The SEC filed an amended complaint Tuesday morning in an Alabama federal court, indicating that the conference is seriously considering drastic action against LSU.
After what unfolded last week in a Louisiana district court, it has become clear that the fight launched by LSU over the potential rostering of athletes with NFL experience has not gone over well with officials inside SEC headquarters.
Last Thursday, while SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey took the stand in a Baton Rouge courtroom, the conference filed a federal lawsuit against LSU, head coach Lane Kiffin and athletic department staffers. The lawsuit argued that the school was preventing SEC officials from exercising their First Amendment rights to govern the conference.
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Sankey testified for more than three hours, a hearing OutKick attended, and the gamesmanship quickly disappeared. Behind the scenes, the SEC was preparing to take action against LSU over a fiasco that had placed the conference and its leadership at the center of what was viewed as an embarrassing situation in Birmingham.
"The SEC does not bring this action to declare any student-athlete ineligible or to prevent any student-athlete from participating in any athletic competition. This action is directed solely at the state actors who have violated, continue to violate, and threaten to further violate the SEC’s rights under the First Amendment," the complaint noted.
The fight is now moving beyond the courtroom.
On Thursday, SEC officials will hold a special meeting to determine whether LSU could face expulsion from the conference. The meeting centers on concerns that school officials have lost control of Kiffin and the football program.
In the filing, SEC presidents and chancellors made it clear during a Sept. 4 meeting that they feel as though LSU has let Lane Kiffin run the football program however he wants, without guidance from the athletic department.
"Expressed great concern that Defendants Rousse and Ausberry have no meaningful control over Defendant Kiffin or the football program at LSU...The consensus at the September 4 meeting was and continues to be that LSU’s demonstrated lack of institutional control at the University level—including complete lack of control over Defendant Kiffin’s actions."
Simply put, the SEC feels as though the comments made by Kiffin over the past few weeks regarding this matter go against conference rules, and they feel as though the LSU athletic department has allowed Kiffin to run the football program without pressure from his own bosses.
Will this actually take place?
That's up to the member institutions, though the likelihood of the SEC expelling LSU from the conference feels pretty slim in the grand scheme of things.
But, in their updated filing on Tuesday, the SEC made it clear that they have the power to expel LSU from the conference, if enough votes are cast in favor of the move.
"Membership of a member may be terminated involuntarily at a meeting of the Chief Executive Officers. A vote of at least two-thirds of all the Chief Executive Officers is required to terminate membership. Any motion to terminate membership shall specify the effective date of the proposed termination," the complaint notes.
Right now, we are witnessing a fight between one of the biggest schools in the conference, and SEC members who are tired of being made fools of by Kiffin.
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And, when Sankey took the stand last week inside a Baton Rouge courthouse, the stakes were raised in this matter to the point where the SEC has now made it clear that they are not going to just brush this under the table because LSU decided not to roster players like Dae'Quan Wright this past weekend.
This has obviously ruffled plenty of feathers, and Kiffin's comments during the Clemson game this past weekend regarding how much worse the outcome could have been if LSU had been able to roster pro players were seen as the school having zero control over its head coach.
"Defendant Kiffin’s statements and position, along with the numerous other statements and actions by Defendants alleged herein, stand in sharp contrast to the silence by the President and Athletic Director of LSU after Defendant Rousse voted for the Policy Statement on August 25, 2026," the SEC noted in its amended complaint.
"And they confirm the lack of institutional control over the athletics program at LSU that is required by Article 6 of the SEC Constitution and by the remaining provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws referenced above."
Not only is the SEC under the impression that LSU is allowing Lane Kiffin to run his football program without guidance from school officials, they see this as a slap in the face to the rules enacted regarding pro-athletes coming back to college.
"In light of the recalcitrance, lack of institutional control, and serious harm caused by the statements and conduct of LSU, the 15 SEC CEOs (other than LSU) have informally told the Commissioner (and President Plowman has directed the Commissioner) to issue a notice of the Special Meeting to be conducted on September 10, 2026, to consider the termination of LSU’s membership in the SEC, whether LSU renounces its intention to roster and play professional players on its football team, or not."
The SEC is obviously past the point of frustration with Lane Kiffin, and now we're about to find out how serious they are regarding penalties against the school in which they feel has embarrassed them enough.
Just when you thought the college football season would provide us an opportunity to talk about other things taking place outside a courtroom, the SEC decided to drop a public hammer on Tuesday.
Will they actually do it? Probably not, but they clearly want to embarrass LSU in the process.