Paul Finebaum sounds off on Lane Kiffin ‘spitting in face’ of SEC football

It was another crazy day for Lane Kiffin and the LSU football program on Thursday.

Judge William Jorden granted an injunction against the NCAA, allowing more than 40 athletes to be eligible for the 2026 college football season. Two of those athletes are tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris.

Wright and Harris still have to be added to LSU’s roster by Friday’s deadline, but they expect it to happen.

MORE:Is Saturday a must-win for Lane Kiffin and LSU?

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has seen all of this go down and isn’t happy about it. He laid into Kiffin during Friday’s edition of “Get Up.”

“Maybe I’m trying to be practical and pragmatic, which is really idiotic when we’re talking about Lane Kiffin, but I cannot believe that Lane Kiffin will put his entire career on the line by spitting in the face of the SEC, and in particular Greg Sankey,” Finebaum said. “Considering that Sankey has helped Kiffin along the way when things were very difficult for him in his career.”

“I believe there is, as crazy as this sounds, a deep personal connection that Kiffin feels like he owes Sankey something. I’m trying to use logic, and I know that may sound crazy early in the morning across the country, but I believe at the end of this day, Kiffin will back down. Now, it may be nuanced. I don’t believe they’re going to play as far as the roster {is concerned}. I know we’re talking technicalities, but I don’t believe that that university will put itself in this type of harm’s way.”

This story is far from over, as the SEC plans to appeal Thursday’s court ruling as soon as possible.

In the midst of all this, LSU is set to open its 2026 season on Saturday night against Clemson. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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