SEC says LSU expulsion is a 'very real threat' in new federal court filing

The Southeastern Conference is pushing ahead with its federal lawsuit against LSU. In a filing Tuesday, the league described the possibility of removing the school from the conference as a "very real threat" and asked the court to keep the case alive.

On3 reported the filing, citing court records viewed by Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. It arrived more than two weeks after LSU moved on Sept. 25 to dismiss the suit. Yahoo Sports has also reported that the two sides are talking about a mutual resolution to end the fight. Tuesday's brief shows the conference is still preparing to argue its case in court while those talks go on.

The dispute began with football. LSU recruited Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris even though both had worked out for NFL teams, and Wright went through training camp with the Cleveland Browns before he was waived. Neither player ended up on LSU's final roster, so the Tigers never broke the SEC rule on eligibility for former professional athletes. LSU's motion to dismiss rests largely on that point.

The conference says that point doesn't settle anything. Per On3, the filing frames the case as a broader dispute. The SEC accuses LSU of a lack of institutional control over its athletic programs and of ongoing defiance of the league's professionalism rules. It also says LSU has signaled it would interfere with any attempt to end its membership. The league argued that LSU's late decision to leave the two players off the football roster does not make its claims moot.

The SEC also cited men's basketball. The filing points to LSU's recruitment of RJ Luis Jr., a former St. John's transfer who signed a G League contract with the Maine Celtics. The conference says LSU has let him practice and has not committed publicly to keeping him off a roster that isn't due for several more weeks. The league recently passed a rule that effectively bars athletes who have signed professional contracts. The filing also quotes head coach Will Wade's own description of the program's offseason approach to building a roster.

None of this changes what's in front of the football team this week. No. 22 LSU (4-2) hosts No. 16 Mississippi State (4-1) on Saturday at noon Eastern on ESPN and Disney+. The ranked matchup gives the Tigers a chance to pick up a quality win at the midpoint of the season, and it lands while the program's place in the league is being argued in federal court.

The ranking gap hasn't moved the market off the home team. LSU is favored at -471 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and the best sportsbook price on the Tigers is -525 at BetMGM. The spread is LSU -14.5 and the total is 58.5. Full prices are on the Mississippi State at LSU odds page.

The next step in court is a ruling on LSU's motion to dismiss, unless the two sides reach a settlement first. Until then, the conference's threat of expulsion stays on the record.