In the long negotiation between amateurism and ambition that has always defined college athletics, Louisiana State University crossed a line that conference governance cannot easily forgive — deliberately attempting to roster professional players in violation of NCAA bylaws. The Southeastern Conference, confronting one of the most intentional rule breaches in its history, is now weighing expulsion as a penalty, even after LSU abandoned the plan. What is being decided is not merely LSU's fate, but whether institutional compliance is something conferences can actually enforce when the offender i