Kickoff times announced for first three weeks of Ole Miss football

In 94 days the glorious return of Ole Miss football will be upon the city of Oxford and the legion of fans who will invade the Grove for another season of joy and pain.

Now fans officially know the kickoff times for the first three weeks of the season with the latest release from the university.

If you’re not tech savvy enough to have a way to stream the first week, you need to call a grandson or relative to help you figure it out. The opener against Mercer will be streamed on ESPN+ and SEC Network+ starting at 1 p.m.

There is going to be a lot of sweat poured out on that field that day. Labor Day weekend kickoffs are almost always the most smolderingly hot game of the season, so a 1 p.m. start time means the student section will likely be less than a quarter full by halftime. The Vaught is 90 percent metal bleachers and concrete, so unless there is exceptional luck with the weather, the water/beer consumption will be off the charts.

Game two on the road against Tulane will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN2. Now unlike past games, this game will NOT be at the Caesars Superdome but instead at Yulman Stadium which has a capacity of 30,000 seats. With Tulane’s success last season, it will undoubtedly be a sellout or possibly the highest attended game at the venue ever.

Definitely not the road trip it was in the past when 20,000 Ole Miss fans would go to the Superdome lit as a Christmas tree, but I have a feeling there will still be a good contingent of fans in the city that weekend.

Ole Miss then returns home for a Power 5 matchup against Georgia Tech with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network. Out of the first three weekends, this is far and away the most ideal time for fans and TV scheduling.

The only other game that has had a kickoff announced is the Egg Bowl, which is on Thanksgiving at 6:30 p.m.