Georgia Attorney General Urges SEC to Expel LSU Over Former NFL Players Roster Dispute

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has called on the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to consider suspending or expelling Louisiana State University (LSU) if the university fields former professional football players this season. The demand marks a sharp escalation in an ongoing legal battle over college athlete eligibility after LSU signaled its intention to roster players returning from National Football League (NFL) training camps. The dispute pits state law enforcement officials and league leadership against university administration and local court rulings.

Legal Battle in Louisiana Court

The controversy centers on tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, two former University of Mississippi players who announced plans to join LSU head coach Lane Kiffin after leaving NFL training camps this summer. Judge William Jorden of a Louisiana state court issued a ruling preventing the SEC and its commissioner, Greg Sankey, from disciplining member institutions that field players who signed summer NFL contracts. Judge Jorden previously issued a temporary restraining order blocking the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from declaring Wright and Harris ineligible under its five-for-five eligibility rule.

The SEC affirmed a policy penalizing institutions that field former NFL players. Under league regulations, schools violating the rule face a half-season suspension for their head coach, a fine equal to 50 percent of the sport’s annual operating budget, and the revocation of conference voting rights.

Attorneys General Back Conference Rules

In a letter sent to Sankey ahead of a preliminary injunction hearing in Baton Rouge, Carr criticized LSU’s reliance on the local court’s order, arguing that league rules should not be altered to benefit a single program. Carr wrote that his office would use all legal means necessary to protect the University of Georgia and college athletics, adding that “College athletics are for college athletes only.” Carr also noted that LSU was seeking to bypass league policy in a court located within its own jurisdiction.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson publicly backed Carr’s stance, posting on social media that “College athletics is meant for just that, college students!” Wilson urged state institutions to support the SEC’s enforcement of its rules, arguing that allowing former professional players onto college rosters undermines collegiate sports and circumvents conference authority.

According to unnamed sources reported by ESPN, Sankey planned to attend Thursday’s court hearing in Baton Rouge. Speaking on an SEC coaches conference call, Kiffin noted that the broader legal challenge involves athletes across multiple sports and states.

Background

College football eligibility rules have faced increasing legal challenges as student-athletes gain expanded rights to transfer and earn compensation. The NCAA’s traditional rules grant student-athletes five calendar years to play four seasons of competition. However, ongoing court rulings against NCAA restriction rules have created growing uncertainty over the boundaries between professional status and collegiate eligibility, leading to jurisdictional disputes between individual state courts and regional athletic conferences.