The fight over LSU’s attempt to use former NFL players isn’t over. It’s just on pause.
LSU chose not to put Dae’Quan Wright or Zxavian Harris on its roster for Saturday’s opener against Clemson, and that single decision bought everyone a little breathing room.
It didn’t solve anything. It didn’t settle anything. It just delayed the collision between LSU and the SEC that’s been building.
Lane Kiffin said the choice was made because of “the uncertainties of what could come.” He called it the “best interest” of the school. LSU even left open roster spots so Wright and Harris could be added later. That tells you everything you need to know. This isn’t over. It’s just paused long enough for the games to take center stage this weekend.
The SEC’s stance hasn’t changed. The conference does not want member schools using players who spent time in the NFL. A preliminary injunction in Louisiana barred the SEC or NCAA from penalizing any school that put those players on the field, and the SEC responded by filing a federal lawsuit.
That’s where things stand. No resolution. No compromise. Just a temporary cooling-off period.
Attorney Ryan Downton, who represents Wright and Harris, called LSU’s move a “measured decision” and said “everyone should use that space to lower the temperature and look at the facts.”
Nothing about the last two weeks suggests that’s where this is heading.
USA Today’s Matt Hayes reported a source saying they weren’t sure LSU “would still be a member” of the SEC if the rest of the league had voted Friday. Paul Finebaum echoed the same idea on air Saturday morning. That’s not lowering the temperature. That’s turning the burner up.
But for now, at least for this weekend, the actual football gets to breathe. LSU plays Clemson. Ole Miss plays Louisville. The season moves forward without Wright or Harris on the field.
The pause won’t last long.
If you’re looking for a surefire bet, here’s one: this fight will hit its peak eight or nine days.
LSU faces Ole Miss after the second weekend of games, and you can bet the conversation will swing right back to whether LSU should be allowed to use former Ole Miss players who went to the NFL.
That storyline will be everywhere. It’ll be debated on every show. It’ll be argued in every comment section. It’ll be the loudest thing in college football.
This weekend is about football. Next week is about the fight.
And the fight is only getting started.
