LSU vs Ole Miss: The Date Fans Have Been Waiting for Kiffin’s Triumphant Oxford Return Revealed!

The 2026 SEC football schedule just dropped, and boy, has it stirred up the pot! Mark your calendars for September 19th because LSU is heading over to Oxford for a showdown that’s already got tongues wagging. This Week 3 matchup doesn’t just kick off LSU’s SEC campaign—it’s also the stage for Coach Lane Kiffin’s much-talked-about return to the sidelines of his old stomping grounds at Ole Miss. The drama here? It’s as thick as a soggy playbook. After a rollercoaster six years with Ole Miss and a jaw-dropping coaching departure earlier this year, Kiffin’s arrival in Baton Rouge has set the stage for a rivalry that’s dripping in narrative and tension. And here’s the kicker—LSU visiting Oxford two years in a row isn’t just coincidence; it’s a consequence of the SEC’s new nine-game slate shaking things up. If you think college football’s offseason drama can’t get juicier, hold onto your hats. LEARN MORE

The 2026 SEC football schedule was released on Thursday night and so was the date for one of the most anticipated games of the season. LSU football will travel to Oxford to face Ole Miss on Sept. 19, marking LSU head coach Lane Kiffin’s return to his former school.

The game is a Week 3 matchup and serves as LSU’s SEC opener. It’s hard to imagine a more tantalizing start to LSU’s conference slate. This game will be the center of the college football universe for a week, thanks to Kiffin’s dramatic exit from Ole Miss earlier this year.

Kiffin’s move was unprecedented. The coaching carousel intersected with Ole Miss’s College Football Playoff bid and Kiffin was forced to choose between the LSU job or staying to coach Ole Miss in the playoff. Kiffin wanted both — to coach Ole Miss, then leave for LSU. Ole Miss AD Keith Carter made it clear that wasn’t an option. The result was a messy exit after a historic six years at Ole Miss.

LSU will travel to Oxford for a second-straight year, which is a rarity in conference schedules but the SEC had no choice as the conference hit the scheduling reset button to transition to nine games.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football vs Ole Miss: Date revealed for Kiffin’s Oxford return