Hours after an [amendment to an SEC lawsuit that threatened to remove LSU from the conference](https://lsureveille.com/287081/featured_story/sec-seeking-authority-to-expel-lsu-in-lawsuit-amendment/), LSU football added two non-former professional players to its roster on Tuesday night. The additions mean LSU’s roster is at the 105-player limit and locks out two players who signed NFL contracts over the summer and were hoping to join the team.
LSU has been called “just different” in many contexts, but on Tuesday the SEC made it clear that being different has its limits, even for the Tigers.
In another dramatic turn of events, the Tigers have added edge rusher Gabriel Reliford and cornerback Aidan Anding to its 105-player roster, effectively preventing disputed players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris from joining the team.
The main argument that surrounded Wright and Harris’ spot on LSU’s roster rested on whether athletes who signed professional contracts should be allowed to return to collegiate athletics. The SEC argues against the use of professional athletes to maintain the boundary between college and professional sports. In contrast, LSU disputes the SEC’s interpretation of the rule.
The two athletes previously included on the roster signed NFL contracts as undrafted free agents, but never played a down in the league before being waived. The two former Ole Miss players planned to play for LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin and the Tigers after clearing waivers.
LSU’s decision to pursue the athletes was unprecedented and opened the door for other SEC teams to consider former professional athletes on their own rosters.
On Tuesday morning, the SEC made a drastic decision by putting the idea of removing LSU from the conference altogether on the table. LSU has been a member of the SEC since its founding in 1932.
The SEC’s consideration of expelling LSU made a team leaving the conference a possibility for the first time in decades, turning its decision into one that was transformative for the conference as a whole.
The move drew national attention as the dispute quickly extended beyond figures in college athletics, even prompting responses from political figures.
“I’ve got rocks in my driveway that are smarter than that, they’re not going to throw LSU out of the SEC,” Sen. John Kennedy said. Kennedy represents Louisiana in the United States Senate.
Meanwhile, the SEC claimed in a legal document that LSU’s actions as a member of the conference is “inconsistent with the publicly stated values and principles of the conference.”
The SEC has made its stance on professional athletes returning to college athletics very clear and has fought LSU every step of the way.
Kiffin seemed to compromise on the issue by not including the players on the roster for last Saturday’s game against Clemson, even after Wright and Harris were among over 40 athletes to receive an injunction in a Louisiana class-action lawsuit that granted them eligibility to play.
However, Kiffin later made light of the ongoing roster controversy on Saturday during a halftime interview while holding a commanding 31-3 lead over Clemson.
“Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin said.
With the threat of expulsion, Kiffin finally gave into the SEC on Tuesday night, filling his roster’s two open slots with the two LSU sophomores instead of Wright and Harris.
The SEC’s response to LSU’s new course is unknown, but a vote on the potential expulsion of LSU remains scheduled for Thursday.