Southeastern Conference leaders will convene on Thursday to deliberate on potentially expelling LSU from the league, stemming from an ongoing dispute over the eligibility of players with prior NFL experience to rejoin the roster.
On Tuesday, the SEC modified its federal lawsuit, originally filed the previous week, requesting a temporary restraining order from the judge. This order aims to prevent LSU from obstructing or interfering with Thursday’s meeting of university presidents and chancellors.
Removing LSU requires a vote of at least two-thirds of the conference’s chief executive officers. As a founding member of the conference since 1933, LSU’s expulsion would be historic. A spokesman for the university declined to comment immediately.
The SEC instituted a regulation prohibiting teams from re-signing players who have NFL experience. Among these athletes are Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright, who have been practicing with the team but were not added to the roster prior to last Saturday’s 51-10 victory against the Clemson Tigers, though they remain eligible for future inclusion.
In an official statement, the SEC asserted its authority to establish rules, stating that “a commitment to those rules and to the core principles of the Southeastern Conference is an essential element of SEC membership.”
The statement further noted that “Today’s filing is necessary to defend that right and preserve the Conference’s ability to govern competition among its members.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.