This whole thing sounds made up. A judge in Baton Rouge ruled from the bench Wednesday night while Lane Kiffin's radio show was airing across town, and by the time it wrapped, more than 40 former college players who'd signed NFL contracts had their eligibility handed back to them (2095652944309882984).
Latest here in Baton Rouge. Closing arguments have ended. Decision expected in a half hour. Judge will rule from the bench.
The two names that matter most to LSU are Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris. Both played for Kiffin at Ole Miss before going undrafted this spring — Wright signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, got waived, got claimed by the Cleveland Browns, then got cut again in August. Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints and never even got on the practice field before he was let go. Now Judge William Jorden's injunction says the SEC and NCAA can't stop either of them from suiting up in college again.
NEWS: Injunction granted by Judge William Jorden, paving the way for NCAA and SEC eligibility for more than 40 atheltes. That group includes potential LSU transfers Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, setting up a seismic decision for LSU whether they put them on the roster, which is due tomorrow.
Judge Jorden didn't just clear eligibility — he enjoined LSU, the NCAA and the SEC from taking any action that "negatively impacts" these players, which is a much bigger hammer than it sounds. It means LSU can add Wright and Harris to Friday's roster without the SEC being able to punish the school for doing it, at least not right away. LSU still has to actually make that call, and Ross Dellenger's reporting Wednesday night noted the school has a bylaw cushion here — the roster cap is 105, and Kiffin has reportedly left spots open all along for exactly this scenario.
Both players sound like they've already made up their minds for LSU. Harris said outside the courthouse he expects to be added to the roster Thursday, and Wright — who's apparently been practicing for two days already — said he expects to not only get added but to actually play against Clemson on Saturday.
Dae’Quan Wright says he expects to both be added to the LSU roster and to play against Clemson on Saturday. He said he’s practiced two days.
None of this makes the SEC's problem go away. The conference filed its own federal lawsuit against LSU and Kiffin in Alabama, alleging a "deliberate and coordinated campaign" to recruit players who'd signed NFL deals with the Browns, Saints and Buccaneers — and it says it's appealing the state ruling immediately. The SEC's statement after the decision was blunt: it will "continue to defend this standard, the principle of fair competition, and the Conference's authority to govern competition among its member universities." A separate federal case is still pending on whether a judge grants the SEC its own injunction blocking the additions.
So the pressure is entirely on LSU now, and the players' attorney isn't playing around about it. Ryan Downton told reporters Wednesday night that if LSU decides against adding Wright and Harris to the roster, he'll go back to court and ask to have the school held in contempt.
Attorney Ryan Downton tells @On3 that if LSU does not roster the players, he "will likely try to hold them in contempt of court." t.co/UdOFCkuXJZ
Friday's roster deadline was already going to be a story on its own. Now it's the moment LSU either calls the SEC's bluff or backs down from a fight it apparently picked on purpose — and either way, this is going to a federal courtroom before it's actually settled.