LSU and other SEC schools face a Thursday courtroom showdown with the NCAA and SEC over whether college football players with NFL ties, including some undrafted athletes, can return to the college game this season. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has said he will abide by a Louisiana judge's court order on player eligibility, a stance backed by Governor Jeff Landry, but the case raises the awkward possibility that LSU could end up suing its own conference if the SEC tries to penalise the school for fielding protected players.

The dispute centres on the "five-for-five" eligibility argument, with South Carolina's Ethan Johnson, an Appalachian State transfer who went undrafted after entering the NFL process, among the plaintiffs seeking a court-ordered extra year of eligibility in time for Saturday's games. The SEC is currently barred from disciplining schools that roster players covered by standing court orders, a protection that could be reinforced if the judge grants an injunction on Thursday. One unnamed SEC athletic director told OutKick the situation is "an absolute mess" and questioned whether LSU is genuinely prepared to sue the conference if punished for breaching its rules.