BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — LSU President Wade Rousse wrote to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on Wednesday afternoon. The letter ran nine sentences.
“Allow this letter to clear up the allegations against LSU,” Rousse wrote. “On the afternoon of September 4, 2026, I called and provided you with advance notice that LSU would not place Dae’Quan Wright or Zxavian Harris on the football roster. This was confirmed when LSU submitted its roster later that evening. On September 8, 2026, LSU filled its two remaining roster spots with eligible student-athletes. The roster is now locked for the season. LSU complied with SEC rules. This issue is moot.”
Judge Annemarie Carney Axon postponed the SEC’s hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama hours later. No new date. Sankey said he pulled it on receipt of the letter.
The conference is no longer seriously considering expelling LSU, according to one SEC executive with direct knowledge of the situation and three high-ranking football officials at SEC schools who spoke to USA TODAY Sports.
Wade Rousse Tells Greg Sankey the Issue Is Moot
Rousse took up Thursday’s special meeting of SEC presidents and chancellors in the same letter.
“Also on September 8, 2026, I received notice of the special President’s and Chancellor’s meeting scheduled for Thursday,” Rousse continued. “At no point has LSU ever threatened to upset the meeting.”
LSU would not challenge, disrupt, or seek to cancel or postpone it, Rousse wrote.
The meeting will proceed as scheduled, with stakeholders from at least 15 member institutions expected and a revised agenda. It is uncertain whether LSU will send any representatives.
The roster was finalized at 105 on Tuesday night, including cornerback Aidan Anding and defensive end Gabriel Reliford, who both played last season but missed the opener due to injuries. Dae’Quan Wright had camp with the Cleveland Browns, while Zxavian Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints. Both are former Ole Miss players, were waived in August, and currently have no teams lined up for the fall.
What Thursday’s Meeting of SEC Presidents and Chancellors Can Do
The SEC filed a lawsuit against LSU shortly after midnight on Sept. 3. Defendants included LSU, the LSU Board of Supervisors, Rousse, athletic director Verge Ausberry, and coach Lane Kiffin. Sankey was testifying in an eligibility case in a Baton Rouge courtroom when the news broke.
“Today, the Southeastern Conference, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, filed a request for a temporary restraining order in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama to protect the right of the Conference and its member institutions to govern themselves,” the conference said in a statement that day.
Thursday’s meeting falls under Section 3.1.5 of the SEC constitution, which allows termination of a member on a two-thirds vote. LSU helped found the conference in 1933.
Below that are the penalties outlined by the presidents and chancellors in late August. A head coach may face a suspension of up to half a season. Schools could be fined up to 50% of that sport’s yearly budget. Voting rights might be revoked. Sankey also has the authority to impose additional sanctions. The framework was approved unanimously, 15-0, with LSU abstaining.
“No SEC President or Chancellor voted against the direction set forth in these two memoranda,” Sankey said in an affidavit filed last week.
A senior SEC football administrator said LSU’s leadership has lost control and damaged its reputation, and he questioned how the administration repairs its standing inside the league.
“They’re in the dark and not sure what’s coming,” the administrator told USA TODAY Sports, granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the litigation.
“The feeling is they can’t let LSU start the fire,” an official at another member school told USA TODAY Sports.
Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU after the 2025 regular season, before the Rebels played in the College Football Playoff. LSU opened at home against Clemson on Sept. 5. The Tigers open SEC play at Ole Miss on Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
