Key Takeaways
- Lane Kiffin denied orchestrating lawsuits to help former NFL players join LSU, saying the athletes pursued the eligibility challenges independently with their attorneys.
- LSU has already landed plaintiffs Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris after a judge temporarily blocked NCAA restrictions, while Kiffin argues players who entered the NFL under the old rules deserve another college season.
- The SEC has threatened steep fines and coach suspensions for schools that roster former pros, setting up a Baton Rouge court hearing on an injunction and contempt motion two days before LSU opens against Clemson.
Lane Kiffin says he had nothing to do with orchestrating a lawsuit that could help former NFL players suit up for LSU — and claims he barely knew people were accusing him of it.
“That’s really the first I’ve heard of that,” Kiffin said on SiriusXM College Sports Radio. “I know that sounds crazy. We’ve had practice, and I don’t see the social media stuff.”
The denial comes after CBS Sports, citing anonymous sources, reported that Kiffin and LSU contacted multiple NFL players or their representatives about potentially suing the NCAA and returning to college. Yahoo Sports previously characterized the Baton Rouge-based legal challenge as an “orchestrated effort originating from LSU’s campus.”
Kiffin rejected that characterization. “These kids made these decisions on their own with attorneys of what to do,” he said, adding that similar eligibility fights are happening nationwide. “Everyone wants to point to the Louisiana case, but there’s cases in South Carolina, Texas, California, all over that have already won.”
LSU has certainly benefited from the legal fight. Former Ole Miss starters Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris were among 16 original plaintiffs challenging NCAA eligibility rules, and both subsequently committed to LSU after a judge granted a temporary restraining order.
Former Notre Dame edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka has also committed to the Tigers. Former LSU edge rusher Jack Pyburn could return to Baton Rouge if he fails to secure an NFL roster spot.
The situation stems from the NCAA's move toward a “5 for 5” eligibility model, allowing current athletes five seasons of competition within five years. Kiffin argues that players who left for the NFL under the previous rules shouldn't be punished because they made those decisions before knowing that another college season might become available. Pyburn’s attorneys similarly argued that he would have remained in college had the new rules existed earlier.
The SEC isn't buying the former-pro-to-college pipeline without a fight. The conference has threatened massive penalties against schools rostering players who previously signed with or joined professional teams, including fines equal to 50 percent of a sport's budget and potential half-season suspensions for coaches.
Kiffin, however, doesn't appear ready to blink.
“Just now, today, they told me there’s a case in Texas where they said the Texas A&M player should be able to play, even though the SEC came on top of this,” he said. “The judge said the SEC cannot restrict them from playing.”
The latest battle adds another layer to Kiffin's already eventful first year at LSU. He arrived from Ole Miss on a seven-year, $91 million contract after a bitter split with the Rebels, where he went 55-19 across six seasons.
Earlier this year, he also made headlines by contrasting LSU's recruiting environment with that of Oxford, claiming that some recruits had told him their grandparents wouldn't allow them to attend Ole Miss.
Now the fight has moved from recruiting pitches to courtrooms.
A Baton Rouge judge is scheduled to hear a preliminary injunction against the NCAA and SEC, as well as a contempt motion challenging the conference's new penalties. LSU opens against Clemson two days later.
Kiffin had already predicted the legal collision.
“What if a conference comes in on top and tries to say you can't?” he recalled asking earlier this week. “I said I think that'd be really interesting legally, and now you're in it.”
