Ole Miss-Louisville Week 1 game in Nashville moved to Sunday night game
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The Week 1 matchup featuring Ole Miss vs. Louisville in Nashville will now be featured in a Sunday-night spotlight. ESPN announced Thursday that the game is now scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT kickoff on Sept. 6, and will air in primetime on ABC.
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter said it’s fitting for Pete Golding‘s regular-season debut as head coach to be in the national spotlight.
“This matchup was already a tremendous opportunity for our program, kicking off Coach Golding’s first full season at the helm against a high-caliber opponent like Louisville, set in a premier destination like Nashville. Now with the added spotlight of a Sunday primetime national broadcast, the stage is even bigger,” Carter said in a released statement. “We’re confident Rebel alumni and fans throughout Music City will turn out in great numbers to create an electric atmosphere and be part of a memorable night.”
Sunday, Sept. 6, @ESPNEvents & @NashvilleSports team up for first-ever 'Music City Kickoff'@LouisvilleFB & @OleMissFB open their '26 #CFB seasons @NissanStadium in Nashville, Tenn.
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 5, 2026
7:30p ET | ABC
Tickets on sale Wednesday, April 8
🔗 https://t.co/5bnEfXhj2G pic.twitter.com/Tu37LVlYCq
Ole Miss and Louisville have met just once before. The previous meeting was another neutral-site kickoff game, a 2021 contest in Atlanta that went to the Rebels 43-24.
Last season, Ole Miss reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. With Lane Kiffin‘s departure for LSU after the regular season, Golding made his head coaching debut in the CFP. Golding led the Rebels to wins over Tulane and Georgia before Ole Miss lost to Miami in the CFP Semifinal.
Will Golding take the Rebels back to the Playoff? Kalshi is taking early action on predictions to make the field!
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
