SEC Sues LSU Over Push To Use Former NFL Players

The lawsuit named the university, school president, vice president, and athletics director, as well as head football coach Lane Kiffin as defendants.

The Southeastern Conference has filed a lawsuit against LSU.

The lawsuit named the university, school president, vice president, and athletics director, as well as head football coach Lane Kiffin as defendants. It alleges that the defendants “waged a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes to play football for LSU during the 2026-27 season, including players who signed NFL contracts with the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”

The lawsuit also accused the defendants of expressing their unequivocal intent to place those athletes on LSU’s official football roster and allow them to participate in season games. The SEC called LSU’s alleged efforts to play professional athletes “detrimental to the conference and contrary to its core purpose” and that LSU “threatens to cause further substantial harm if not curbed.”