A Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction on Monday, August 31, 2026, against the NCAA in a high-profile eligibility case, potentially allowing former NFL players to join the LSU roster. This ruling comes just before LSU was scheduled to submit its 105-man roster to the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The decision by East Baton Rouge Parish Judge William Jorden clears the way for LSU to include some former NFL players on its roster. The number of games these players may be eligible to participate in remains subject to ongoing court proceedings. An attorney representing the athletes, Tony Clayton, stated that the ruling was about treating the athletes fairly.
The ruling followed a nearly nine-hour hearing where several athletes testified about their desire to return to college sports for a fifth season, some after having turned professional. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey argued against their eligibility, defending the league’s authority to enforce rules barring former professionals from returning to play at its 16 member schools. Sankey also outlined newly adopted fines and suspensions against programs and coaches that bring in ex-pros.
During the hearing, the SEC filed a federal lawsuit in Alabama against LSU and its leadership. The lawsuit alleges that LSU has engaged in a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes, defying league rules. The SEC seeks an injunction to prevent LSU from violating the conference’s First Amendment rights by forcing it to associate with conduct contrary to its purpose and mission.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who filed an athlete-friendly brief in the case, called the SEC’s federal lawsuit legal garbage and frivolous. She affirmed the state’s commitment to protecting the school from such threats.
The courtroom confrontation occurred just two days before 11th-ranked LSU is set to open its season at home against Clemson. The temporary injunction by Judge Jorden prevents the NCAA from barring former professionals or fifth-year college athletes, a stance that the SEC and other Power Four conferences had reiterated in potential punishments adopted last week.
Attorneys for the athletes questioned Sankey about the alignment of SEC and NCAA eligibility rules, suggesting potential collusion. They also inquired why the SEC specifically targeted players who signed contracts with U.S.-based leagues like the NFL, NBA, and WNBA, but not overseas professional leagues or women’s professional soccer leagues. Sankey acknowledged that the league had not previously punished a school for adding a player with prior professional experience.
Former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright, both of whom expect to play for LSU, testified that they would not have signed with NFL teams if they had known another year of college eligibility was possible. Harris stated he received $190 in travel expenses from the Saints, while Wright mentioned a $25,000 signing bonus from Philadelphia before his time with the Browns, which he would repay for the chance to play for LSU. Both anticipate making their LSU debut when the Tigers visit Ole Miss on September 19.
Two LSU soccer players, Jazmin Ferguson and Jocelyn Ollivierre, have already played this season after securing earlier court orders. Ferguson testified she repaid $4,500 received from a USL team to clear her eligibility. Two LSU softball players also provided testimony.
The SEC’s new penalties, approved by a 15-0 vote of SEC university presidents with LSU’s Wade Rousse abstaining, include fines up to half of a given sport’s revenues, half-season suspensions for coaches, and the loss of voting privileges on league business matters for member universities.
The dispute over eligibility has been ongoing for months and has drawn political attention. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted on social media, addressing attorneys general in Georgia and South Carolina, stating that calling these athletes NFL players is disingenuous. He argued that these are college players who were told their college careers were over, leading them to pursue professional opportunities before the NCAA changed its rules.
