The SEC is not dismissing its federal lawsuit against LSU, but Attorney General Liz Murrill told 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge that goes directly against the wishes of the member institutions.
“The members took a vote and directed that the lawsuit be dismissed; and then the lawyers could not come to any kind of agreement and kept trying to force LSU to confess some kind of wrongdoing,” Murrill said.
The SEC claims that even though the Tigers never rostered any former NFL or NBA players, Will Wade’s recruitment of former NBA G League player RJ Luis still threatens its pro player ban and its right to enforce its rules. Wade has said he intends to follow conference protocols.
Murrill told 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge that SEC lawyers could not negotiate a joint statement in which LSU implied it had done something wrong and would not do anything wrong in the future.
“I don’t think LSU should ever concede that, because we didn’t do anything wrong and nobody’s ever told us a single rule that we violated; and this has all been concocted without any claim ever being made against LSU for any violation,” Murrill explained.
Murrill told 104.5 ESPN in Baton Rouge that she invites the SEC to submit whatever claim it may have of LSU’s wrongdoing. Since no team ever officially rostered any former domestic professionals, LSU did not violate the SEC pro player ban.
“The SEC has decided to die on this hill, but they won’t actually define the hill they want to die on; and I find that bizarre,” Murrill noted.