Baton Rouge was slated to be the center of the college football universe this weekend long before the lawsuit that turned college football upside down.
The debut of controversial coach Lane Kiffin has drawn months of anticipation. But now, Death Valley is shaping up to be a bona fide Baton Rouge circus.
The entire industry was watching to see whether Kiffin allows players who participated in NFL preseason—but who won an injunction Thursday night allowing them to play—to take the field against Clemson. Either way, the consequences could be dire. On one hand, LSU could face penalties due to the SEC’s new federal lawsuit against the Tigers, Kiffin, and other LSU officials. On the other, the court could punish LSU itself if it decides not to roster these players.
Late Friday night, LSU decided to leave two roster slots open. Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris—now enrolled at LSU after brief stints in NFL training camps this summer—are not on the roster for Saturday’s game, but could be added later in the season.
The game is expected to draw not just a record number of media members but also a sold-out crowd and, possibly, a web of politicians who have involved themselves in the drama.
