Ole Miss Opens 2026 Season Against Louisville in Nashville
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss begins its 2026 football season Sunday night with a matchup against Louisville in Nashville. The ninth-ranked Rebels will face the 24th-ranked Cardinals at Nissan Stadium in the Music City Kickoff, according to university officials.
The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central Time and marks just the second meeting between the programs, with Ole Miss winning the last encounter 43-24 in 2021, sources said. Louisville enters the season after finishing 9-4 in 2025, with a 4-4 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Louisville, under fourth-year head coach Jeff Brohm, opened last season 4-0 before losing to Virginia. The Cardinals secured notable wins over Pittsburgh and Miami during the season. They finished with nine or more wins in each of Brohm’s first three seasons and appeared in the ACC Championship game in his first year, sources indicated.
Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding will lead the Rebels into the season debut. Key players to watch include quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who passed for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns last year, and running back Kewan Lacy, who led all of FBS with 306 carries and rushed for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns. Defensive transfer Keaton Thomas also joins the team, aiming to fill a significant role, sources said.
Louisville’s projected starting quarterback, Lincoln Kienholz, transfers from Ohio State and is expected to start in the opener. Other notable players include Isaac Brown, a junior running back with preseason All-American honors, and Clev Lubin, a linebacker who led Louisville with 8.5 sacks last season, according to team sources.
Fans can stay updated through Ole Miss official channels, including the university’s newsletter, The Sip, and the redesigned Ole Miss Sports app, which offers ticketing, schedules, and merchandise options, sources added.
The game will be broadcast on ABC, with live streaming available via the ESPN app. Live stats and radio coverage are also accessible through Ole Miss’s official platforms, sources confirmed.
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