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The SEC is very serious about expelling Lane Kiffin and LSU from the conference if they use former NFL players this season. On Tuesday, the conference set the stage for that possibility in court. This has been a wild last few weeks for Kiffin and the Tigers. In August, several court rulings, including in Louisiana, gave over a dozen athletes who were just playing for NFL teams in the summer an extra year of eligibility in college football. Following the decision, the LSU coach jumped at the opportunity and inked Ole Miss alum Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to NIL deals. That didn’t sit well with schools around the country. The Big Ten came out strongly against the signings and created new bylaws banning former NFL players from joining programs in their conference. The SEC, ACC, and Big 12 quickly followed suit. However, Kiffin and LSU stayed the course and planned for Harris and Wright to be in uniform for their Week 1 clash against Clemson, despite rumors that SEC executives were considering LSU’s expulsion from the conference and recent involvement from the Georgia Attorney General. LSU keeps door open to use former NFL players later this season Last week, a new court ruling cleared the way for Harris and Wright to play this weekend. However, the pushback against that plan and a new lawsuit against LSU from the SEC made officials stand down. So the pair of players that were in NFL camps this summer didn’t suit up for their win over Clemson on Saturday. However, that doesn’t mean the program has given up on them playing later this year. On Saturday morning, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that LSU submitted a roster of 103 players. Two short of the college football limit. This suggests they are keeping the door open for Harris and Wright to play at some point. Furthermore, a statement Ryan Downton of Texas Trial Group gave to the insider added fuel to that possibility. “LSU has made a measured decision to keep these two young men off the roster for now while preserving a path for them to be added later,” Downton said. “… Neither player was drafted, made an NFL roster or practice squad, or even played a pre-season game. One received just $190 in gas money, and one never participated in a single practice because of a college injury. “[SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey] repeatedly testified that individual circumstances matter and acknowledged he was not familiar with the specific circumstances of these two players. We agree. Before this escalates any further, examine their actual histories… Respect the courts, protect the players, and let level heads prevail.” SEC sets wheels in motion to expel LSU from conference If LSU did make the bold decision to play Wright and Harris this season, the SEC is getting ready to toss them out of the conference as soon as they do. According to Thamel, “The SEC filed an amendment to its federal lawsuit against LSU, Lane Kiffin and school officials on Tuesday, which seeks the authority for the SEC to expel LSU from the league.” The ESPN college football insider notes the SEC isn’t planning to expel the program, but “the filing indicates the seriousness of the league” when it comes to the threat. So for those who thought the LSU drama was over, it remains wide open as long as the school still has NIL contracts with the former NFL players.