A Baton Rouge court has ruled in favor of players, allowing them eligible to play for the LSU Tigers in their fifth collegiate seasons.
The 19th Judicial District Court heard in the Jack Pyburn, et al. v. National Collegiate Athletic Association.
With this court ruling, LSU now has the option to put Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris on the roster for Saturday’s game against Clemson.
East Baton Rouge Parish Judge William Jorden barred the SEC from imposing consequences on LSU over eligibility.
Earlier today, the judge ruled is that of the 43 athletes named as plaintiff’s in the case, only seven have direct claims against the SEC.
The remaining athletes will have to make their claims against the NCAA.
The judge cited his reasoning as “improper cumulation” because the other athletes have no connection to the SEC conference.
This means the judge will rule separately on SEC athletes and other NCAA athletes regarding whether they will be permitted to return to college sports.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was the first witness called during the hearing, and there was contentious back and forth between him and the plaintiff’s attorney Tony Clayton.
Clayton pressed Sankey on why overseas professional athletes could play but not United States students.
Sankey said 91 pro athletes currently play college football, and testified that he is not aware of their situations.
After Sankey concluded his hours-long testimony, he was allowed to leave through a private court exit due to security concerns.
LSU is at the center of the controversy, but reports indicate that several teams across the country are considering adding former NFL players to their rosters.
The decision comes with a tight deadline for SEC teams, as LSU must finalize its roster 24 hours before its Saturday game against Clemson.
In a late-night filing ahead of Thursday’s ruling, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill urged the court to side with the recruits.
Murrill described the NCAA tactics as a “bait-and-switch.”
“Public institutions should not have to choose between obeying the judicial process and protecting the financial resources entrusted to it by the people of Louisiana,” Murrill wrote to the courts.
READ MORE:Baton Rouge judge allows some former NFL players to play a fifth year of college eligibility
