On Thursday, the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey took direct action in a bid to keep former NFL players from being added to LSU's roster ahead of the regular season. The SEC took a stand, arguing that it was imperative for college athletics for its members to refrain from adding players who signed contracts with professional teams. There used to be a clear black-and-white rule on the matter.
Once an athlete signed a contract with a professional team, there was no looking back to the NCAA. LSU and head coach Lane Kiffin appeared to get the message before its season opener against Clemson on Saturday night, choosing not to add Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to its 105-man roster. More News: ESPN Analyst: Lamar Jackson, Ravens Could Be Heading for Divorce More News: 4 QBs Generating Serious Trade Buzz Weeks Before NFL Regular Season Starts During an appearance on SEC Nation on Saturday morning, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum suggested some members in the SEC were serious enough on the topic to oust LSU from the conference if there was a vote.
"What happened down there has left a stain on this league," Finebaum said. "I know it's not going to happen, and it probably shouldn't happen, but if the presidents of the SEC took a vote today, they very well might vote to kick LSU out of the league. And I can tell you, fans out there would not be the least bit upset by it." Finebaum called Kiffin a "child" and called out LSU's leadership for not keeping their first-year head coach in check.
He praised Sankey for his efforts to keep the SEC conference from sinking into greater embarrassment. "In a week of utter chaos, there was one hero, and he is Greg Sankey, the commissioner of the SEC," Finebaum said. "What he did with the backing of 15 other presidents helped preserve the integrity of a great league in a time when there is just absolute chaos and moral decay in our game.
He stopped what would have been one of the worst moments in our history." It remains to be seen if Kiffin and LSU will add Wright or Harris to the roster at a later date this season. For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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