LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has stepped back from the edge in his standoff with the SEC. Rather than risking his program’s place in the conference, Kiffin opted not to field former NFL players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris for the season opener. That single choice pulled LSU back from an immediate roster disaster, even as the league continues to scrutinize the university’s moves.

Reports from CBS Sports’s Mark Zenitz confirm LSU is moving on without placing any former professional signees on the active game sheet. Kiffin kept two spots open on the 105-man roster against Clemson in the opener, choosing caution over conflict. The team added injured players to round out depth, but keeping the ex-pros off the field was the main move that avoided triggering instant SEC sanctions.

The conflict remains active in court. The SEC amended its federal lawsuit in Alabama, asking a judge to protect its right to enforce league governance. League presidents and chancellors scheduled a September 10 meeting to discuss whether LSU’s actions warrant membership termination. A Louisiana state judge granted an injunction for the players, but the SEC is holding firm on its authority.

Under Section 3.1.5 of the SEC constitution, 11 schools, a two-thirds majority, can vote to remove a member. And there was money hanging over the whole thing.

The SEC announced a $1.03 billion distribution to its 16 schools for the 2024-25 fiscal year. LSU and the 13 schools that were members before Texas and Oklahoma joined each received $72.4 million, up sharply from the $53.8 million distributed the previous year. So an expulsion threat is not a small inconvenience.

Now, LSU has responded by filling its roster to the 105-player limit. The Tigers are effectively locked in. And that may be the end of the road for the two former NFL players in Baton Rouge. Wright and Harris were among 16 players who went to court while trying to return to college football after changes to NCAA eligibility rules opened that possibility. The move back to college was already controversial, and Lane Kiffin putting them at practice only turned up the volume. Then the SEC stepped in. 

Still, LSU’s football team gave Lane Kiffin an easy argument on the field. The Tigers blasted Clemson 51-10 in the opener without those NFL players, burying the roster controversy for one night. The head coach could not resist rubbing it in. During halftime, with LSU already ahead 31-3, he told ESPN’s Holly Rowe, “Imagine if we had pro players.”

Of course he did. Asked afterward about the inevitable reaction, Lane Kiffin shrugged it off.

“What’s the difference?” he said. “Everybody hates you. They can’t hate you that much more. So there you go. You got another line.”

Looking ahead, LSU has its 105 players without Wright and Harris. And Lane Kiffin has a 51-10 victory that makes his decision look a lot less painful. The Tigers may have given up on the two former pros, but they certainly did not give up much on the scoreboard.