DONE DEAL: Ole Miss Football finally Set to Host North Carolina Tar Heels, West Virginia Priority Target for 2025 due to…
After years of speculation and behind-the-scenes negotiations, it’s finally official: the Ole Miss Rebels will host the North Carolina Tar Heels in Oxford in a long-anticipated non-conference matchup, a scheduling milestone that adds significant prestige to the Rebels’ future slate. The game, set for the 2028 season, marks the first time the two storied programs will face off in Oxford and only the second-ever meeting between the schools.
Ole Miss fans have long clamored for high-profile non-conference games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and this Tar Heels matchup delivers just that. The two programs represent distinct regional traditions—Ole Miss a pillar of SEC toughness, and North Carolina a longtime ACC powerhouse with a rising football profile. The announcement adds immediate buzz and solidifies the Rebels’ growing reputation as a national program willing to test itself beyond the SEC gauntlet.
Athletic Director Keith Carter called the deal a “statement of intent,” emphasizing Ole Miss’s commitment to enhancing its schedule with high-caliber opponents. “This is about building a program that competes on the biggest stages. Hosting North Carolina gives our fans something special and puts our players in a prime-time spotlight,” Carter said in a press release.
West Virginia Emerges as Priority Target for 2025
Meanwhile, looking closer to the present, the Rebels are reportedly prioritizing a marquee matchup with West Virginia in 2025. With a growing appetite for premier interconference showdowns—and a strategic eye on College Football Playoff (CFP) considerations—Ole Miss is eyeing the Mountaineers as an ideal opponent to bolster its strength of schedule.
Sources close to the Ole Miss athletic department indicate that early talks with West Virginia have already begun. The Rebels are particularly drawn to the Mountaineers’ gritty, hard-nosed style of play, which aligns with the SEC’s physical brand and would provide a CFP-resumé-boosting test during the non-conference stretch. The game would also hold significant appeal for national television networks hungry for competitive matchups early in the season.
Scheduling West Virginia makes strategic sense. Not only would it help the Rebels sharpen their edge before SEC play, but it also taps into key recruiting markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions—areas Ole Miss has increasingly targeted for talent acquisition under Lane Kiffin’s regime.
The Bigger Picture
These scheduling moves come at a critical time. With the College Football Playoff expanding and strength of schedule playing a larger role in postseason considerations, top-tier programs are being far more deliberate with their non-conference planning. For Ole Miss, games like these aren’t just about prestige—they’re about positioning.
Adding North Carolina and pursuing West Virginia signals a broader ambition: Ole Miss is no longer content with just competing in the SEC; it wants to be a national contender. And to get there, every game counts.
If talks with West Virginia progress smoothly, expect an official announcement by early fall. Until then, Rebel fans can celebrate the confirmation of one major matchup—and stay tuned for what could be the next big scheduling win in 2025.
