Tennessee football's schedule could be impacted by the SEC's ongoing legal battle with LSU.
The SEC claims it has the authority to expel LSU from the conference in an amended complaint on Sept. 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, USA TODAY reported. There will also be a meeting Sept. 10 to vote on the future of LSU's membership in the league, according to the brief.
The No. 18 Vols (1-0) are scheduled to host the No. 8 Tigers (1-0) at Neyland Stadium on Nov. 21. It will be new LSU coach Lane Kiffin's first time back at Neyland Stadium since 2021, which famously ended with Tennessee fans hitting the former UT coach with a golf ball while throwing debris on the field.
The vote follows the SEC filing a lawsuit against
LSU and Kiffin on Sept. 3 over player eligibility. Kiffin added former Ole Miss players Zxavian Harris and Dae'Quan Wright, who were on NFL rosters, to his LSU roster after a court order gave them eligibility. Neither Harris or Wright played in the Tigers' blowout win over Clemson in the season opener, which the Tigers won 51-10.
The SEC argues in the briefing that LSU lacks institutional control. The brief supports that argument by citing Kiffin's comments at halftime of the Clemson matchup, when Kiffin "commented that the score differential would have been even greater if LSU had played professional players."
Yahoo's Ross Dellenger reported Sept. 8 reported that 11 of the 16 SEC presidents have to support expulsion for it to pass.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Could SEC vote to expel LSU cancel Tennessee game, Lane Kiffin's return? Latest updates
