Ole Miss has filed lawsuits against several college football players who left the programme to join Lane Kiffin at LSU, escalating tensions between the two Southeastern Conference rivals ahead of their scheduled meeting this season. The move comes shortly after Kiffin's high-profile departure from Ole Miss to take the head coaching job at LSU, a switch that had already stirred debate over whether he should still be allowed to coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff.

The dispute centres on players who followed Kiffin from Oxford to Baton Rouge, with Ole Miss pursuing legal action in a Mississippi courtroom rather than simply accepting the departures. The case adds a further layer of controversy to an already contentious coaching switch, and is likely to sharpen the rivalry when Ole Miss and LSU face off on the field later this season.