Carr urges SEC to suspend or remove LSU

01What Happened Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr urged SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on Wednesday to suspend or remove LSU from the conference if the Tigers roster former NFL players, raising the stakes before Thursday, Sept. 3, when a Baton Rouge judge is scheduled to hear arguments on their eligibility.

Judge William Jorden will hear the cases involving Dae'Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and other athletes seeking another college season. Wright and Harris played in NFL preseason games after spending 2025 at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin, who now coaches LSU.

Jorden’s ruling could change LSU’s roster for its Sept. 5 opener against Clemson and expose the Tigers to SEC penalties — or a fight over their place in the conference. The SEC and LSU have not said what they will do after the hearing.

Carr urged Sankey to use the conference’s full authority.

“If LSU does in fact roster one or more pro athletes or demonstrates concrete plans to do so, we would strongly encourage the SEC to take all measures available to address this conduct, up to and including suspending and/or removing LSU from the Conference,” Carr wrote.

Jorden ruled Friday that the SEC could not enforce its new eligibility rule before the hearing. The conference has said it intends to enforce its ban while following court orders. SEC and LSU officials offered no comment on Carr’s letter.

02Why This One Matters LSU went 7-6 overall and 3-5 in SEC play in 2025, then added 44 transfers in a class reported as the nation’s No. 1. The Tigers enter the season ranked No. 11 in the AP poll and are scheduled to host No. 3 Clemson in Josh Pate’s preseason playoff bracket on Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Pate’s bracket also puts LSU in the field at No. 8.

Wright and Harris are practicing with LSU. Kiffin confirmed that Wright was with the team while he waited for guidance on whether the player could appear in a game. Their status could change LSU’s lineup before Clemson and put the coach at the center of the conference’s response.

The SEC’s announced penalties for using a player covered by its ban include a suspension for the head coach covering half the season, a fine equal to half the sport’s annual operating budget and the loss of conference voting privileges. Expelling LSU would go further, turning a two-player eligibility dispute into a threat to the school’s SEC membership.

Conference school officials have discussed expulsion, according to sources cited by Front Office Sports, but one source cautioned against treating it as a likely outcome.

“There is real talk about that, but talk is cheap,” the source said.

03What Most People Are Missing The lawsuit began as a challenge to the NCAA’s age-based eligibility policy, which allows five seasons within five years instead of four. Players who started college in 2022 and used four seasons before the policy took effect sued for access to a fifth season.

The NFL-preseason history of the plaintiffs made the case much bigger. Wright and Harris joined the lawsuit after participating in NFL preseason games, and LSU added both players. The SEC and other power conferences then adopted policies barring athletes who signed NFL contracts or appeared on NFL rosters, including preseason rosters.

A favorable ruling from Jorden would make Wright and Harris eligible under the court order. It would not decide whether either player appears for LSU or how the Tigers and the SEC respond afterward.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby offers a relevant precedent. He stepped away from that program after pressure from state attorneys general and the Big 12 while pursuing eligibility through a similar route. Jack Pyburn, another plaintiff in the Louisiana case, ended his attempt to return after the Kansas City Chiefs claimed him on waivers.

04The Pate State Read The immediate football question is whether Wright and Harris can be available for Clemson. The larger one is whether LSU chooses to roster players the SEC says its policy covers, knowing the response could include a coaching suspension, financial penalty, loss of voting privileges or an attempt to remove the school from the league.

Jorden has not indicated how he will rule. LSU has not said whether it will roster or play either athlete after the hearing, and the SEC has not announced punishment. The court decision comes before LSU’s first game; the conference fight could last much longer.

05What to Watch Next 1. **Jorden’s ruling Thursday, Sept. 3:** The decision will determine whether the SEC and NCAA can apply their new bans to Wright, Harris and the other plaintiffs.

2. LSU’s Clemson game roster: Practicing with the team does not answer whether Wright or Harris will appear against Clemson on Sept. 5.

3. The SEC’s response: A fine, coaching suspension or loss of voting privileges would follow the announced penalty schedule. Action against LSU’s conference membership would be a much larger step.

Kiffin is waiting for the guidance that will determine whether Wright can play.