Afternoon Edition

September 3, 2026

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The Southeastern Conference is taking the fight over whether LSU can roster players who participated in the NFL preseason to federal court. The conference’s lawsuit against LSU, AD Verge Ausberry, and head football coach Lane Kiffin is the latest step in a brewing legal battle—and one that came in the middle of a court hearing in the original Louisiana state case.

—Amanda Christovich

First Up

Exclusive: The NBA is expected to have prediction-market deals in place by the time this season tips off, with sources telling FOS there are “deal terms on the table.”
Exclusive: Dianna Russini is “absolutely” planning a comeback to sports media, sources say, and has been in discussions about several new job opportunities.
The severely punished Clippers face a bleak media outlook with a reduced number of national TV games and local broadcast plans still up in the air.
The business of sports, in your pocket. The FOS app is available to download for free on iOS and Android.

SEC Sues LSU, Lane Kiffin Over Pro Players

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the Southeastern Conference filed a federal lawsuit against LSU, AD Verge Ausberry, and head football coach Lane Kiffin seeking clarification from a judge that they have the legal authority to enforce penalties against the Tigers if they decide to roster players who participated in the NFL preseason.

It’s the latest step in the brewing legal battle between the SEC and LSU—and one that comes in the middle of a Baton Rouge court hearing in a separate Louisiana case over eligibility for these athletes.

The lawsuit has been considered a likely next step for the SEC as it contends not just with this particular issue, but also with an existential question of whether it can enforce any rules as a conference without legal challenges.

On3 first reported the lawsuit.

The complaint argues that the SEC has First Amendment rights allowing it to prevent LSU from playing these athletes. “Defendants have forced the SEC to associate its athletic competitions and the conduct of the Conference with professional athletes over the express and unanimous objection of every member institution aside from LSU. Such forced association undermines the SEC’s identity and purpose and impairs the Conference’s ability to express the values it has publicly espoused.”

As such, the SEC is requesting the court “enter a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting Defendants from violating the Conference’s First Amendment rights by compelling the Conference to associate with conduct that is contrary to the Conference’s purpose and mission.”

The situation started two weeks ago, when a group of players sued the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility—one of the many cases challenging the implementation of the NCAA’s “age-based eligibility model,” and how the NCAA chose to exclude athletes who started college in 2022 but exhausted their four years. The case made waves, however, because some of the players had already participated in NFL preseason activities.

The judge granted a temporary restraining order allowing the players eligibility—and LSU scooped up two of these players from the NFL’s preseason: Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris. In response, the SEC passed a rule banning players who signed NFL contracts (including preseason) and appeared on NFL rosters from playing, promising to assign schools harsh penalties. But LSU still intended to sign them, Kiffin said earlier this week, and the players’ attorneys got the SEC added to the lawsuit.

The complaint accuses LSU of engaging in “a deliberate and coordinated campaign to recruit professional athletes to play football for LSU during the 2026-27 season, including players who had signed NFL contracts with the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” and adds that LSU saw the challenges to the NCAA eligibility policy “as an opportunity to be exploited.”

The conference also tried to distance itself from allegations that it was targeting players specifically. “The SEC does not bring this action to declare any student-athlete ineligible or to prevent any student-athlete from participating in any athletic competition,” the complaint reads. “This action is directed solely at the member institution and athletic department personnel that have violated the SEC’s rights under the First Amendment.”

Now, the SEC is taking its own proactive action. It’s similar to the situation that the Big 12 went through with Texas Tech when the school considered playing former quarterback Brendan Sorsby after he violated the NCAA’s gambling policy. The conference filed a lawsuit against Texas Tech, but it was dropped after the Red Raiders and Sorsby parted ways.

The SEC could not immediately be reached for comment. LSU athletics declined comment.

AI Is Changing Fan Experience

How will AI reshape the sports industry? In the latest episode of Future of Sports, presented by Next League, Scott Gutterman, chief digital officer at Next League, explains how AI, personalization, and emerging technologies will transform fan engagement, digital platforms, and the live event experience.

Watch the conversation here.

ONE BIG FIG

College Football Kickoff

Michael Clubb-South Bend Tribune/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

$170

That’s the most expensive get-in ticket price for the Wisconsin–Notre Dame matchup at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday. It also happens to be the most expensive get-in price during Week 1 of the college football season. The Clemson-LSU game Saturday night isn’t far behind at $110.

Ticket prices for Week 1 college football games are relatively soft at the top end of the market, with fewer must-see games than previous years’ opening weekends.

LOUD AND CLEAR

Time Management

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“It’s always tricky, especially for the woman doing the second night match, because the first is a men’s and it could be two hours or five, and that just obviously is an unknown that you have to deal with.”

—Jessica Pegula on the constraints of scheduling at tennis tournaments. The women’s world No. 3 acknowledged that playing late matches can be difficult because the empty stadium feels “kind of dead.”

Late starts and even later finishes have been a topic of discussion during the US Open this year, especially after Venus Williams lost in straight sets to Sofia Kenin in the first round in a match that didn’t begin until 12:13 a.m., the latest start for a match in US Open history.

Following that loss, Williams said: “I just don’t know any other sport where you have to start that late. … I definitely think there’s room for improvement there.”

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STATUS REPORT

One Up, One Down, Two Push

YouTube

Pablo Torre ⬆ The investigative journalist and podcaster was the first to report on the Clippers’ circumvention of the salary cap by funneling millions of dollars to Kawhi Leonard through backdoor deals. His original report, published on his Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast a year ago today, led the NBA to open an investigation into the allegations, which grew to include deals with multiple companies. The findings of that investigation were made public yesterday and resulted in a $30 million fine for the team, a one-year ban for owner Steve Ballmer, and the Clippers losing five first-round draft picks beginning in 2029. Torre and the PTFO staff won a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year for their investigation into the Clippers.

Equinox ⬆⬇ The luxury gym chain could be getting a cash infusion, as its owners are in refinancing talks with Silver Lake, the Financial Times reported. The company has been weighed down by $1.8 billion in loans, some with 16% interest rates, according to the report. That debt is largely from a 2024 financing deal from private investment groups, and the refinancing could “put hundreds of millions of dollars of cash on Equinox’s balance sheet and reduce its debt burden,” the FT wrote.

Dude Perfect ⬆⬇ The sports-tinged YouTube brand—started by a group of college friends in 2009—parted ways with its first CEO, Andrew Yaffe, Thursday. A joint statement released by both parties suggests the decision was mutual. Dude Perfect raised $100 million shortly before its October 2024 hire of Yaffe, who was tasked with professionalizing the company. It’s the second CEO departure from a YouTube-native sports media brand in as many days.

Polymarket ⬇ The prediction-market platform was blasted by Ball State assistant AD Kevin Messenger for using a doctored photo of quarterback Keldric Luster to promote betting on the school’s upcoming opener against heavily favored Ohio State. Luster, who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 250 pounds, is depicted in the photo as having a larger midsection and legs. The X/Twitter post says, “Brother is going to eat this year.” The Texas State senior transfer has just 12 passing attempts in his career but has gained attention online for his stature. In response to Polymarket’s tweet, Messenger shared the official photo and called the doctored version “a degrading, false, bullsh** representation of college football.”