LSU coach Lane Kiffin's return to Ole Miss draws nearly 11 million viewers

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The TV audience for Lane Kiffin's return to Ole Miss was sizable. But it also didn't come close to matching the viewership number for Texas' Week 2 win over Ohio State.

ESPN said Tuesday afternoon that Ole Miss' 32-24 win drew an average audience of 10.9 million viewers. It was by far the most-watched game of the day and the second game of the 2026 season to break the 10 million mark. Alabama's win over Florida State earlier in the day had 7 million watchers.

It was a certainty that the Rebels' victory would be the most-watched game of the weekend ever since the SEC announced its 2026 football schedule. Given the way that one of the most polarizing coaches in college football left Ole Miss at the end of the 2025 regular season for a hated rival and the fact that both teams are potential playoff contenders, it was always going to be one of the biggest games of the season.

The game delivered, too. After LSU scored 17 straight points to tie the game, Ole Miss retook the lead in the fourth quarter and sealed the game late with an interception in the end zone.

Yet Saturday night's game drew 3 million fewer viewers than Texas' 24-23 victory did. That game was ESPN's most-watched regular-season game since Ohio State played Michigan on ABC in 2016.

If you want to make a sweeping judgment about the viewership numbers, it's reasonable to think that brand power is still one of the biggest driving forces in college football viewership. While Kiffin has been the central figure of the 2026 offseason, the fascination with him was still trumped by the wide appeal — and population advantage — of schools like Ohio State and Texas.

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