ESPN announces kickoff time, network for massive LSU vs. Ole Miss matchup
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss for the first time as LSU head coach is set for September 19. It will happen under the lights of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
ESPN on Tuesday announced that LSU vs. Ole Miss, one of the most anticipated games on the 2026 college football calendar, will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the game televised on ABC.
The main storyline will be Kiffin, of course. If you’ll recall, his visit to Tennessee in 2021 was a notable affair. And that was 12 years after he famously left Rocky Top to take over for Pete Carroll at USC. Even after leading the Rebels to their first College Football Playoff in 2025, Kiffin won’t receive anything close to a warm reception when he and the Tigers take the field.
Then there’s the game itself. Trinidad Chambliss, who won a legal battle to return in 2026, is already receiving Heisman Trophy hype. His counterpart at LSU, Sam Leavitt, is coming off an injury-plagued 2025 at Arizona State and is seeking a fresh start — and a championship — in Baton Rouge.
LSU leads the all-time series 64-43-4. Last year’s contest went to Ole Miss, though, as Chambliss passed for 314 yards and ran for 71 more as the Rebels won 24-19 in Oxford.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
