With the SEC shifting to a nine-game conference schedule starting in the 2026 football season, member teams will be required to play at least one non-conference game against a Power Four opponent each season. Ole Miss has reached an agreement with the ACC’s Pittsburgh to fulfill this requirement for next season.
“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in an August press release. “This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance and, paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.”
Ole Miss has entered into a home-and-home series with Pittsburgh. The two will face off in Oxford for next season’s opener on Sept. 5, 2026 and in Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium in 2030.
The Rebels’ non-conference schedule next year will include Pittsburgh, Wofford and Charlotte.
Pittsburgh and Ole Miss have met once before in the BBVA Compass Bowl in 2013. Ole Miss won the matchup 38-17 with quarterback Bo Wallace, wide receiver Donte Moncrief and running back I’Tavius Mathers.
Matchups between teams in different regions of the country are becoming increasingly common. Not only does the SEC require one non-SEC game against a Power Four team each year, but conference realignments also have created more collaboration all over college football.
Programs also are scheduling games further in advance.
James Madison and Liberty, both located in Virginia, have finalized four matchups in the coming years, the latest of which will take place in 2040. The new rivalry series that will be called the Battle of the Blue Ridge, and the teams are creating a trophy for it.
“The SEC has established itself as the leader in delivering the most compelling football schedule in college athletics,” Sankey said in the press release. “Fans will see traditional rivalries preserved, new matchups more frequently, and a level of competition unmatched across the nation.”
