It’s official, and not unexpected. ESPN’s College GameDay is heading to Oxford ahead of the highly anticipated matchup between Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers.
The game itself has drawn widespread attention, as Kiffin’s unprecedented departure from Ole Miss to LSU ahead of the Rebels’ first-ever College Football Playoff run had eyes glued to their televisions and phones. And the most popular college football pregame show plans to be part of the action when Kiffin, a villain in Oxford, returns to his former stomping grounds for the first time as the head coach of a bitter rival.
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While GameDay’s presence is typically met with optimism and excitement, with fans displaying unique and creative signs for a televised audience, the panel may not get the warmest welcome at Ole Miss. Last season, Rebel fans expressed immense displeasure with show panelists Kirk Herbstreit and legendary former Alabama coach Nick Saban for advocating for Kiffin to coach in the playoff after accepting the LSU job.
Kiffin’s move to LSU was made public on Nov. 30, 2025 — just two days after Ole Miss ousted Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter promptly promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to permanent head coach. But before that unfolded, there was a back-and-forth between Kiffin and Carter, as well as Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce, over the prospect of Kiffin coaching in the playoff. Those talks ended with Carter maintaining that the LSU head coach could not lead Ole Miss in the postseason.
Carter’s stance was widely praised across the sports world, but not by Herbstreit and Saban. Both contended that Kiffin should have the option to serve a dual role as both LSU and Ole Miss head coach during the playoff. Herbstreit even took it a step further by advocating that Carter should set his emotions to the side over the matter. That narrative did not bode well with Ole Miss fans and even a good number of non-LSU fans. So, it will be interesting to see how GameDay is received when the week three matchup rolls around.
This won’t be the first time the pregame show has stopped in Oxford. The show was first in the college town on Oct. 4, 2014, the day Ole Miss upset a Saban and Kiffin coached Alabama team 23-17. GameDay returned to Ole Miss on Nov. 13, 2021, the day the Rebels defeated Texas A&M 29-19. With that track record, disgruntled Ole Miss fans may find solace in the fact that the Rebels are undefeated when GameDay is in town.
Along with Herbstreit and Saban, the show’s panel will include Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, and Pat McAfee. The Ole Miss show will occur at the Grove stage, where it was held the first two times in Oxford. Officials said the stage’s setup will begin at 8 a.m. on Sept. 18, with more details being released in the coming weeks.
