Kiffin's trip back to Ole Miss pulls 10.9 million viewers on ESPN

The Rebels' 32-24 win over LSU ranked as the season's No. 2 audience, trailing only Texas' defeat of Ohio State.

Ole Miss' 32-24 victory against LSU averaged 10.9 million viewers on ESPN, the network reported Tuesday. No other game that day came close, and it became just the second contest of the 2026 campaign to top 10 million viewers. Alabama's victory against Florida State, played earlier that Saturday, averaged seven million.

The matchup had been circled since the SEC released its 2026 schedule. Kiffin departed Ole Miss for division rival LSU following the 2025 regular season, and with both programs viewed as possible playoff teams, the game was expected to be a marquee draw.

On the field, LSU ran off 17 unanswered points to pull even before Ole Miss went back in front during the fourth quarter and closed things out with a late end-zone interception.

The audience still fell roughly three million short of the 24-23 Texas win over Ohio State in Week 2. That contest stands as ESPN's most-watched regular-season game since Ohio State faced Michigan on ABC in 2016.