The Georgia Bulldogs Have a New Bitter Rival in College Athletics: Who It Is and Why

The Georgia Bulldogs have discovered a new rival in collegiate athletics and the intensity between the two teams is already heating up.

College football, and athletics in general is home to a plethora of extremely intense rivalries that often span over centuries and create massive rifts between two fan bases. Oftentimes these rivalries create some of the most iconic moments in the sport.

The Georgia Bulldogs are one of the many programs who are no strangers to having enemies, and the Dawgs have competed in some massive hate-filled contests over the years against teams such as Florida, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Tennessee, and others.

But while the Dawgs have their fair share of rivals, the program appears to have added another to its list over the past few months and the Bulldogs may have a new foe to conquer during the 2026 season.

The Ole Miss Rebels are a program who Georgia has a strong sense of familiarity with. The two teams have faced each other nearly 50 times on the gridiron, and have totaled more than 40 contests on the hardwood against one another.

The Dawgs currently control both series, and hold a commanding lead in football. However, recent events may fuel a new level of hatred for the Bulldogs as they gear up for the 2026 college football season.

Why Georgia and Ole Miss Are Becoming Bitter Rivals

Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) sacks Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) on a fourth down conversion attempt in the fourth quarter during the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Over the past few years, Ole Miss has been a massive thorn in Georgia's side. The first instance of this came during the 2024 season when the Rebels handed Georgia a shocking loss, embarrassing the top 10-ranked Bulldogs in Oxford and eventually storming the field to celebrate.

The Bulldogs would enact revenge the following year, however, winning a thrilling 43-35 victory in Athens. But it would be Ole Miss who got the last laugh, as the Rebels would then defeat Georgia in a rematch during the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The loss would end Georgia's season and crush their hopes of a national title.

The Rebels have also had crushing victories on the hardwood. Earlier in the regular season, the team defeated Georgia with a stunning last-second buzzer beater to shock the Dawgs in Athens and the most recent victory over the Bulldogs resulted in Georgia's surprising early elimination from the SEC Tournament.

Throughout the recent events, Rebel fans have been extremely vocal towards the Bulldogs, which has understandably created a great deal of animosity between the two programs. The two teams will renew their hate for each other during the 2026 football regular season, when Georgia travels to Oxford. The Bulldogs have not defeated Ole Miss at home in more than 15 years.

While Georgia and Ole Miss' budding rivalry may not be the most legendary or iconic in the college athletics, there is likely to be very little love lost when these two programs face each other in the near future.