Does U.S. News lock us into using the LSAT for Admissions?

Brian Leiter recently (and properly) critiqued a new admissions program at Michigan Law as an attempt to game the U.S. News rankings.  In short, the new program will admit students who are Michigan undergrads provided they DON'T take the LSAT.  The purpose of this requirement, it seems, is that it allows Michigan Law to take students on the margin without hurting their LSAT-based U.S. News rank.

It is hard to figure out how the requirement not to take the LSAT is anything other than a dodge around taking a hit in the rankings.  This incident, though, also raises an intriguing question.  Some colleges are now de-emphasizing or phasing out the SAT as an admission criteria.  Would law schools be dissuaded from doing the same (relative to the LSAT) because it would smack them in the rankings?

-- Mark Osler