The Latest on Lane Kiffin's Future as LSU Football and Ole Miss Rebels Await Decision

The "Kiffin Sweepstakes" will have a winner on Saturday, LSU Tigers remain firmly in the race.

Nov 28, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The LSU Tigers have emerged as serious threats in the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes with the administration in Baton Rouge going all-in for the Ole Miss Rebels head coach.

In what became a three-team race between LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida, the Gators are out of contention after being eliminated on Friday as Kiffin narrows his focus to the Tigers and Rebels.

But there is one school that is generating significant buzz as "Decision Day" arrives on Saturday with Kiffin mulling over what's next.

“No, I haven’t (made up my mind),” Kiffin told ESPN’s Taylor McGregor on Friday. “I’ve got a lot of praying to do to figure that out tomorrow, but right now, I’m just going to go enjoy these players.

"I told them last night, you’re going to win your 11th game, and all I want to do is experience joy watching you, and that’s what I’m about to do.”

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin talks with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) during a college football game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 38-19 in the Egg Bowl. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now, it's the LSU Tigers that are beginning to gain momentum on "Decision Day" with a move set to be made in the coming hours, sources tell LSU Tigers On SI.

In a move that will shape Kiffin's legacy and career, the program in Baton Rouge has gained confidence down the stretch with the Rebels keeping in constant contact in the 11th hour.

“One of the biggest decisions of his life,” Smith said at halftime of Friday’s Lone Star Showdown between Texas and Texas A&M. “He doesn’t know yet, whether he’s going to go to LSU or stay at Ole Miss.

"And it’s an incredibly complex decision for him that, to me, in all the conversations I’ve had with him, comes down to one fundamental variable: Can he win a national championship somewhere else vs. can he win one at Ole Miss?

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin answers questions from the press after a college football game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 38-19 in the Egg Bowl. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I’m told the decision here will come [Saturday], but is expected to come later in the day. [Friday night], he’s over in Tupelo at his son Knox’s state semifinal high school football game.

"So the thought is that meeting will happen later in the day [Saturday] and we should have a resolution to this sometime [Saturday] evening.”

Now, with a decision set to come on Saturday, it's the LSU Tigers that have picked up momentum with the Rebels looking to battle in order to retain the program's shot-caller.

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