LSU reportedly abstained from unanimous SEC vote to confirm penalties for playing pro athletes
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LSU abstained from voting in the formal SEC presidents’ vote on Wednesday that confirmed penalties contained in the legislation that would punish SEC schools for playing pro athletes, according to a report by ESPN insider Pete Thamel.
The SEC presidents’ vote on Wednesday that enforced penalties for the usage of NFL players who tried to return to the SEC to continue their college careers carried a 15-0 vote, according to Thamel’s report on Wednesday afternoon. There are 16 SEC schools, so that meant there was 1 school that didn’t participate in the vote.
Not surprisingly, that school was LSU, which has been at the center of the pro athletes’ controversy in recent days, with Lane Kiffin trying to lure players who desired to return to the SEC after not getting their desired wishes at the NFL level. Kiffin, also not surprisingly, came out in defense of the recent NFL players who had chosen to leave the pros and join his Tigers for the 2026 season.
According to Thamel’s report, there was an initial vote of 16-0 on Tuesday on the matter that has captured the attention of the college football world.
The SEC on Tuesday announced bylaws that prohibited its programs from playing athletes who had previously signed NFL, NBA or other contracts at the professional level.
Then, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, the SEC took the steps to finalizing severe punishments for its schools who violated that rule.
When the dust settles from this pro athletes controversy involving the SEC, LSU will be trying to win an SEC title in its first year with a new coaching regime. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Tigers’ chances to do just that and raise the conference trophy come December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
