Dan Wetzel Aug 26, 2026, 04:30 PM ET Close Dan Wetzel is a senior writer focused on investigative reporting, news analysis and feature storytelling. Back in February 2009, when he was just 33 years old and just weeks into the job as head coach at Tennessee, Lane Kiffin accused Florida of recruiting violations. It turns out the accusations were all wrong, one reason then-SEC commissioner Mike Slive issued Kiffin an official reprimand and Kiffin apologized.

On Tuesday, the SEC held another closed door meeting in which representatives from all 16 schools voted to essentially ban former professional players from the league. It came in response to Kiffin, now the head coach at LSU, attempting to land at least three players who were recently cut from NFL training camps. The vote was unanimous: 16-zip. That means even LSU (initially at least) voted against its own coach.

"College sports are for college athletes," the SEC actually declared in a statement. "Feel like I took a freakin' gummy," Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said when discussing having waived-NFL rookies go back to college. McVay spoke for seemingly all of football save a few plaintiff attorneys. Lane Kiffin v. Everyone. Always.

Kiffin, now a battled-hardened 51, will tell you it's all coincidence or history or happenstance. He'll note he's just recruiting players who are eligible to be recruited -- "we followed all court orders" -- and that he is hardly the only coach attempting it. The sport rallied on one side of this issue in a way that has rarely been seen. Coaches spoke out. The NCAA issued statements. Leagues slapped together new rules.