Lane Kiffin’s security was stepped up ahead of his return to Ole MissBATON ROUGE, La. —Louisiana officials are taking Lane Kiffin’s safety seriously ahead of his return to Ole Miss this weekend. LSU will travel to Oxford, Mississippi, this weekend for a primetime matchup against Ole Miss, and both teams will enter the game undefeated at 2-0. Thousands of fans are expected to gather in the Mississippi city for the game, which will also feature a “College GameDay” setup. Louisiana State Police said they will coordinate closely with LSU, Ole Miss and the Mississippi Highway Patrol to ensure the safety of coach Lane Kiffin and all LSU players. The agency did not provide further details on those plans. The New Orleans Police Department originally confirmed with WDSU that the city would send four officers from its Mounted Division to help supplement security, and that it would be paid for by the city. Following the WDSU report, NOPD followed up stating that there was a miscommunication on behalf of the department and that NOPD will not send any officers to assist with Kiffin’s details. Due to the controversial manner in which Kiffin left Ole Miss, tensions are expected to be high in the Magnolia State. While LSP security is not uncommon, additional security measures will be implemented for Kiffin’s security. “I’ve talked to their athletic director and we’re happy with the safety plan,” LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry said. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry went a little further and raised the idea of military resources for the team and Kiffin to ESPN. “I’m thinking about sending him in an F-16 and maybe the team in a C-130,” Landry said in an article for ESPN. “Security is going to be very tight. You know, we may need the National Guard to protect our team. I think it’s going to be an interesting weekend.” This comes after the SEC filed a lawsuit last week against Louisiana State University, football coach Kiffin and LSU Ausberry athletic director for what the conference calls the deliberate recruiting of professional football athletes. Almost two hours after a video conference between the two last week, the Southeastern Conference announced that both entities have not reached a resolution. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the SEC wrote: “Those discussions will continue as the conference and its member universities work toward an appropriate resolution.” Sources previously told WDSU that LSU President Wade Rousse and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey have been in contact since Tuesday, working to de-escalate the situation and reach some type of common ground. Sources tell WDSU that a vote to end LSU as a member of the SEC is no longer on the table. Paul Finebaum told reporters Wednesday that Kiffin was “on the verge of being kicked out” before the team’s roster was finalized, adding, “He saved his program for now.” The Tigers Athletic Department could still face potential sanctions related to the back-and-forth over player eligibility. The SEC chairmen “are deadly serious” and “angry” at Kiffin and LSU, Finebaum said.
