LSU is the best college football team in the country, sitting atop the USA Today Amway Coaches Poll, the AP Poll, and the College Football Playoff rankings. But the Tigers are and will continue to be without starting linebacker Michael Divinity because the junior has been and will remain ineligible.
The Monday before LSU visited Alabama, Tigers (10-0, 6-0 SEC) head coach Ed Orgeron announced that Divinity had left the team “for personal reasons.” On the SEC conference call Wednesday in Week 12, Orgeron confirmed that the athlete was simply not allowed to play by athletic department rules.
“He is unable to play, and it will be a while until he’s able to play. He will not be eligible,” Orgeron said.
Ineligibility can stem from academic issues and from team rules violations, such as multiple positive drug tests. USA Today confirmed with multiple sources that Divinity tested positive for a fourth time for marijuana just before the Nov. 4 announcement that he would not play versus the Crimson Tide (9-1, 6-1 SEC).
According to LSU’s Athletic Department Assistance Program’s Substance Abuse Policy, a fourth failed drug test warrants “a suspension from 50% of countable contests,” including postseason games.
Orgeron said Wednesday that the only game that there is even a chance that Divinity returns for would be the National Championship Jan. 13.
“If there’d be a championship game, maybe he may be eligible for that,” Orgeron said. “Up until then, Mike will not be eligible to play.”