Story perspectives

LSU backs down on Ole Miss additions after SEC threat

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 10:28 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Lane Kiffin Rejects Players

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin backed down and did not add Ole Miss players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris.
SEC officials threatened LSU with possible expulsion and filed an Alabama lawsuit.
Attorney Tom Mars warned Kiffin that a coach with a $91 million contract should keep a lawyer on speed dial.
LSU remains ranked No. 7 and will play No. 8 Ole Miss on Saturday night.

Summary

Ole Miss Secures Security

LSU and Ole Miss deployed mounted police from Mobile and New Orleans for game-day security.
Mississippi DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell said headlines should stay on the field, not off it.
Ole Miss Director of University Police Daniel Sanford noted undisclosed safety measures with local and state partners.
More than 325 media credentials were requested; about 200 were approved, double the usual SEC matchup.

History

Historical Context

After the 1962 Ole Miss riot—when Governor Ross Barnett tried to block James Meredith’s enrollment and President John F. Kennedy sent over 30,000 troops to quell violence—federal forces secured the campus and forced integration. The episode set a precedent for strong security responses to campus unrest, a legacy echoed today in the heightened police presence surrounding the LSU-Ole Miss football clash.

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Lane Kiffin Rejects Players

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin backed down and did not add Ole Miss players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris.
SEC officials threatened LSU with possible expulsion and filed an Alabama lawsuit.
Attorney Tom Mars warned Kiffin that a coach with a $91 million contract should keep a lawyer on speed dial.
LSU remains ranked No. 7 and will play No. 8 Ole Miss on Saturday night.

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