The SEC’s attempt to penalize conference schools for playing former professional athletes just hit another wall in a Louisiana courtroom on Friday.

Judge William Jorden granted an amended temporary restraining order Friday that blocks the SEC from punishing schools for using players who previously signed contracts with the NFL, NBA, or WNBA. The order also restored eligibility for a group of athletes who were caught in the middle of the conference’s new policy.

The legal battle traces back to this summer, when the NCAA pushed an age based eligibility rule offering athletes five seasons to play in college, but excluded athletes who entered college back in 2022 and finished their four years this year. A wave of players across different sports sued, and several courts sided with them, ruling that they could return for a fifth season even if they’d signed NFL contracts, appeared on NFL rosters, or taken part in preseason camps.

That opened the door for two names LSU fans know well. Former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, both of whom left NFL training camps this summer to join Lane Kiffin’s roster in Baton Rouge.

LSU was the first school to make the move in signing professional football players which did not sit well with the SEC and the rest of college football. Earlier this week, conferences voted to put a rule in place that allowed them to sanction any school or coach that added a player with pro ties. The SEC, however, ruled that the penalties would apply to schools that used athletes from only the NBA, NFL, and WNBA. Reported penalties included suspending coaches for half a season, fining programs 50% of the sport’s annual operating budget, and stripping league voting rights.

The story has created massive debate and controversy across the NCAA, with many people being completely against these players returning to college. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin is no stranger to having his name thrown in the fire, and told ESPN “Whoever the first player committed to was going to be the poster child. I told my team that. There were schools that offered [Wright] a lot to come there, including in this conference, and including his previous school. But he chose us. I said, 'Get ready, guys. This is going to be Lane Kiffin and LSU are doing something nobody else is doing.”

Although fans believe it is not fair for these players to return after signing pro contracts, the situation is extremely unique and not something we’ve seen before. Players like Wright and Harris believed their college careers were over after being told they had to leave, just for the NCAA to implement a rule stating that players now had five years of eligibility. The two said they entered the NFL draft and signed pro contracts when they believed that they had no chance of making a college return due to the rules being unclear.

With the newly amended TRO in Louisiana, the SEC and Commissioner Greg Sankey cannot punish schools in their conference for playing any of the 33 athletes that are covered in the case. This means LSU can no longer be penalized for playing Wright and Harris, and other teams could continue their recruitment of these players as well. Beyond Wright and Harris, the order reportedly affects former Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge defender Jack Pyburn, who hopes to return to LSU if he’s not on an NFL roster by September 1st. The judge also issued a show-cause order demanding that the SEC and NCAA explain why the new penalties don’t put them in contempt of the earlier eligibility ruling.

The SEC and Greg Sankey have now told attorneys that they will comply with court orders that allow teams to sign former professional athletes. For now, the rulings mean LSU and every other SEC school can add players with pro experience without fear of facing discipline, at least until the broader legal fight plays out.

— Eric Palmer, TigerSources