BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – As Southeastern Conference leaders prepared to consider expelling LSU last week, university officials weren’t lobbying inside the meeting room, they were actively avoiding it.
Internal emails obtained by the WAFB I-TEAM reveal LSU System President Dr. Wade Rousse told SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey that LSU would skip the high-stakes meeting on advice of counsel, urging the commissioner to drop the federal lawsuit at the center of the dispute instead.
FILE – Greg Sankey, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, speaks during NCAA college basketball women’s SEC Media Day, Oct. 16, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)(Mike Stewart | AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
The clash stems from an ongoing legal battle over whether college athletes can claim a fifth year of playing time, which led to Sankey testifying in Baton Rouge state court and the SEC filing a federal lawsuit against LSU.
“I believe the quickest path forward is to resolve the federal litigation so we can put this matter behind us and refocus our collective efforts on strengthening the SEC and its brand,” Rousse wrote to Sankey at 8:08 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10, hours before the scheduled SEC meeting.
Wade Rousse, Ph.D.(LSU)
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Rousse noted that because several LSU employees were named individually in the federal suit, attorneys advised university officials not to participate without legal counsel present. LSU also cited the lack of a revised meeting agenda.
Minutes later, Rousse took his message directly to the leaders voting on LSU’s future, sending a second email to nearly every SEC president and chancellor.
Rousse reiterated that LSU was not retreating from the conference.
“I want to be clear that our absence should not be interpreted as LSU stepping away from our commitment to the SEC,” Rousse wrote. “Quite the opposite. We want to put this matter behind us, restore our collective focus, and continue working together to strengthen the SEC and its brand.”
Ultimately, SEC leaders met without LSU present and took no action to terminate or penalize the university.
The legal fight remains unresolved. An appeals court this week upheld a state judge’s ruling allowing former players to seek that fifth year of eligibility, while the SEC’s federal suit against LSU remains pending.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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