- The highly anticipated home-and-home football series between the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans and the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels has been canceled.
The series, originally scheduled for 2025 and 2026, was called off due to a combination of factors, including USC’s transition to the Big Ten Conference and the uncertainty surrounding the Southeastern Conference (SEC) schedule.
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who previously served as the head coach of USC from 2010 to 2013, will not face his former team in this now-canceled matchup.
Kiffin’s tenure at USC was marked by both success and controversy. During his four-year stint as the Trojans’ head coach, he compiled a respectable record of 43 wins and 28 losses. However, he was ultimately dismissed following the fifth game of the 2013 season.
After leaving USC, Kiffin went on to serve as the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama and later became the head coach at Florida Atlantic University. In December 2019, he was appointed as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.
Under Kiffin’s leadership, the Rebels have achieved remarkable success, including two 10-win regular seasons and two appearances in New Year’s Six bowl games. Last season, Ole Miss secured a victory against Penn State in the Peach Bowl, marking the school’s first 11-win campaign.
The cancellation of the USC-Ole Miss series is a disappointment for both programs and their fans, as it would have been the first-ever matchup between the two storied college football teams. The series was expected to generate significant interest and excitement, given the high-profile nature of both programs and the personal connection between Kiffin and USC.
According to reports, the primary reasons behind the cancellation of the series are USC’s transition to the Big Ten Conference and the potential changes to the SEC scheduling format.
With USC’s move to the Big Ten, the Trojans’ nonconference schedule has become more challenging to navigate. The school is now required to play nine conference games against Big Ten opponents, leaving little room for high-profile nonconference matchups.
Additionally, there has been ongoing discussion within the SEC about the possibility of increasing the number of conference games from eight to nine. This potential change in scheduling could have further complicated the logistics of the USC-Ole Miss series.
For Ole Miss, the cancellation of the series means they will need to secure a new power conference opponent for their 2026 nonconference schedule. The Rebels currently play eight conference games and one against a power conference opponent outside the SEC.
The last time Ole Miss participated in a home-and-home series with a high-profile nonconference opponent was against the University of Texas in 2012 and 2013.
While the cancellation of the USC-Ole Miss series is undoubtedly disappointing, both programs remain focused on their upcoming seasons. USC’s 2024 football campaign will commence on September 1 against LSU, while Ole Miss will open their 2024 season on August 31 against Furman.
The decision to cancel the series is a reflection of the ever-changing landscape of college football, with conference realignment and scheduling challenges playing a significant role in shaping the future of intercollegiate athletics.
Despite the cancellation, the potential matchup between the Trojans and the Rebels would have been a highly anticipated event, with the personal connection between Kiffin and USC adding an extra layer of intrigue. Fans of both programs will have to wait for a potential future meeting between these two college football powerhouses.
In conclusion, the cancellation of the USC-Ole Miss home-and-home series is a result of the evolving landscape of college football, with conference realignment and scheduling uncertainties playing a key role in the decision. While the matchup would have been a highly anticipated event, both programs remain focused on their upcoming seasons and the pursuit of success on the gridiron.