LSU and the SEC are in the middle of one of the biggest stories in sports. The Tigers football program under Lane Kiffin attempted to bring in two former NFL players for the 2026 season: tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Both players last suited up under Kiffin at Ole Miss but spent the summer on NFL rosters — which goes against SEC and NCAA rules.
A Louisiana judge temporarily allowed it anyway, setting up a tense back-and-forth between the school and its conference. LSU has since backed off, saying it won't add the two players to the roster for the 2026 season and calling the situation "moot." Still, the SEC intends to hold a "special meeting" on Thursday to discuss whether to expel LSU from the conference altogether. While analysts across the sport have offered their takes throughout the week, one of college football's top coaches recently weighed in: Texas A&M's Mike Elko.
"This is a little bit like the son figuring out where the limits are until dad comes home and raises his voice, and then the son goes, 'I was just kidding, I didn't mean any of that,'" Elko said. "I think that's what you're seeing." More news: NCAA Issues Major Rule Change After Michigan-Western Michigan Controversy More news: Dabo Swinney Sends Defiant Message Amid Clemson Buyout Rumors The idea that the SEC could actually remove LSU — one of the conference's longest-standing and most successful programs — has largely been viewed as a bluff. The SEC would have too much to lose by cutting ties with a blueblood like LSU and a recognizable, if controversial, face like Kiffin.
Notre Dame has already shown that strong branding, paired with an elite schedule and a massive TV deal, can help a program thrive as an independent. It feels like the SEC needs LSU more than LSU needs the SEC. Still, Elko makes a good point.
Kiffin has never been afraid to blur the lines between what's allowed and what isn't. And now that the SEC has pushed back and hinted at real, formal punishment, LSU has largely stood down. More news: Mike Norvell’s Buyout Looms Large After Florida State’s Ugly Loss to SMU
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