American football: the main stories of 04.09.2026

Louisiana State has spent the past year buying its way to the front of college football, and the bill is now public: a coaching deal worth $162m, a lawsuit filed against the SEC and one filed straight back. The school's next move is stranger than the money. Some outlets report that a Louisiana state court has temporarily barred the NCAA from stripping eligibility from former professionals who want to return to the college game, which would let LSU put men with NFL pay stubs in a student uniform. That ruling is carried by a single report and has not been confirmed elsewhere, but the school has been courting ex-pros for months, so the paperwork would only catch up with the recruiting. The full account traces it back to a chemistry professor in 1893.

Massachusetts won at Rutgers in their opening game and ended a run of 16 defeats, the longest in the FBS; one outlet reports they had been made 29-point underdogs. They did not travel to make up the numbers. Separately, according to a single report, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority has approved $75m of public money to modernise Allegiant Stadium, which cost $2bn and opened 6 years ago.

• Arizona have agreed a 3-year extension worth $75m with receiver Michael Wilson, $47m of it guaranteed, according to one report; bonuses could take the deal higher.
• San Francisco landed in Melbourne a week before their Round 1 fixture, while the Rams plan to fly in less than 24 hours before kick-off, one outlet reports.