The SEC vowed Sunday to “defend the SEC’s rights” in advance of a Thursday hearing in Louisiana that could make former NFL players eligible at the start of this college football season.Lawyers for 30-plus players, including several seeking to play football at LSU, have gone to court arguing they should be eligible after the NCAA changed its rules to allow players a fifth year of eligibility — but didn’t include the 2022 class.A Louisiana court granted the players a temporary restraining order more than a week ago against the NCAA, and Friday, after the SEC added penalties against teams that signed such players, the judge added the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey.On Thursday, the court will hear arguments on whether it becomes a preliminary injunction in favor of the players or whether the injunction is stayed.On Sunday night, the SEC office provided a statement to The Athletic:“The order entered against the SEC and Commissioner Sankey is a temporary restraining order, not a final ruling on the merits. The SEC and Commissioner Sankey are prepared to contest the allegations in the plaintiffs’ petition at Thursday morning’s hearing and defend the SEC’s rights as a voluntary association to fulfill its mission to its member institutions.“In the meantime, the SEC and Commissioner Sankey will continue to comply with the Court’s order. Following the hearing, the SEC will carefully review the Court’s decision and determine the appropriate next steps.”That hearing is two days before LSU — the one SEC team known to be interested in signing such players — opens its season against Clemson. LSU has commitments from Dae’Quan Wright (who had been with the Cleveland Browns) and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris (New Orleans Saints), and edge defender Jack Pyburn (just waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has also been connected to LSU.The SEC sought to head that off last week when it announced it would enforce rules against teams signing such players and adopted harsh penalties, including a suspension of the head coach for half the season.The Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC have all passed similar rules against signing the players, along with penalties against teams for doing so.The penalties are a key point because, though the judge could clear the players to be eligible, a school may still be reluctant to risk being penalized by the conference. It’s not clear whether the plaintiffs’ lawyers will seek a remedy for that as well. So far, the temporary restraining order has centered on the players’ eligibility.Though LSU coach Lane Kiffin was outspoken Monday about trying to recruit the players, nobody at the school has commented since the SEC announced its penalties. LSU’s president abstained in a 15-0 vote on penalties, but before that, voted to enforce the rules against adding former pro players.A team would technically not be in violation of the SEC rule until rosters are finalized the day before the season. In the case of LSU, that would be Friday, so the Tigers could add players to their roster before the Thursday hearing, then remove them if the judge rules against the players.Missouri plays Thursday, and Oklahoma plays Friday. But so far, neither has indicated it is pursuing any football players who would fall under the injunction, so the drama is about LSU.So far, no football program has appeared to roster players who were with pro teams. There have been scattered instances of athletes returning to their previous school for the extra season, including two LSU women’s soccer players who are part of the case. They appeared in a game Saturday night.But the SEC statement was only about football and men’s and women’s basketball players. LSU’s men’s basketball team has been linked to signing one such player, but with those rosters not finalized until November, the more immediate issue is Friday’s roster deadline.