The Southeastern Conference filed a lawsuit against LSU and its leadership in Alabama federal court on Thursday, alleging the school had “waged a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes” against league rules.
The extraordinary step against one of the league’s founding members in 1933 came as SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey testified 400 miles away in a Baton Rouge courtroom not far from Tiger Stadium, defending the league’s ability to enforce its rules as multiple athletes try to play this fall after they turned pro.
Former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright sat next to each other in the gallery as the hearing began, with Sankey taking the stand a short time later. At least seven bailiffs were on hand.
In their questioning of Sankey, attorneys for the athletes cited numerous examples of when SEC eligibility rules align with NCAA rules, suggesting the potential of illegal collusion. They then questioned why league members met last week to adopt stiff penalties for the very actions addressed in the court’s temporary injunction against the NCAA.
Sankey said SEC member presidents and chancellors felt that they needed to establish a line between professional and college sports, and establish clear accountability standards for crossing that line.
“The line between professional sports and college sports needs to be maintained,” Sankey said on the witness stand, adding that the league was concerned about incoming athletes being displaced from limited roster spots.
The Associated Press has the full story.
