Ole Miss is playing against Louisville in Week 1 of the 2026 NCAAF. However, there is a curious setting for the game, as it will be played at Nissan Stadium in Tennessee. Why is that?
Ole Miss and Louisville are playing at Nissan Stadium tonight as part of the inaugural Music City Kickoff to open the 2026 College Football season. It is a neutral-site marquee matchup organized for Labor Day weekend.
Hence, Ole Miss, supposedly the home side, won’t be playing at the usual Vaught Hemingway Stadium. Louisville could see this as an advantage as they are avoiding a 60-thousand crowd against them. Now, it’s a neutral site.
Nissan Stadium features
A 69,143 venue, the Nissan Stadium opened up in 1999. However, a new Nissan Stadium is opening in 2027. It it usually the home of NFL team Tennessee Titans, though it is a multi-purpose stadium. Tennessee State University also uses this stadium as their home venue.
A general view of Nissan Stadium
The 2026 calendar year is serving as the Farewell Tour for the stadium ahead of its demolition. The stadium is famous for the Music City Miracle. That is an iconic last-second kickoff return play in 2000, that gave the Tennessee Titans a 22–16 playoff win over the Buffalo Bills.
Is Ole Miss a better team that Louisville?
Ole Miss are considered the better team on paper, entering their matchup ranked No. 9 nationally while Louisville are ranked No. 24. According to Vegas odds, Ole Miss are an 8.5-point favorite. Meaning, they are projected to win by more than a touchdown.
Ole Miss had to change coaches as Lane Kiffin went to LSU before last year’s playoffs. Now, they’re entering the Pete Golding era. Golding served as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers from 2023 to 2025.
