SEC Battles Louisiana Court Order Over Former NFL Players’ Eligibility at LSU

The SEC will contest a Louisiana temporary restraining order that bars the league and Commissioner Greg Sankey from enforcing a rule penalizing schools that field athletes who have signed professional contracts in the NFL, NBA or WNBA. The hearing is set for Thursday, September 3 in Baton Rouge, just before LSU’s season-opening game against Clemson.

ESPNCBS SportsSEC to fight court order that would allow former NFL players to return to college football Louisiana Judge Stops SEC From Punishing Schools Over Former Pro Athletes LSU first SEC team to play athlete under court order

In August 2025 the NCAA shifted to a five-season eligibility model, prompting lawsuits from athletes who had exhausted four seasons under the prior rule. A Louisiana judge issued a temporary restraining order on August 19, protecting those athletes from NCAA sanctions. The SEC responded by adopting a rule that would impose half-season coach suspensions, fines equal to 50 % of a sport’s annual operating budget, and loss of voting rights on any member school that used such players. LSU abstained from the 15-0 vote approving the rule.

Louisiana Judge Stops SEC From Punishing Schools Over Former Pro Athletes

• August 19 – Judge William Jorden issues the initial restraining order.

LSU first SEC team to play athlete under court order

• August 21 – The Tenth Circuit stays a related nationwide injunction.

Louisiana Judge Stops SEC From Punishing Schools Over Former Pro Athletes

• August 28 – Judge Jorden amends the order, adding the SEC and Commissioner Sankey as defendants.

CBS Sports

• August 29, 2026 – LSU soccer players Jazmin Ferguson and Jocelyn Ollivierre become the first SEC athletes to compete under the order.

LSU first SEC team to play athlete under court order

• September 3 (scheduled) – The SEC and Sankey will appear before the Baton Rouge court to argue why its rule should not be held in contempt.

CBS Sports

• The lawsuit involved 33 athletes initially; the number rose to 42 by the end of the last week.

Louisiana Judge Stops SEC From Punishing Schools Over Former Pro Athletes

• The SEC rule would fine a school an amount equal to 50 % of the sport’s annual operating budget and could suspend a head coach for half a season.

ESPN

• LSU could add up to three former NFL players—Jack Pyburn, Dae’Quan Wright, and Zxavian Harris—if the court order remains in effect.

LSU first SEC team to play athlete under court order

• The conference said it will continue to comply with the order while the hearing proceeds.

SEC to fight court order that would allow former NFL players to return to college football

• Judge Jorden’s amended order prevents the SEC from applying its penalties to the protected athletes but does not constitute a final judgment on the eligibility dispute.

Louisiana Judge Stops SEC From Punishing Schools Over Former Pro Athletes

• “As long as they would have been eligible to continue playing college sports in the following semester if they had a fifth year of eligibility, they are eligible today,” — Martin Hoffman, Dallas County judge

Louisiana Judge Stops SEC From Punishing Schools Over Former Pro Athletes

• Sources differ on the total number of plaintiffs: one report cites 33 athletes initially, while a later update notes 42. Both numbers are presented without a definitive resolution.

Louisiana Judge Stops SEC From Punishing Schools Over Former Pro Athletes

• The precise impact of the SEC’s rule on LSU’s football roster remains uncertain; the court’s order blocks enforcement, leaving the ultimate eligibility of the former NFL players pending the September 3 hearing.

ESPN

• The September 3 hearing will determine whether Judge Jorden extends the temporary protection through a preliminary injunction or allows the restraining order to lapse.

LSU first SEC team to play athlete under court order

• Following the hearing, the NCAA is expected to present arguments regarding the athletes’ eligibility under its five-season framework.

Louisiana Judge Stops SEC From Punishing Schools Over Former Pro Athletes

• LSU must finalize its roster for the season opener against Clemson, scheduled for the day after the hearing, making the court’s decision critical for the Tigers’ immediate football plans.

LSU first SEC team to play athlete under court order