Lane Kiffin reveals main reason Rebels opted not to appear on Netflix show

In recent hours, the college football world has begun enjoying one of Netflix’s most anticipated series: SEC Football: Any Given Saturday. Most of the programs in the Southeastern Conference are featured like never before—except for Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels.

Many may have expected to see one of the founding members of the SEC featured in the series; however, that ultimately wasn’t the case, as the Rebels chose not to participate.

In a recent conversation with the media, Lane Kiffin—the experienced head coach of the program—explained the reasons why Ole Miss ultimately chose not to take part in the project, stating that having a documentary crew around during the season could be a distraction for the team.

“To each their own,” he said. “I’ve just never been a fan of those things when they come in. Over years of watching them, it’s really hard for coaches to not be really phony with that when there’s a camera in front of you and you know it’s going to be on air. I think we’re unique in how we are and that’s a big part of what we tell the guys. ‘What you see is what you get here.’ In recruiting, we don’t recruit one way and then coach a different way.

Lane Kiffin head coach of the Mississippi Rebels looks on before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 29, 2024 in Oxford, Mississippi.

“I just never want the cameras in there and all of a sudden, this position coach says ‘Here’s my shot for every AD to see me, what a great coach I am’ and they start talking different than what they normally do. I’ve just always been against it. Makes a little money and fills people’s ego to be on TV. From a team perspective, I don’t think it’s good. But that’s just me.”

Excitement for what lies ahead

The Ole Miss Rebels enter the new season with a high-stakes outlook, fueled by a roster rebuilt with significant transfer portal talent. After a record-setting year that saw the Rebels achieve back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in over 60 years, expectations are at an all-time high.

Head coach Lane Kiffin’s aggressive approach in player acquisition has positioned the team as a dark horse contender, with a formidable schedule ahead that will test their readiness from the start.

A major storyline for the Rebels will be the transition at quarterback following Jaxson Dart’s departure for the NFL. Redshirt-sophomore Austin Simmons steps into the starting role, inheriting the keys to Kiffin’s famously explosive offense.

While Simmons is an unproven commodity as a full-time starter, analysts are bullish on his raw talent and fit within the system. He’ll be tasked with building chemistry with a new group of receivers and living up to the sky-high expectations of the Ole Miss faithful.