The SEC Is Once Again Threatening To Remove LSU From The Conference

LSU is once again on the SEC's chopping block

Jul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Here we go again.

LSU is back to the never-ending lawsuits and threats from the SEC for the eligibility of possible players added to the roster.

Only this time, the court case isn't centered around Lane Kiffin's controversial roster.

From One Roster To Another

Sep 26, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers men's basketball head coach Will Wade speaks with a recruit prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LSU football originally started off the mayhem in Baton Rouge when Kiffin was attempting to recruit former NFL player Zxavian Harris and Dae'Quan Wright, both class of 2022 players that were granted a fifth year of eligibilty.

But as the concerns that the players would be allowed to join Kiffin and his new and improved team grew, the SEC's concerns also grew.

The SEC warned the university of punishments regarding the team and Kiffin personally, as well as threatened to kick LSU out of the conference.

Weeks later, the conference is still making the same threats.

This time, it's aimed at LSU's men's basketball team, the program that Will Wade will take over this season.

Wade has taken an unorthodox approach to forming his roster at LSU, signing four international stars to the roster, all having experience across the EuroLeague and NBA Draft.

This raised concerns about whether these players are deemed eligible in the NCAA, because, technically, they played in professional leauges, even if they weren't in America.

All of the recent attention has centered on RJ Luis Jr., a former UMass and St. John's player, recently named the 2025 Big East Player of the Year.

That same year, Luis went undrafted in the NBA Draft, signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, and was then traded to the Boston Celtics, where he spent time with their G League affiliate before being waived due to an injury.

Then this summer, Wade called. He signed Luis to the team, becoming one of the many former "professional" stars on his new roster.

Luis was then granted a preliminary injunction by a Louisiana Judge in August with the team, but is now facing eligibility concerns for playing with the Tigers this season.

The problem isn't just one player, but the pattern.

Conference Threats

Jul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LSU might not be breaking set rules, as elgiiblty concerns have been ever-changing since the NCAA allowed fifth-year of eligibilty, but the school is stretching them.

And the SEC is just about done. In the conference's latest filing in a federal lawsuit against LSU, the SEC re-emphasizes that the university's threat from the conference is a "very real threat," Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reports.

The conference's biggest problem with LSU is simply that it can't control these programs. The lawsuit also stated that "LSU continues to flout those Rules and principles" when mentioning the SEC's First Amendment right of expressive association and the conference's ability to have institutional control.

With so many grey areas this year around eligibility, there aren't rules on specific player eligibility in place. Which is why LSU is testing the waters, seeing what its programs can get done before being told no.

But the SEC is tired of pushing the university to push the limits - LSU's membership is now at stake in the conference.

For the second time this fall.

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