Louisiana Senator John Kennedy has sharply criticized the Southeastern Conference's (SEC) threat to expel Louisiana State University (LSU) from the league over the school's attempts to roster former NFL players. The SEC leadership and Commissioner Greg Sankey were scheduled to meet to discuss the possibility of removing LSU, prompted by head coach Lane Kiffin's efforts to add former NFL players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris.
Wright and Harris previously played for Kiffin at Ole Miss before signing with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. They enrolled at LSU this summer in what has been described as an unprecedented move to return to college football. However, LSU has since added two other players, cornerback Aidan Anding and defensive end Gabriel Reliford, ending any immediate possibility for Wright or Harris to join the Tigers' roster for the 2026 season.
Despite this development, Senator Kennedy voiced strong opposition to the SEC's aggressive stance. "That's bone deep down to the marrow stupid," Kennedy stated in an interview. "I've got rocks in my driveway that are smarter than that. They're not going to throw LSU out of the SEC." He added, "I and a lot of other people in the United States Congress will be on them like a hobo on a ham sandwich."
Kennedy asserted that LSU had done nothing wrong, emphasizing the importance of the legal process. "It's called a court of law. God made courts to decide disputes," he said. "Now, whether you agree with what else you did or disagree, we did the right thing by going to court. We didn't just do stuff. We went to court and we're going to abide by the court decision."
The SEC filed an amendment to a federal lawsuit against LSU on Thursday, citing a lack of institutional control over the athletics program. The conference's amended complaint referenced comments made by Kiffin during LSU's Week 1 victory over Clemson, where he discussed the potential of having "pro players" on the roster. The SEC stated that such comments "stand in sharp contrast to the silence by the President and Athletic Director of LSU" and "confirm the lack of institutional control."
According to SEC rules, a vote of at least two-thirds of all university presidents is required to terminate a member institution's membership. The SEC has maintained that its member universities have the right to establish and enforce rules through agreed-upon governance procedures. "A commitment to those rules, and to the core principles of the Southeastern Conference, is an essential element of SEC membership," the conference said in a statement. "Today's filing is necessary to defend that right and preserve the Conference's ability to govern competition among its members."
LSU officially had 103 players on its 105-man roster for its season opener, with Kiffin holding off on decisions regarding Wright and Harris amid the legal proceedings. The Tigers had initially declined to list Harris, a former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman, and Wright, a former Cleveland Browns tight end, on their roster submission to the SEC. This decision came after a Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction against the NCAA, which paved the way for LSU to potentially include former NFL players.
