Don’t Fold

1. A Texas judge already blocked this rule. Bryson Warren’s TRO expressly bars the SEC from enforcing eligibility rules against him or Texas A&M, which was issued the day after the 16-0 vote. The “we weren’t a party to the order” defense died on Aug. 26. LSU’s counsel should ask Judge Jorden for identical language Monday.

2. That order also kills the punishment threat. It bars the Rule of Restitution, which means no retroactive sanctions on the player or the school if the ruling is later reversed. The thing our administration is afraid of is precisely what a court just enjoined.

3. The SEC already set the standard in January, for Alabama. Charles Bediako signed a two-way NBA contract, played three G League seasons, and played five games for Alabama on a TRO. The Tide went 3-2. Sankey personally filed an affidavit against him. Alabama was never punished. Those wins still count.

4. And in February for Ole Miss. Chambliss is quarterbacking on an injunction the NCAA is still appealing.

5. And in July for Texas. Hutson exhausted his eligibility, worked Browns and Cowboys minicamps, sued, won, and rejoined the Longhorns.

6. Seven months of silence, then seven days. The SEC wrote no rule while Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas benefited. It wrote one within a week of LSU winning. A principle isn’t discovered the moment a rival uses it.

7. Our players had no choice to make. Under the rules in effect last fall their careers were over nothing to withdraw from. They signed with NFL clubs in the SPRING. Then on June 23 the NCAA handed a fifth year to everyone, which was two months after they’d reported to camps.

8. They already paid the price a court demanded. The judge required them to terminate their NFL contracts and repay every dollar earned. They did it “allegedly.” Seven days later the SEC voted them out anyway.

9. A federal judge called the underlying rule likely illegal. Sweeney found no valid procompetitive justification and less restrictive alternatives available.

10. The SEC’s own line is arbitrary. Hutson is at Texas because no NFL team offered him paper. Both our guys were automatically allowed to sign with NFL teams due to no more eligibility. Junior Tuihalamaka never signed either. If Texas keeps its player and we lose ours, that’s not a rule that’s a target.

11. We voted for this 16-0 and abstained on penalties. Abstaining is not a position.

12. Nobody is better positioned. Live court orders, the resources, a coach on record. If LSU won’t test this, every program in this league learns that sixteen votes beat a judge.





TLDR: It’s about principle and you have a ton of ammo to support your fight.