Home · Sports · Sep 4 archive
Judge Allows NFL-Tied Athletes to Play for LSU, Others
Confirmed
In Short: A judge granted an injunction against the NCAA and SEC, allowing athletes with NFL ties to be rostered by LSU and other schools for the upcoming season.
In a significant ruling, Judge William Jorden has granted an injunction against the NCAA and SEC, allowing athletes with NFL ties to be rostered by LSU and other schools for the upcoming season. This decision comes after a contentious courtroom session where the SEC Commissioner, Greg Sankey, testified for over three hours under scrutiny from plaintiff attorneys.
The case, which began in one state court, has now spread across the country, with numerous athletes filing lawsuits against the NCAA and SEC over new guidelines that restrict the eligibility of players with professional ties. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin emphasized that the Tigers were merely following a court order that allowed them to roster athletes like Dae'Quan Wright, a former Cleveland Browns training camp tight end.
The following three hours of the hearing were a mix of entertainment and legal arguments, with the plaintiffs attempting to prove that the SEC colluded to enact new guidelines regarding former pro-athletes returning to college. The debate centered on whether players with NFL or professional ties should be allowed back into college athletics.
What started as a localized legal challenge has now become a nationwide issue, with a variety of athletes seeking to overturn the five-for-five eligibility rule. The case highlights the ongoing tension between college sports regulations and the rights of athletes to pursue professional careers.
Background
The Fox News Channel (FNC), often referred to as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City. Owned by the Fox News Media subsidiary of Fox Corporation, as of 2022, it is the most-watched cable news network in the United States, and as of 2023, it generates approximately 70% of its parent company's pre-tax profit.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- There was the testimony of SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, who was on the stand for over three hours, being peppered with questions from plaintiff attorneys about how the conference can allow professional athletes who have played overseas be granted the ability to play over five seasons, compared to these plaintiffs who turned pro under the previous guidelines that left them without eligibility.
- Nicholas Mendola, Nicholas Mendola, Top Clips Judge clears pro players to return to LSU September 4, 2026 08:45 AM Mike Florio and Michael Holley unpack the injunction prohibiting the NCAA and SEC from punishing LSU that clears pro players to sign with the Tigers.
- La. — A Louisiana judge granted a preliminary injunction in an eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA and SEC on Thursday, according to On3’s Wilson Alexander.
- Last week, the SEC — along with other Power 4 leagues — instituted penalties against schools that added athletes who were previously signed or rostered by a pro league.
- The entire college football world had its eyes on Louisiana as Greg Sankey and the SEC faced off against 42 athletes across various sports in a battle to give several players who signed NFL deals a chance to play for LSU this season.
- NEW: Former Browns TE Dae'Quan Wright, Saints DL Zxavian Harris and several others have been granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA and SEC, @walexander reports.
- Columnists around the nation have been reacting to the injunction news, including: Statement from the Southeastern Conference on ruling in today’s preliminary hearing: pic.twitter.com/MBQ9g9xYIJ The court has ruled in favor of the athletes!
- Wright and Harris both told ESPN's Pete Thamel that they expect to be added to the LSU roster on Friday, which is the latest the players could be added to be eligible for the opener with Clemson on Saturday (7:30 p.m.