Lane Kiffin hasn’t even coached a game yet for LSU, and there’s a push to have the Tigers banned from the SEC over Kiffin’s controversial recruiting tactics. According to a report from ESPN, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has urged SEC commissioner Greg Sankey to take drastic action against LSU if the team rosters any players who were under contract with NFL teams this summer. The SEC passed a new rule last week that prohibited any member school from signing a former NFL player, and it planned to implement some harsh punishments for any school that violated the rule including suspending coaches for half the season, fining schools up to 50% of their annual budget, and rescinding that school’s voting rights for league matters.
In a letter to Sankey, Carr threatened to “use all legal means necessary” to make sure no SEC teams — particularly LSU — were allowed to play anyone who had been in the NFL. Kiffin and LSU reportedly had agreements to sign tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, who were cut from the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, respectively, near the end of the NFL preseason. "College athletics are for college athletes only, and we are grateful the SEC has taken swift action to maintain that standard," Carr wrote, via ESPN. "However, the rules cannot be ignored or twisted to benefit one coach, one institution, or one program, and we refuse to stand by while that happens." Several local judges have granted temporary restraining orders (TRO) over the last few weeks allowing multiple NFL rookies who didn’t make 53-man rosters to go back to college for a fifth year of eligibility.
Carr’s threat opens a new can of worms for Sankey and the conference, especially after a Louisiana state judge ruled days ago that the SEC cannot punish any team in the conference should they sign a player who was under NFL contract this offseason. Former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who participated in the Miami Dolphins’ rookie minicamp on a tryout as a wide receiver, was one of the first to take advantage of the ruling. He signed with Texas Tech last week after failing to make an NFL roster this summer.
Several news outlets have reported that the SEC has declined to comment on the judge’s ruling or what its plan is to handle the situation regarding NFL players going forward.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
