LSU spent the final days before Lane Kiffin’s first game in Baton Rouge fighting a battle that could reshape more than the Tigers’ Week 1 roster.
A Louisiana judge granted a preliminary injunction Thursday, allowing former NFL players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to return to college football despite the SEC’s ban on former professionals. The ruling triggered outrage over the precedent LSU could help establish.
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Attorney David McKenzie attacked the ruling and suggested an extreme conference response.
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“Judge is a clown. He has absolutely no jurisdiction over the constituent state schools in the SEC. His powers end at the state line. Sovereign immunity is a thing. The prudent remedy here is to kick LSU out of the SEC. The SEC can,” McKenzie wrote.
Judge is a clown. He has absolutely no jurisdiction over the constituent state schools in the SEC. His powers end at the state line. Sovereign immunity is a thing.
The prudent remedy here is to kick LSU out of the SEC. The SEC can. https://t.co/p2zE8gsPWm
— David McKenzie (@mckenzielaw) September 4, 2026
Clay Travis saw almost no upside, writing, “Best case scenario LSU gets a couple of players not good enough to play in the NFL. Worst case scenario they get kicked out of the SEC and every game these players compete in are forfeited for the year. This is the worst risk/reward of all time.”
Best case scenario LSU gets a couple of players not good enough to play in the NFL. Worst case scenario they get kicked out of the SEC and every game these players compete in are forfeited for the year. This is the worst risk/reward of all time.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 3, 2026
Joe Schad was less interested in the legal mechanics. “Back to LSU to play… Saturday? What are we doing? College sports is a joke right now. Who can save it?” Schad wrote.
SEC Unfiltered described Thursday as only one stage of the fight. “The players have won the battle. The war, however, rages on. Reminder: deadline to turn in rosters for the weekend is tomorrow. The plot only thickens.”
Unbiased Ev wondered whether Kiffin would actually follow through now that the court had created an opening for LSU: “Boom. Things are about to get reeeeaaallllyyyyy interesting. Does Lane have the balls?”
Awful Announcing shared former NFL quarterback EJ Manuel’s reaction: “I’m shocked. I did not think that this would be a ruling that would go in the favor of NFL players… It’s just a wild precedent to make now in college sports… I just believe we’re getting closer and closer to making college sports professional sports…”
EJ Manuel: “I’m shocked. I did not think that this would be a ruling that would go in the favor of NFL players… It’s just a wild precedent to make now in college sports… I just believe we’re getting closer and closer to making college sports professional sports…” https://t.co/tSbwB0y98c pic.twitter.com/sIcdBVBovo
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 4, 2026
The backlash is no longer simply about two LSU additions. It is about how many athletes could attempt the same route next.
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Judge William Jorden’s preliminary injunction covers 42 athletes across multiple sports, while the Associated Press reported that roughly 450 athletes nationwide are pursuing similar eligibility through litigation.
The SEC is still fighting. It filed a federal lawsuit in Alabama seeking to stop LSU from using former professionals and pledged to defend its rules after member schools adopted a ban on athletes returning from professional contracts.
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Kiffin has a football reason to push the boundary. Wright finished 2025 with 635 receiving yards, five touchdowns, and an 80.6 PFN’s CFB TE Impact grade, No. 20 nationally. Harris added nine tackles for loss and three sacks at Ole Miss before his NFL stint.
LSU has the legal opening it wanted. Whether Kiffin uses it could determine how quickly the rest of college football tries to follow.
