Nearly a third of SEC schools hired a new head coach in the span of about six hours on Nov. 30, and the domino that set each move in motion was Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin finally ripped the band-aid off by announcing his decision to become the next head coach at LSU, but the writing had been on the wall. Florida moved on from Kiffin, hiring Jon Sumrall, which prompted Auburn to pivot to Alex Golesh and Arkansas to then pivot to Ryan Silverfield.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, promoted one of Kiffin's top assistants, defensive coordinator Pete Golding, to head coach.
Kiffin will meet three of those coaches in 2026, including a meeting in Oxford that could be one of the highlights of the college football season.
Here's a complete look at LSU's opponents for 2026 and when Kiffin could reunite with Ole Miss.
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Does LSU play Ole Miss next year?
Lane Kiffin will return to Oxford to face Ole Miss in 2026, setting the stage for one of the premier events of the college football season regardless of how well each team is playing.
At this point, the SEC has not yet released any dates or times for its conference schedule. The 2025 schedule was released on Dec. 11, 2024, so the 2026 schedule could be coming in early December.
Ole Miss schedule 2026
Ole Miss's complete schedule hasn't yet been revealed, but 11 of its 12 opponents are already known:
| Date | Opponent |
| Sept. 12 | at Charlotte |
| Nov. 21 | vs. Wofford |
| TBD | at Florida |
| TBD | at Oklahoma |
| TBD | vs. Auburn |
| TBD | vs. Georgia |
| TBD | vs. LSU |
| TBD | vs. Mississippi State |
| TBD | vs. Missouri |
| TBD | at Texas |
| TBD | at Vanderbilt |
Does LSU play Tennessee next year?
LSU is lined up to face Tennessee on the road in 2026, making for another Lane Kiffin reunion.
It's been 19 years since a young Kiffin left the Volunteers after one season to coach the Raiders in the NFL. One would think tensions have diminished since that point, but Kiffin saw golf balls and a mustard bottle fly toward him last time he coached in Knoxville while with Ole Miss.
LSU's date with Tennessee won't be as anticipated as the matchup with Ole Miss, considering some Volunteers players weren't even alive when Kiffin coached the team, but many fans haven't forgotten yet.
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- Meet Pete Golding, Ole Miss' new head coach with Lane Kiffin gone
- Lane Kiffin's complete history of controversial exits in football
LSU schedule 2026
LSU's complete schedule hasn't yet been revealed, but 11 of the Tigers' 12 opponents are already known:
| Date | Opponent |
| Sept. 5 | vs. Clemson |
| Oct. 3 | vs. McNeese |
| TBD | at Ole Miss |
| TBD | at Arkansas |
| TBD | at Tennessee |
| TBD | at Auburn |
| TBD | at Kentucky |
| TBD | vs. Alabama |
| TBD | vs. Mississippi State |
| TBD | vs. Texas A&M |
| TBD | vs. Texas |
A non-conference matchup with Clemson at home is one of two games locked into a particular date, coming on Friday, Sept. 5 as Kiffin's earliest major test.
To no surprise, LSU's SEC slate is daunting, but the bulk of the Tigers' toughest matchups come at home against Alabama, Texas and Texas A&M. LSU's road slate is a bit lighter but includes games at Tennessee and Ole Miss, with the latter guaranteed to have all eyes on it as Kiffin returns to Oxford.
MORE: Why Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU
When will the SEC schedule be released?
The SEC released conference opponents for each team through the 2029 season, but the dates and times of 2026 games have not been released.
The 2025 schedule was released on Dec. 11, 2024, so fans should expect an announcement soon and start making plans to watch Kiffin return to Oxford.