SEC Football at Ole Miss in Oxford

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We had just returned home from our fall football road trip when three days later we evacuated for Hurricane Matthew. This post has been on hold ever since.

If you follow SEC college football you know that our favorite team, the Georgia Bulldogs, are not having a good year. That’s all I have to say about that.

I have to say that except for the game on September 24, we had a great time in Oxford during the weekend of the Georgia – Ole Miss football game. The people of Oxford were gracious, the Ole Miss fans friendly, and the atmosphere in town on Friday and as we wandered through the Grove on Saturday before the game was like no college football game I’ve ever attended.

Our home for the weekend was John W. Kyle State Park on Sardis Lake, about a 30 minute drive from downtown Oxford. All through the campground were RV’s displaying their team colors. We didn’t spend much time in the campground but I was able to get a sunset picture over the lake on the first night.

Sunset over Sardis Lake
Sunset over Sardis Lake

Friends of ours were staying in Oxford within walking distance of downtown and the stadium. We met them Friday afternoon to browse the shops around the courthouse square and have a fabulous lunch at City Grocery. As we were enjoying our meal we noticed not one but four James Beard Awards on the wall! The food, service, and company were all excellent.

City Grocery on the square in Oxford, Mississippi
City Grocery on the square in Oxford, Mississippi
City Grocery on the square in Oxford, Mississippi
City Grocery on the square in Oxford, Mississippi
Two of the Four James Beard Awards at City Grocery
Two of the Four James Beard Awards at City Grocery

Kickoff was set for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday so we left the campground early in hopes of beating the traffic. We planned it perfectly and met our friends in time to eat a quick breakfast before heading to the Grove.

The Grove is a large area in the middle of the University of Mississippi campus. On game days it is transformed to a sea of tailgate tents lined up side by side with fans from both teams walking elbow to elbow on the pathways between the tents.

Tailgating Tents as far as the eye could see
Tailgating Tents as far as the eye could see
A few Georgia fans were tailgating in the Grove
Fans from both teams were tailgating side by side
The Ole Miss band marched by before the game
The Ole Miss band marched by before the game
Georgia and Ole Miss Fans getting ready for the game
Georgia and Ole Miss Fans in the Grove before the game

Did I mention it was HOT the whole time we were there? The temperature was in the upper nineties on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.

If your favorite college football team ever plays against Ole Miss in Oxford, get some tickets and go! It’s a one of a kind experience. And hopefully, your team will do better against them than my team did. And I hope I never hear the Ole Miss Hotty Toddy cheer ever again!

9 thoughts on “SEC Football at Ole Miss in Oxford”

  2. I’m not much of a fan of games involving balls, but I do have to say that Oxford is a lovely town/city. We both think that one of these trips through we need to spend more time in-and-about! Good to hear from you again.

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  3. Our son went to ole miss for two years, we were lucky enough to get there and spend a bit of time around the university and area, can’t wait to get back to the south and do a bit more touring around.

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  4. Sounds like you had a wonderful time–game aside. I’m happy to hear that the Ole Miss fans were civil and behaved themselves. I spent a few days in Oxford at a conference and was struck by what a football-obsessed place it was. My room (at an alumni hotel on Campus–I think it was the Inn at Ole Miss) was dedicated to a former football star, the whole thing was covered with his photos and awards. I felt as if I was sleeping in a shrine. And then there’s the Archie Manning 18 mph speed limit …

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    1. I didn’t really know what to expect from the fans but everyone we saw seemed to be getting along and just having fun. I’ve never seen so many tents and people all tailgating in the same area. In Athens they are scattered all around campus. I really enjoyed the downtown area on Friday. I wish I had seen the Archie Manning 18 mph speed limit sign!

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      1. The Grove is a perfect place for tailgating. Much better than a parking lot. I loved Oxford’s downtown–there were some amazing restaurants. I also went to William Faulkner’s house. I have only read one Faulkner book, and didn’t really like it, but found his house really interesting and worth the visit.

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    1. Thanks for asking about our community. There is still a lot of debris to be picked up and many people are working on getting their homes repaired. It will be a while before everything is back to normal.

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  6. I have never been a football or sports fan but something like that does look like fun and you got to see a very cool town!
    Glad you’re safe again.

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