In a Tuesday night court filing, the conference pointed to Will Wade's basketball recruiting as fresh evidence of LSU's noncompliance.
The SEC is not dropping its lawsuit against LSU. In a 41-page filing submitted Tuesday, Oct. 13, in opposition to LSU's motion to dismiss, the conference argued the case remains very much alive because LSU appears to be repeating the same behavior that started the dispute, this time in men's basketball rather than football.
The original fight centered on LSU football's failed attempt to roster players who had signed NFL preseason contracts. Now the SEC says LSU's basketball program, under coach Will Wade, is showing the same pattern by pursuing former pros, which the conference calls further proof of what it describes as the university's "stubborn refusal" to follow SEC professionalism rules.
The SEC also noted that LSU never states in its own brief that it is committed to following those rules, maintaining institutional control, or respecting the conference's authority. The conference says the real issue goes beyond any single roster move. It wants a court to settle whether the SEC can legally enforce sanctions against a member school, including removing that school from the conference altogether, calling LSU's conduct a sign of a complete lack of institutional control over its athletic programs.