SEC’s Stance Challenges Lane Kiffin and LSU Over Returning NFL Players

Lane Kiffin faces a significant challenge as LSU incorporates two of his former Ole Miss players into its roster. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, recently released by the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, have been allowed a chance to return to college football. This follows a temporary restraining order from a Louisiana judge granting several NFL rookies a fifth year of college eligibility.

The SEC is considering a move to adopt a Big Ten rule that prevents these former NFL players from participating in its league. If enacted, this rule could keep Wright and Harris from playing for the SEC.

If Kiffin and LSU defy a possible new rule, the consequences could be severe. An SEC athletic director told On3 that if LSU fields either player, the team could face disqualification from the SEC season or a fine of $1 million.

“This is the worst I’ve seen,” the AD commented, stressing the need for firm action.

The Southeastern Conference expressed a clear position on former professional athletes returning to college sports. The SEC stated, “College athletes, not former professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference. Individuals who leave college athletics to sign professional contracts should not return to college competition.”

The league believes that allowing former professionals back blurs the lines between college and professional sports. It raises competitive fairness issues and affects opportunities for current and high school athletes. These eligibility questions underline the need for the Protect College Sports Act.

Kiffin has not announced whether he will challenge any SEC rule changes, but risking ineligibility for the SEC Championship might not be worth it for two players who were unexpected additions to his roster.

Speaking on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Kiffin expressed his frustration about the situation. “All court orders have been followed,” he said.

Kiffin questioned the authority of conferences to ignore court rulings, saying, “You can’t decide, ‘Hey, I like that injunction, I don’t like that one.’ This really doesn’t work that way.”