BATON ROUGE - Amid a legal battle concerning eligibility for players who have already gone pro, the Southeastern Conference has sued LSU, its head football coach Lane Kiffin and the university's leaders. 

The federal lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Alabama on Thursday. It alleges that LSU's conduct surrounding the ongoing legal fight has harmed the SEC, created a "competitive imbalance," and disrupted expectations of student-athletes.

"Defendants have forced the SEC to associate its athletic competitions and the conduct of the Conference with professional athletes over the express and unanimous objection of every member institution aside from LSU. Such forced association undermines the SEC’s identity and purpose and impairs the Conference’s ability to express the values it has publicly espoused," the lawsuit states. 

WBRZ reached out to LSU for a comment. A university spokesperson said they have not seen the suit yet, but they will not be able to comment due to pending litigation. 

This is a developing story.