09/06/26 01:54:00
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09/06 01:52 CDT Lane Kiffin's debut at LSU delayed by lightning as Tigers move
ahead without NFL signees
Lane Kiffin's debut at LSU delayed by lightning as Tigers move ahead without
NFL signees
By EDDIE PELLS and BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writers
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) --- The much-anticipated first game of the Lane Kiffin
era at LSU was delayed nearly two hours by lightning and did not include two
NFL signees whose ongoing effort to return to college football has brought a
lot of attention --- and no shortage of criticism --- upon the Tigers'
lightning-rod coach.
Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris were left off the roster in advance of
Saturday night's 51-10 victory over Clemson in Tiger Stadium, where heavy rain
and loud, nearby lightning strikes cleared most of the seating areas --- except
for the ever-raucous student section.
The move to leave Wright and Harris off the roster avoided --- or perhaps just
delayed --- a confrontation with the Southeastern Conference, which had passed
a rule banning players who'd signed with NFL teams, only to see that rule put
on hold by a court in Louisiana on Thursday night.
Leaving Wright and Harris off the roster "wasn't easy," coach Lane Kiffin said
Saturday on ESPN's "College GameDay."
"As much as I feel for the players, and I believe that you fight for what you
believe in, and I believe these kids have an opportunity to play just like all
the other kids around the country that are winning court cases and being put on
rosters.
"But at the same time, I'm the head coach of LSU, and I had to make a decision
that is for the big picture of LSU and the LSU football program with the
uncertainties of what potentially could have come by adding them to the
roster," Kiffin added. "So with that, we made the decision which is in the best
interest of the team and the university."
Flanked by influencers including former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne, model-actress
Brooks Nader and podcaster Theo Vonn (a Louisiana native), Kiffin was able to
lead his players on the "Tiger Walk" down "Victory Hill" and into Tiger Stadium
before the rain started. A crowd dozens deep along barricades boisterously
chanted "L-S-U!, L-S-U!" Others who wanted to get a glimpse of the coach stood
on ramps leading up to the LSU's nearby basketball stadium, the Pete Maravich
Assembly Center.
"I've never seen that before," long-time LSU communications director Michael
Bonnette said.
Kiffin was struck by the size of the crowd that greeted him.
"I felt like was back at Mardi Gras," he said. "The whole day was really neat
with how electric the campus was. ... This is what LSU is supposed to be.
that's why we're here."
Kiffin, wearing a dark suit, dapped coveted tight end recruit Ahmad Hudson on
his way into the stadium and soon after walked onto the field as the nearby
student section roared.
Tiger Stadium was packed with about 102,000 fans when the game finally kicked
off around 8:45 Central Time. By the end of the first quarter, LSU fans were
delighting in an 17-3 lead resulting from a largely one-sided opening period
that had Kiffin punching the air triumphantly and appearing to yell, "Boom,"
after running back Dilin Jones' short TD run.
Both Wright and Harris have said they are enrolled at LSU, which means they
could be eligible to be added to the roster later. Legal action is ongoing,
with the SEC planning an appeal of the Louisiana ruling and also awaiting word
on a federal lawsuit it filed Thursday asking the court to force LSU into
following its rules banning pro athletes.
The roster decision marked the latest move in a bizarre, wide-ranging
disagreement over something most people used to agree on: that players who had
moved on to pro sports from college could not return to college.
Under the rules the SEC passed last week that were subsequently shut down by
the Louisiana court, the league could suspend coach Lane Kiffin, fine LSU half
its football budget and more if it puts Wright and Harris on the roster.
The case stems from a new NCAA rule that granted five seasons of eligibility
for players who started college in 2023. Wright, Harris and dozens of others
across the country who started in 2022 have filed lawsuits saying they also
deserve a fifth year of eligibility.
Embedded within that argument is whether players among that class who tried out
for NFL, NBA or WNBA teams should be able to come back to college and play.
"The SEC's presidents and chancellors unanimously adopted a clear and
reasonable standard: Member universities should not place former professional
athletes on their rosters," the conference said in a statement after Thursday
night's loss in Louisiana court.
Also chiming in was the College Football Playoff, which came out in support of
the rules barring pros from the college gridiron. It wasn't a surprising
stance, considering virtually all of CFP management is made up of the same
school leaders who adopted the rules.
Meanwhile, the LSU decision came hours after Clemson general counsel Chip Hood
sent a letter to his LSU counterpart suggesting the eligibility issue is in
conflict with the contract between the teams to play. While Clemson never
threatened to stay home, Dabo Swinney, left little doubt over his feelings
earlier in the week.
"I would just say it's kind of embarrassing," he said. "I mean, honestly, it's
just embarrassing that that's where we are. I don't blame the kids and people
trying to take advantage of the system. I just think it's embarrassing where we
are with college football."
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