Louisiana State University (LSU) has excluded former professional players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris from its roster ahead of the football team’s season opener. Both athletes participated in NFL training camps during the summer but were not listed for LSU’s game against Clemson on Saturday night. The decision appears linked to ongoing legal and regulatory challenges involving the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

The SEC had implemented a rule barring former professional players from appearing on college rosters, but that regulation was subsequently suspended following a court ruling in Louisiana. LSU’s head coach Lane Kiffin acknowledged the difficulty of the situation in an interview on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” noting that the decision was not made lightly.

In other sports news, the Toronto Blue Jays placed right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. This move came a day after Taillon’s brief return from the injured list. Additionally, New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham was sidelined with a right hamstring injury and was placed on the 10-day injured list following Friday night’s game.

Meanwhile, Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio became the sixth player in Major League Baseball history to record both a grand slam and a walk-off home run in the same game, leading the Guardians to a 7-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday. In another roster move, the Tampa Bay Rays placed left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger on the 15-day injured list with forearm tightness before Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers and called up right-handed pitcher Ty Johnson as his replacement.

In hockey, the Vancouver Canucks secured an extended commitment from defenseman Zeev Buium by signing him to an eight-year contract extension worth $9.38 million annually.

In legal developments off the field, former NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith is facing a lawsuit filed by a Native American investment company, Kituwah LLC. The suit alleges that Smith and his business partners misappropriated a $2.5 million loan intended to finance a wind farm project in Texas. According to the complaint filed in Delaware, funds were allegedly used to repay an investor in unrelated dealings involving Smith's business interests. Kituwah LLC seeks to promote economic ventures for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians through its investments.