NCAA Eligibility Crisis: Georgia AG Urges SEC to Expel LSU Over Ex-NFL Players
The collegiate eligibility battle has escalated into a high-stakes political and legal war between the SEC, state attorneys general, and member universities. On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr sent a letter to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey urging the conference to take "all measures available," including suspending or expelling Louisiana State University (LSU) from the conference1, if the Tigers roster former NFL players this season.
This escalation comes a day before a crucial preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The legal dispute centers on former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, who practiced with LSU under coach Lane Kiffin after being released from NFL training camps. The athletes, alongside dozens of others from the high school class of 2022, are seeking an additional year of eligibility under a legal loophole.
On Friday, August 28, 2026, Louisiana State Court Judge William Jorden issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting the SEC and Sankey from punishing member schools that play these returning athletes.2 Jorden's ruling blocked a newly adopted SEC policy that threatened draconian penalties, including a half-season suspension for coaches and a fine equal to 50% of the sport's annual budget.
In his letter, Georgia AG Carr accused LSU of using local courts to flout conference rules, writing:
"College athletics are for college athletes only, and we are grateful the SEC has taken swift action to maintain that standard. However, the rules cannot be ignored or twisted to benefit one coach, one institution, or one program, and we refuse to stand by while that happens... It is no coincidence that the very institution set to potentially use this temporary order to flout the SEC's rule is in the trial court's own backyard."
Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman also stated that the SEC is "prepared to defend our rules," while Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard slammed the legal loophole, calling the prospect of NFL players returning to college "the stupidest sh** I've ever heard."
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An instance of College conferences now police a hard border against professional players. — State political power now joins the conference's defense of the college-only border, escalating the legal war over professionalized players. ↩︎
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An instance of Collegiate athletic conferences can no longer enforce eligibility bans without triggering immediate judicial blocks. — The moment the conference moves to enforce its pro-player ban with draconian penalties, a local court enjoins the enforcement in real time. ↩︎