As SEC threatens to kick out LSU, it adds Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill to lawsuit

The Southeastern Conference has added Attorney General Liz Murrill to a federal lawsuit seeking to stop LSU from adding players who had been involved in professional football teams, arguing she and other Louisiana state officials have been interfering with the conference's ability to regulate its members. The SEC sued LSU last week, arguing the university is violating its members' First Amendment right to free association by working to block conference officials from enforcing rules against ex-pros joining college rosters. In court filings Tuesday, the conference added Murrill and every member of the LSU Board of Supervisors as defendants. It also asserted its right to remove LSU from its ranks, and said a meeting had been scheduled for Thursday to consider doing so. The SEC notes that Murrill filed an amicus brief in a separate lawsuit against the conference filed by players seeking to return to college teams. It points out that she sat with attorneys for the players in the courtroom during the high-profile legal battle, which featured a clash between two sitting Louisiana district attorneys. 'Defendant Murrill's actions were taken in active concert with the other Defendants and in furtherance of a coordinated effort by Louisiana state actors, including the Governor and officials at LSU, to override the SEC's governance of its own association,' the SEC wrote in court filings. Gov. Jeff Landry has publicly supported the athletes' push to play in college teams. Murrill's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit points to several other actions Murrill took at last week's hearing, including saying 'Geaux Tigers' to some media members, calling the SEC's lawsuit 'legal garbage' and criticizing SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. Email Matthew Albright at MAlbright@theadvocate.com