BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU football coach Lane Kiffin attended an LSU women’s basketball game Thursday night while Ole Miss, his former team, played Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff.
Kiffin entered the Pete Maravich Assembly Center before the game between LSU and Kentucky.
He walked onto the court holding hands with LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey as the crowd reacted with cheers.
Mulkey raised their joined hands toward the crowd, and Kiffin acknowledged the moment as fans applauded. The appearance marked one of Kiffin’s first public outings at an LSU athletics event since being hired as the Tigers’ head football coach.
The timing was notable because Ole Miss kicked off against Georgia in New Orleans at roughly the same time. The Rebels were making their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history.
Kiffin coached Ole Miss during the regular season and helped guide the team to an 11–1 record. He left the program in December to accept the LSU job.
Kiffin had said after the regular season that he wanted to remain with Ole Miss through the playoff. According to Kiffin, the team asked the school to allow him to keep coaching so the players could maintain their performance level.
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter declined that request. Kiffin later addressed the situation in a social media post explaining that he was not permitted to coach the team during the CFP.
Kiffin’s post also noted that he still supported the Rebels from afar. Earlier Thursday, he reacted online to ESPN College GameDay analysts picking Georgia to win the Sugar Bowl matchup.
Coaching change shapes Sugar Bowl moment
The Sugar Bowl matchup marked a transition period for Ole Miss as it prepared to face Georgia without the coach who led it through the season. The Rebs entered the game as an underdog against the Bulldogs.
Kiffin’s move to LSU followed the firing of Brian Kelly earlier in the season. LSU turned to Kiffin to lead the program after missing the College Football Playoff.
At LSU, Kiffin agreed to a seven-year contract that pays him significantly more than his deal at Ole Miss. The hire was made with the goal of returning the Tigers to national title contention.
While football dominated the national spotlight in New Orleans, Kiffin chose to remain in Baton Rouge and attend the women’s basketball game instead.
LSU’s women’s team, coached by Mulkey, entered the game ranked among the top teams in the country. The matchup against Kentucky was an early Southeastern Conference contest.
Kiffin’s presence courtside was viewed as a show of support for another LSU program as he begins his tenure with the Tigers.
The moment also served as a visible sign of Kiffin’s shift from Oxford to Baton Rouge, even as Ole Miss competed on one of college football’s biggest stages.
As the Rebels tried to advance in the playoff, Kiffin’s focus has turned fully to building LSU’s roster and preparing for the upcoming seasons.
Sugar Bowl unfolds without former coach
Ole Miss faced Georgia with a chance to reach the CFP semifinals, playing in the Sugar Bowl for the first time as a playoff participant.
The Rebels’ appearance marked a milestone for the program, coming after years of steady progress under Kiffin’s leadership.
Georgia entered the game as one of the nation’s top teams, and most analysts picked the Bulldogs to win. Kiffin publicly questioned those picks earlier in the day.
Despite not being on the sideline, Kiffin’s connection to Ole Miss remained part of the story surrounding the game.
At the same time, his attendance at the LSU women’s basketball game underscored the finality of his move and his commitment to his new role.
The Associated Press was the first to report the information. Hotty Toddy staff in New Orleans covering the game have reported his son, Knox Kiffin, was in attendance.
Kiffin has said his focus is now on LSU, including recruiting and preparing for the next football season.
The night illustrated the realities of modern college sports, where coaching changes can overlap with championship games.
For Ole Miss, the Sugar Bowl represented a historic opportunity. For Kiffin, it marked a clear step into his next chapter.
Key takeaways
- Lane Kiffin attended an LSU women’s basketball game while Ole Miss played Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
- Kiffin wanted to coach Ole Miss through the CFP but was denied by athletic director Keith Carter.
- The moment highlighted Kiffin’s transition from leading the Rebels to beginning his tenure at LSU.
