Lane Kiffin vs. Ole Miss Football Among 'Offseason Beefs' That Dominated Headlines

Pete Golding and Co. continue a new era in Oxford, "beef" with Kiffin remains a headliner amid a chaotic offseason.

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

In a move that sent shockwaves across college football, Lane Kiffin made the decision to depart the Ole Miss Rebels last fall for the LSU Tigers head coaching gig amid a College Football Playoff run in Oxford.

Less than 48 hours after Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State to solidify the program's College Football Playoff chances, Kiffin boarded a flight to Baton Rouge after accepting the LSU job.

From there, a new rivalry was born with both programs exchanging staff members, front office figures, and players via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

LSU and Ole Miss made up the No. 1 and No. 2 rated Transfer Portal Classes with both coaching staffs dominating the free agent market, but the "offseason beef" surrounding the pair of schools continues stealing headlines.

Now, the Kiffin vs. Ole Miss Rebels battle sits at No. 1 as the "unsolved offseason beefs," according to FanSided.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

FanSided's Take: Kiffin vs. Ole Miss Beef

"The saga that will never seemingly end is Lane Kiffin's departure from Ole Miss which the Rebels fans still won't let go on social media. Kiffin deciding to leave a team in the middle of a storybook season, ahead of the College Football Playoff for a job at a rival SEC program is one of the biggest stories of all time. Add in the Playoff run Ole Miss went on under Pete Golding, and all the staffers trading places at each school, and there's a ton of bad blood.

"Then the Transfer Portal opened and both teams made big scores picking at losses from the other school. Ole Miss landed former 5-star recruit Carius Curne giving the Rebels an instant plug and play offensive lineman from the Tigers. Lane Kiffin brought with him Winston Watkins, TJ Dottery, and star pass rusher Princewill Umanmielen.

"The rivalry certainly won't end, but these two teams need to face off, and they will back in Oxford on September 19th. If Lane Kiffin thought his return to Knoxville was ugly, the fact that this game will be so recent will make for an incredible matchup."

More Ole Miss News:

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Ole Miss Football Recruiting Notebook: Three Targets Pete Golding Must Land in Year 1

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