The battle between LSU, Lane Kiffin and the Southeastern Conference has officially reached another level.
The SEC filed an amended complaint Tuesday in its federal lawsuit against LSU, Kiffin and school officials, seeking to establish the conference’s authority to expel LSU from the league.
Even more striking: SEC presidents and chancellors are scheduled to meet Thursday, Sept. 10, to discuss whether to terminate LSU’s membership in the conference.
While LSU is not expected to actually be expelled, the filing demonstrates just how seriously the SEC is taking its dispute with the Tigers.
SEC Escalates LSU Legal Fight
The dispute began after LSU attempted to bring former NFL players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris back to college football under Lane Kiffin.
The SEC has argued that allowing former professionals to return violates the conference’s rules. The league filed its original federal lawsuit last week, arguing that it has the right to govern its membership and enforce its rules.
A Louisiana judge previously issued an injunction allowing Wright and Harris to pursue eligibility, creating an even larger confrontation between LSU and the SEC.
LSU ultimately did not roster the two players for its season opener against Clemson, a game the Tigers won 51-10.
That, however, hasn’t ended the fight.
LSU Membership Now on the Table
According to the SEC’s amended filing, the conference’s presidents and chancellors will meet Thursday to determine whether LSU’s membership should be terminated under the SEC Constitution and Bylaws.
The SEC is pointing to provisions that give its presidents and chancellors broad authority over conference affairs.
Front Office Sports reports that terminating LSU’s membership would require a two-thirds vote from the conference’s university presidents.
The conference has also accused LSU of demonstrating a “lack of institutional control,” particularly regarding Kiffin’s actions surrounding the former NFL players.
Is LSU Really Getting Kicked Out?
Probably not.
The most important distinction is that the SEC’s filing seeks the legal authority to expel LSU and confirms that the league will discuss the school’s membership Thursday. That does not mean LSU is about to be removed from the conference.
Still, the fact that SEC leadership is willing to put LSU’s membership on the agenda shows how significant the dispute has become.
LSU is one of the SEC’s most prominent programs, and the Tigers just opened Kiffin’s tenure with a dominant 51-10 victory over Clemson.
Now, less than a week later, the future of LSU’s SEC membership is officially part of the conversation.
Why This Matters Beyond LSU
This fight is bigger than two former NFL players.
At its core, the SEC is attempting to establish whether a member institution can challenge conference rules while remaining a member of the league.
The SEC’s position is essentially that its membership rules must mean something — and that the conference needs the ability to enforce those rules.
LSU’s position and the ongoing legal proceedings could ultimately help define how much power conferences have over their own members during the rapidly changing era of college athletics.
For now, all eyes are on Thursday, Sept. 10.
The SEC is about to have a very serious conversation about LSU’s future.
And even if nobody expects the Tigers to actually be expelled, the fact that their membership is being discussed at all is a massive development.
Lane Kiffin vs. the SEC just got a whole lot bigger.
