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LSU vs. Ole Miss: Kickoff time for Lane Kiffin return to Oxford revealed

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz05/12/26NickSchultz_7

Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford is getting the primetime treatment. LSU at Ole Miss is set to kick off Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN announced Tuesday at the Disney Upfront in New York.

The Week 3 matchup was already drawing plenty of headlines after Kiffin’s high-profile departure for LSU ahead of last year’s College Football Playoff. Pete Golding is now in as head coach after serving as defensive coordinator under Kiffin, and they will go head-to-head at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium just a few weeks into the season.

When the SEC announced its 2026 schedule in December, the LSU at Ole Miss game immediately became one of the biggest storylines of the season. Now, we know the matchup will be under the lights in Oxford.

Speaking with On3’s Wilson Alexander, Kiffin joked his trip back to Oxford will compare to a family reunion after a divorce. However, he pointed to the memories made during his time at Ole Miss, which included a 55-19 overall record and three straight 10-win seasons for the first time in program history.

“Hey, there’s this divorce, but man, there’s great memories,” Kiffin said. “They had these amazing six years together. Hey, didn’t like how it ended, as far as how the decision was and the timing of the divorce, but the six years were amazing. Do you hate the guy, as someone in the family and friends, versus the other way around?”

Plenty of eyes are going to be on both Ole Miss and LSU this season. Lane Kiffin and the Tigers are starting the year squarely in the spotlight with ESPN’s College GameDay heading to LSU vs. Clemson in Week 1, as On3’s Pete Nakos first reported. That season-opening game will also be in primetime at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC – a time slot which drew huge TV ratings last season in a dominant year for the network and ESPN.

On the Ole Miss side, Golding is preparing for his first full season as head coach after leading the Rebels to a run in the College Football Playoff after Kiffin left. They advanced to the national semifinal after taking down Tulane and Georgia, but fell to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl in a 31-27 loss to end the year.