Oxford, Mississippi, is about to get absolutely swarmed. Lane Kiffin is back, and the city is calling in police from two neighboring states just to handle what’s coming on Saturday, September 19, when LSU rolls into town for the colossal matchup against Ole Miss. Officials have had to bring in police reinforcements from both New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, because this isn’t just another game. This is a shockwave.
The Wildest Game Day Prep in College Football History?
Forget your typical Saturday game day vibe. This one is different. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wasn’t kidding around when he joked to ESPN, “I’m thinking about having to send [Lane Kiffin] in on an F-16 and maybe the team on a C-130.” He even threw out needing the National Guard “to protect our team,” saying, “I think it’s going to be an interesting weekend.” Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter might be “tuned out” from Landry’s comments, telling Supertalk Mississippi he is, but even he admits this game has “a few storylines” that crank up the intensity. Carter told CBS Sports they have a “pretty good template” from “huge games before, LSU, Georgia, Alabama” for managing big matchups. Still, there’s a visor-clad elephant standing on the opposite sideline this weekend, and he’s got the entire college football world watching.
Horse Cops, Troopers, and 100,000 Fans: Oxford’s Battle Plan
You wanna talk preparation? Oxford is borrowing horse cops from the New Orleans Police Department. Yes, seriously. Normally, the downtown area sees about six mounted patrol officers on a game day. But for Kiffin’s return, New Orleans and Mobile police departments are supplying 13 additional officers, pushing the off-campus total to 19. The LSU alumni association even rented out the historic Lyric Theatre for a watch party, which hosted a Kiffin roast just days before. Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen told WTVA he thinks it “will probably be one of the biggest crowds that any of us have ever seen,” and police information officer Breck Jones is expecting at least 100,000 people in town over the weekend. That’s a massive jump from Oxford’s normal population of around 60,000, students included. The city’s roughly 100 sworn officers are on an “all-hands-on-deck” mission, and the Mississippi Highway Patrol is deploying its largest presence ever for a college game, with 65-70 troopers around Oxford.
This Saturday isn’t just a football game; it’s a full-blown event, a city-wide transformation for one heck of a showdown. Get ready, Oxford, because it’s going to be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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