The SEC released its appearance schedule for this year’s SEC Football Kickoff Media Days on Wednesday, and for Ole Miss fans, it’s the annual reminder that the next football season is sneaking up faster than it feels.
July still sounds like the middle of summer, but once Media Days lands on the calendar, the countdown to fall in Oxford starts to feel real.
This year’s event runs July 20‑23 and will take place in Tampa. It’s the first time the league has brought Media Days to the city.
Talkin' ball. 🗣️#SECMD26 Appearance Schedule ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/QDnVT8G6DQ
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) April 8, 2026
Tampa becomes just the fourth location outside Alabama to host the weeklong showcase, joining Atlanta, Nashville and Dallas.
It’s another sign of how the SEC continues to stretch its footprint and turn Media Days into more of a traveling production than a regional gathering.
For Ole Miss, it’s the first checkpoint of the 2026 season. Pete Golding and a handful of Rebel players will make the trip, sit through the interview gauntlet, and officially flip the page toward the fall.
Media Days always functions that way. whatever happened last season gets pushed aside, and the conversation shifts to what’s next.
A more detailed schedule, including TV windows, daily rotations and the full list of attending players, will come later.
For now, the SEC has simply locked in the dates and the order. SEC Network will once again carry the event throughout the week.
And while July feels far away, this is how the ramp‑up always starts. Spring ball wraps. Summer workouts take over.
Then Media Days arrives, and suddenly the season that felt months down the road is right around the corner.
For Ole Miss, the 2026 season isn’t here yet — but announcements like this are the first hint that it’s getting closer by the day.
Monday, July 20
- Kentucky – Will Stein
- Missouri – Eliah Drinkwitz
- Oklahoma – Brent Venables
- Tennessee – Josh Heupel
Tuesday, July 21
- Auburn – Alex Golesh
- Georgia – Kirby Smart
- South Carolina – Shane Beamer
- Vanderbilt – Clark Lea
Wednesday, July 22
- Alabama – Kalen DeBoe
- Florida – Jon Sumrall
- Ole Miss – Pete Golding
- Texas A&M – Mike Elko
Thursday, July 23
- Arkansas – Ryan Silverfield
- LSU – Lane Kiffin
- Mississippi State – Jeff Lebby
- Texas – Steve Sarkisian
