Ole Miss Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Catch all the excitement when the University of Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels take on their foes in and out of the Southeastern Conference. The Rebels play at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, which opened in 1915 and currently seats 64,038. Former Ole Miss center and assistant coach Matt Luke replaced Hugh Freeze on an interim basis in 2017 and later became the permanent head coach after leading the Rebels to a 6-6 mark that season. Luke remained head coach until 2019, when he was replaced by Lane Kiffin.
Ole Miss Rebels Football History
The University of Mississippi first fielded a football team in 1893, and became a charter member of the Southeastern Conference upon its founding in 1932. Ole Miss' greatest period of success came under coach Johnny Vaught, who led the team from 1947 to 1970 and part of the 1973 season. During this span, the Rebels won three national championships (in 1959, 1960 and 1962) and all six of their SEC titles. Quarterback Archie Manning led the Rebels in the late 1960s, while his son Eli started for Ole Miss from 2000 to 2003. In 1989, defensive back Chucky Mullins was paralyzed during the Rebels' homecoming game against Vanderbilt, and while a pulmonary embolism claimed his life in 1991, Mullins' legacy continues with the issuing of his number 38 to the winner of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award each spring. All-American offensive tackle Michael Oher, whose story was later recounted in the Michael Lewis book and award-winning movie The Blind Side, played under then-head coach Ed Orgeron.
Ole Miss' biggest in-state rivalry is against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who compete against them for the Egg Bowl trophy, while the Rebels take on historic rival LSU in the Magnolia Bowl. Mississippi football is steeped in tradition, right down to the fans' custom of gathering at "The Grove" for one of the best tailgates in all of college sports. "Hotty Toddy" is constantly chanted among the fans, who move on from "The Grove" to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to see their team in action.
