BATON ROUGE – While the Southeastern Conference decided to comply with temporary restraining orders that have been put in place by a Louisiana judge, LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin isn't quite ready to go full boar on what's currently allowed by the ruling.
Plaintiffs amended their complaint against the NCAA to add the SEC and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey late last week in their attempt the seek a fifth year of college eligibility. East Baton Rouge Parish Judge Will Jorden accepted to amended petition from the 33 former college student-athletes, thus leading to SEC to follow applicable court orders that temporarily allow schools to add ex-NFL players to their rosters.
Kiffin and his staff have landed commitments from two former professional players in tight end Dae'Quan Wright, who was recently waived by the Cleveland Browns, and former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris.
In an interview with ESPN, Kiffin said that LSU is waiting until Thursday's preliminary hearing on the matter before adding the players to the Tigers' roster.
"All we're waiting for is clarity this week from the SEC, which they can't give final clarity until Thursday's ruling," Kiffin told ESPN. "We are waiting for clearance and guidelines from the SEC.
"I have been in communication daily with the SEC to make sure we are complying with the SEC rules."
The SEC office said Sunday that the league will contest the TROs in court Thursday.
After Jorden initially granted the athletes at TRO last week, making them eligible, SEC quickly responded by adopting a new rule that prohibited its member institutions from bringing players that had signed a contract with the NFL, NBA and WNBA.
Should the ruling allowing for a fifth year for the athletes be upheld, LSU could be poised to add former NFL players in former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn, who was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.
But the SEC could also take the fight over eligibility to higher level state courts or the federal court level, which should it be successful in getting the decision overturned, punishments could be on the table for teams that violate the league's new rule.
"The SEC and Commissioner Sankey are prepared to contest the allegations in the plaintiff's petition at Thursday morning's hearing and defend the SEC's rights as a voluntary association to fulfill its mission to its member institutions," the statement said. "In the meantime, the SEC and Commissioner Sankey will continue to comply with the court's order. Following the hearing, the SEC will carefully review the court's decision and determine the appropriate next steps."
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Lane Kiffin says LSU football will comply with eligibility rules after Thursday's hearing | Report
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