This isn't a hypothetical. There's a vote scheduled on Thursday. The SEC has asked a federal court for an order preventing LSU, or anyone working with them, from stopping the vote from taking place. The court has already set a hearing to consider this question tomorrow afternoon.
The SEC's request comes from its recent lawsuit against LSU. In that lawsuit, it asserts that the First Amendment prevents anyone from forcing the conference to associate with schools that it does not seek to associate with: "Forced association with a member whose conduct is antithetical to the SEC's mission and core values violates the Conference's fundamental First Amendment rights." In other words, if LSU won't follow its rules, then the First Amendment cannot require the SEC to keep LSU in the conference.
This lawsuit followed a state court injunction that prevented LSU, the NCAA, and the SEC from blocking former NFL players from playing college football. Those former NFL players have claimed they weren't actually NFL players, because they only tried out for NFL teams or never played during a game, among other explanations.
Regardless, the SEC, and other conferences, have taken a hard line against these players returning to play college football (or some other sports). As local state court judges have ruled in favor of players' eligibility, conferences have considered what other options they have to enforce rules against professional athletes playing college football.
A Federal Venue, and a Familiar Legal Tool
The SEC, through this request, seeks to prevent LSU, or anyone acting in concert with them, from taking steps to prevent this vote. This includes those taking steps in another lawsuit. This request is sort of similar to a stay of other proceedings issued by bankruptcy courts. Through this effort, the SEC is trying to move this dispute to a federal courtroom in Alabama.
The Conduct at Issue
The SEC has highlighted how LSU, including its head coach Lane Kiffin, have continued to press the issue. According to the SEC's filing:
Defendant Kiffin reiterated his disagreement with and objections to the Professionalism Rules and the SEC's position in a press conference reported on X (formerly known as Twitter). . . . Further, Defendant Kiffin has repeatedly and publicly declared that he "fought" for the Pyburn plaintiffs, including on September 5, 2026, on ESPN's College GameDay program and on the Marty & McGee show that same day. Defendant Kiffin's statements and position, along with the numerous other statements and actions by Defendants described herein, stand in sharp contrast to the silence of LSU's President and Athletic Director after Defendant Rousse voted for the Policy Statement on August 25, 2026. Together, they confirm the lack of institutional control over LSU's athletics program that is required by Article 6 of the SEC Constitution and by the remaining provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws referenced above.
Even if the vote takes place, it's far from a sure thing that it will lead to the expulsion of LSU. But what is clear is that the SEC is attempting to create leverage to try and force LSU to drop any effort to recruit football players who have participated in professional sports.