I think the SEC just ended any chance of self-governance approval.

If anything, this LSU mess has shown that the SEC has done a terrible job proving it can govern itself fairly.

This started over two former NFL players. LSU disagreed with how the SEC handled it and went through the court system instead of just ignoring the rules. LSU also never put Wright or Harris on the final 105-man roster. Yet somehow this turned into talk of huge penalties, federal lawsuits, and even kicking LSU out of the conference.

That is where the SEC’s argument starts falling apart. The SEC is an association made up of its member schools, and LSU is one of its founding members. LSU disagreeing with the commissioner, voting differently, or challenging a rule in court does not mean LSU has “lost institutional control.” It means one member of the association disagrees with how the association is being run.

The SEC cannot argue both ways. It cannot say, “We are a private association and our members govern themselves,” while also acting like LSU has no right to challenge the conference or disagree with its leadership. If LSU is truly part of the SEC, then LSU has every right to speak up when it thinks the SEC is wrong.

What should concern Congress is how quickly this went from a disagreement over two players to the possible removal of a major public university from a billion-dollar conference. A small group of presidents and chancellors can make a decision with enormous financial consequences, while the rules for doing so are extremely broad.

The SEC keeps saying this is about its authority. Maybe that is exactly why Congress should take a closer look. After watching this whole thing play out, “trust us, we can govern ourselves” is becoming a harder argument for the SEC to make.