When the SEC unveils its football opponents for the 2026 through 2029 seasons on Tuesday, Ole Miss will be among the programs most directly impacted by the new scheduling model.
The SEC’s four-year opponent reveal, SEC Now: 2026–29 Football Opponents Reveal, airs at 6 p.m. Tuesday on SEC Network and ESPN2, with Alyssa Lang hosting alongside Gene Chizik, Paul Finebaum, Greg McElroy and Benjamin Watson.
While dates for the 2026 season won’t be announced until December, the matchups alone will set the course for how Ole Miss navigates the toughest stretch in its program’s modern history.
Rebels face uncertainty under new format
The league announced in August that it will move to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2026, expanding from the eight-game slate that has been in place since 1992.
Each program will keep three annual opponents while rotating through the rest of the league over a four-year span.
For Ole Miss, the question isn’t whether rivalries will survive — it’s which ones.
The Rebels have played Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl every season since 1944, making that the clearest lock for one of the three protected games. The intrigue lies in who else joins the Bulldogs on the Rebels’ permanent slate.
Lane Kiffin, never shy about big-picture scheduling, said last spring that balance matters as much as tradition.
“You’ve got to protect rivalry games, but you also don’t want the league stacked against one team year after year,” Kiffin told reporters.
Familiar teams among leading candidates
The Egg Bowl’s inclusion seems obvious, but LSU looms just as large.
The Magnolia Bowl rivalry has grown since 2008 when the schools formally branded their annual meeting, and it remains one of the SEC’s most colorful showdowns.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly called LSU-Ole Miss “the best mix of history, geography and mutual disdain the league has outside the Iron Bowl.”
Arkansas is another strong possibility.
Ole Miss and the Razorbacks have delivered some of the league’s most chaotic finishes, from the 7-overtime thriller in 2001 to the 2021 52-51 shootout in Oxford.
The proximity of Oxford to Fayetteville, combined with fan passion, keeps the matchup in the discussion.
Some believe Texas A&M could push its way into Ole Miss’ trio. The Rebels and Aggies have played annually since the latter joined the SEC in 2012, and the series has produced major recruiting and divisional implications. But with divisions gone, it may not carry the same priority.
Balancing rivalries with fairness
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has stressed that the nine-game format is designed to ensure fairness — every team will play each other home and away within four years.
Still, not all permanent opponent rivalries are created equal.
If Ole Miss lands Mississippi State, LSU and Alabama, the Rebels’ annual path could be among the toughest in the league.
If it’s Mississippi State, Arkansas and Texas A&M, the slate may feel more manageable.
Finebaum put it bluntly earlier this month.
“Who Ole Miss draws alongside the Egg Bowl is going to say a lot about how high their ceiling really is,” he said.
The SEC also requires every program to play one marquee non-conference game annually against the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or Notre Dame.
Ole Miss has already scheduled future matchups with USC (2026 in Las Vegas, 2027 in Oxford), ensuring the Rebels will never face a soft September.
Rebels’ future will be shaped Tuesday
Tuesday night’s reveal won’t provide exact dates, but it will lock in who Ole Miss faces from 2026 through 2029.
The Rebels’ rise under Kiffin, capped by Cotton Bowl and Peach Bowl appearances, has coincided with more demanding schedules. The next four-year cycle may be the most demanding yet.
Whether the Rebels’ three annual opponents are Mississippi State, LSU and Arkansas, or a combination that includes Alabama or Texas A&M, Ole Miss fans will circle Sept. 23 as the moment the path forward became clear.
Key Takeaways
• Ole Miss is guaranteed to keep the Egg Bowl with Mississippi State, but its other two permanent SEC opponents remain in question.
• LSU and Arkansas are leading candidates for protected rivalries, though Alabama and Texas A&M could also be considered.
• The Rebels’ non-conference schedule already includes USC, ensuring no soft spots once the nine-game SEC format begins in 2026.
