The Southeastern Conference does not want its federal lawsuit against LSU to be dismissed, despite the Tigers not rostering former pro players. The conference filed a request on Tuesday night for U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon not to dismiss the lawsuit as LSU requested.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama under the claim that LSU’s recruitment of former professional athletes in direct contradiction to the conference’s pro-player ban violates the SEC’s First Amendment right to govern itself. Football coach Lane Kiffin shut the door on players who previously signed NFL deals, leaving them off of the official roster, but basketball coach Will Wade has not officially given up on former NBA G League player RJ Luis.
That does not mean he plans on breaking any rules.
“We’re gonna follow all the SEC protocols with him,” Wade said on Tuesday.
The SEC still claims Luis’s recruitment is an ongoing threat to conference rules and standards, and thus argues the case cannot be dismissed if LSU is still challenging its sovereignty.
“I think it’s been pretty clear what the SEC protocols are on that,” Wade said. “He didn’t travel with us to McNeese, and he hasn’t been rostered.”
The SEC, though, still wants a more legally-binding commitment than Wade’s verbal pledge. Commissioner Greg Sankey said at basketball media days on Wednesday that he is concerned the legal proceeding could damage the conference’s relationship with LSU.
