Press Coverage September 3, 2026

Louisiana Judge Opens Door for LSU to Roster Ex-NFL Players; SEC Sues School, Kiffin to Stop It

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Callan G. Stein

Callan G. Stein, a partner in Troutman Pepper Locke’s White Collar Litigation + Investigations Practice Group, was quoted in the September 3, 2026, The Athletic article, “Louisiana Judge Opens Door for LSU to Roster Ex-NFL Players; SEC Sues School, Kiffin to Stop It.”

  • “The SEC is asking the federal court to affirm its First Amendment rights without being overridden by state court orders that may favor individual athletes,” said Cal Stein, a sports law attorney. “The state court can interpret the Louisiana Constitution, for example, but a federal court will have the jurisdiction to rule on the United States Constitution and thus the First Amendment issue.”
  • …
  • “It’s the same legal argument that the Big 12 raised against Texas Tech, and it is essentially that the conference has a First Amendment right to what’s called expressive association,” said Stein. “To define its own identity and define its core values.”
  • Stein added, “(The SEC) thinks they can win the injunction, but there’s also the deterrent effect that we saw firsthand with the Big 12 in the Texas Tech lawsuit.”
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