individual schools using state-court litigation to prevent the conference from enforcing its rules.
The conference said its member universities voluntarily agreed to operate under common governance procedures and argued that those rules are fundamental to SEC membership.
LSU’s position, meanwhile, is tied to a court order that has allowed the athletes involved in the lawsuit to remain eligible while the broader legal questions are litigated.
That tension has created an unusual situation in which a state court’s order and the SEC’s internal rules are effectively pulling the parties in different directions.
SEC asks federal court to protect September 10 meeting
The conference is also seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent LSU officials and their attorneys from interfering with a meeting scheduled for September 10.
The SEC wants the federal court to allow its presidents and chancellors to exercise their authority while the legal dispute continues.
The request adds another layer to a case that is already being fought in both state and federal courts.
The federal lawsuit was originally filed against LSU, Kiffin and other university officials as the conference sought legal authority to enforce its restrictions on former professional athletes.
A federal judge in Alabama had not yet issued an order on the SEC’s request at the time of the latest filing.
What happens to LSU now?
For the immediate future, LSU remains an SEC member and is continuing its football season.
The conference’s decision to seek expulsion authority should not be interpreted as confirmation that LSU will be removed from the league.
The more immediate issue is whether SEC leaders will be able to assert their governing authority while the eligibility dispute continues through the courts.
The September 10 meeting could become an important point in the confrontation, particularly if SEC presidents formally consider disciplinary action against LSU.
The outcome could also affect how college conferences respond when athletes challenge eligibility rules in court.
The wider impact could extend beyond LSU
The LSU dispute comes at a period of major change in college athletics, with athletes, schools, conferences and professional leagues navigating an increasingly complicated relationship between college eligibility and professional opportunities.
The case could establish a precedent for how conferences respond when an athlete moves into professional sports and later seeks to return to college competition.
It could also test the limits of conference authority when a member institution is protected by a state-court order.
For LSU, the immediate objective remains the football season. For the SEC, the larger battle is about whether its rules can be enforced consistently across all member schools.
That is why the request for expulsion authority matters even if the conference never actually uses it.
Frequently asked questions about the SEC-LSU dispute
Is the SEC trying to expel LSU?
The SEC has filed an amended federal complaint seeking authority to expel LSU under its conference rules. The league is not currently expected to take the extreme step of removing LSU, but the filing shows that expulsion is being placed on the table as a possible enforcement mechanism.
Why is the SEC suing LSU?
The dispute centers on LSU’s handling of athletes who signed professional contracts and later sought to return to college football. The SEC wants to enforce its rules preventing former professional players from competing in college.
What did LSU coach Lane Kiffin say?
During LSU’s game against Clemson, Kiffin said the score might have been even more lopsided if Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris had been allowed to play, adding, “Imagine if we had pro players.”
Who are Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris?
They are LSU players who signed NFL contracts before attempting to return to college football. Both are at LSU and have been practicing with the Tigers but were not included on the roster for the Clemson opener.
Can LSU be expelled from the SEC?
The SEC Constitution and Bylaws provide a mechanism for terminating a school’s membership. The filing says at least two-thirds of SEC presidents must vote in favour of termination.
When will SEC presidents meet about LSU?
The SEC says its presidents and chancellors are scheduled to meet on September 10, 2026, to consider whether LSU’s membership should be terminated under the conference’s governing rules.
What happened to the athletes’ eligibility lawsuit?
A group of athletes filed a lawsuit in Louisiana seeking additional college eligibility. A Baton Rouge judge issued orders that allowed the athletes involved in the case to have a path to compete during the 2026 season.
Why didn’t Wright and Harris play against Clemson?
Despite practicing with LSU, Wright and Harris were not added to the roster for LSU’s season-opening game against Clemson amid the ongoing dispute over their eligibility.
Could the LSU case change college football rules?
The dispute could have broader implications for how conferences enforce eligibility rules, particularly when athletes have already signed professional contracts and subsequently seek to return to college competition.
What is the SEC trying to achieve with its federal lawsuit?
The conference is seeking legal protection for its authority to enforce its rules and govern its member institutions. The latest amendment specifically seeks to establish that the SEC has the authority to expel LSU if the league determines that its rules have been violated.