LSU Fans Send Clear Message to Greg Sankey After Trying to Ban School From SEC

Sep 12, 2026 at 01:42 PM EDT

LSU nearly got expelled from the SEC after trying to add two former NFL players to its roster for the 2026 college football season: tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive end Zxavian Harris. Both players had previously played under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, but each had also spent time in NFL training camps and preseason: Wright with the Browns, and Harris with the Saints.

Adding pro players to a college roster went against NCAA and SEC rules, but a Louisiana state court issued an injunction allowing it to happen anyway. The SEC then threatened to ban LSU from the conference, at which point the school backed down and chose not to add the players to its roster.

That hasn't stopped Tigers fans from speaking out about the controversy, squarely taking aim at SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who led the conference's threat against LSU in the first place. On Friday, just one day before LSU's in-state matchup against Louisiana Tech, college football analyst David Pollack posted a photo on X showing a giant purple billboard with gold lettering reading "Fire Sankey," spotted in Birmingham, Alabama.

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This isn't the first time Sankey has come under fire. He was a driving force behind expanding the NCAA Tournament in college basketball from 68 to 76 teams, a change that added more at-large bids, helping power conferences like the SEC. Critics argue the move benefits bubble teams from bigger leagues, potentially at the expense of Cinderella runs from mid-majors.

Meanwhile in football, he's pushed back against expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, putting him at odds with other major conferences like the Big Ten. The latest LSU saga is another example that Sankey isn't afraid to send a clear message to programs or athletes, even if Tigers fans don't like it.

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LSU fans, for their part, have never been shy about voicing their opinions. Death Valley earned its nickname for a reason, and the moment a coach strings together a few losses, fans are already calling for his job. That's part of why there's so much pressure on Kiffin to deliver a national title in Baton Rouge in year one.