SEC sues LSU, alleging a coordinated push to recruit ex-pro athletes in defiance of rules

BATON ROUGE, La. — The Southeastern Conference filed a lawsuit against LSU and its leadership in Alabama federal court on Thursday, alleging the school had “waged a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes” against league rules.

The extraordinary step against one of the league’s founding members in 1933 came as SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey testified 400 miles away in a courtroom not far from Tiger Stadium, defending the league’s ability to enforce its rules as several dozen athletes try to play this fall after they turned pro.

Former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright sat next to each other in the gallery as the hearing began, with Sankey taking the stand a short time later.. At least seven bailiffs were on hand.

The lawsuit asks for a court injunction barring LSU from violating the SEC’s First Amendment rights by forcing it to “associate with conduct that is contrary to the conference’s purpose and mission.” It was filed in northern Alabama because the SEC is based in Birmingham.

Attorneys for the athletes, the NCAA and the SEC were appearing before East Baton Rouge Parish Judge William Jorden, who scheduled the…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports