Louisiana Judge William Jorden on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction blocking the NCAA and SEC from enforcing eligibility rules against players who signed NFL contracts over the summer but now want to play college football at LSU.
Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris are among more than 40 player-plaintiffs in Pyburn v. NCAA, one of many cases involving athletes who began college play in 2022–23, completed four years of NCAA eligibility and, in some instances, signed with professional teams after leaving college.
The ruling cleared the legal path for Wright and Harris to play for LSU in its matchup against Clemson on Saturday night, though LSU late Friday opted not to place the two players on the game roster. Head coach Lane Kiffin told ESPN, “I had to make a decision that is for the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program, with the uncertainties of what potentially could have come by adding them to the roster.” Kiffin’s remarks reflect potential legal risks for LSU, as discussed below.
The SEC plans to appeal Jorden’s ruling, and the conference has separately sued LSU in federal court. But with only hours remaining before Saturday’s LSU game against Clemson, there is a good chance that neither a state appellate court nor a federal court will issue a decision on Friday altering the players’ eligibility.
