Mike Takerer saw firsthand that this year’s game between the University of Mississippi and LSU in Oxford, Mississippi, will be different than past years.
Takerer, an Oxford resident, told the Mississippi Free Press on Sept. 17 that a young girl—an LSU fan—knocked on his door with an unusual request. Her family was intending to attend the game but failed to reserve a spot for their helicopter at the University-Oxford Airport. As a result, they did not have a place to park and came to ask Takerer if he would be willing to allow her family to land their helicopter on his front lawn for the duration of their stay.
Takerer considered the offer but ultimately declined out of concern that the helicopter’s thrust would damage the fragile trees around his home.
It is not often when one gets to see a rivalry that goes back decades, but Oxford, Mississippi, will be a host to showcase that very rivalry this weekend. It is a rivalry of love, passion and will likely influence who participates in this season’s College Football Playoff. That is what one witnesses when the University of Mississippi meets Louisiana State University every year.
However, this year is like none other. As much as this year’s match will have all eyes on the field, there will be plenty of attention off the field as well. And that attention will be focused on former UM head coach and current LSU coach Lane Kiffin.
Lane Kiffin was UM’s head coach for six years, leading the team to three consecutive 10-win seasons and an overall record of 55-19 win during his time as the head coach. Last year, Kiffin led UM to the College Football Playoff, but the newsworthy coach was lured away from UM by conference rival LSU. University of Mississippi administrators declined to allow Kiffin to coach in the team’s playoff run, though Kiffin insisted he was willing to remain on board as long as the team’s championship hopes remained alive. UM officials instead chose to promote the team’s defensive coordinator, Pete Golding, to take Kiffin’s place. Under Golding’s guidance, UM made it all the way to the semifinal round before falling to the University of Miami.
These factors have added a layer of intensity and made Saturday’s matchup one of the most anticipated games of the year. UM and LSU fans are not just rooting for their teams but will also keep a close eye on Kiffin on the sideline..
Naturally, for a high-stakes game like the University of Mississippi v LSU, Oxford’s administration has increased preparation and security.. Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell has enhanced the security for the game, with the Mississippi Highway Patrol sending out the highest officer deployment for a college football game to date. The agency is expected to deploy between 65-70 troopers for the game. The troopers will join University of Mississippi police and Oxford police.
For a relatively small town like Oxford, it is not just the university that will be hosting the game but rather the whole city will host the event. One business told Action News 5 that it expects to bring in 20% more staff, 30% more food and 50% more alcohol for the game day weekend.
While the law enforcement is busy preparing for the game day weekend, the residents of Oxford are preparing for a crowded weekend as well.Towns surrounding Oxford, like Batesville, will be making higher-than-usual revenues. Previous UM/LSU matchups in Oxford have generated around $74 Million but this year will mark the biggest games the town has ever seen. Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill told Supertalk Mississippi that she’s expecting around 300,000 visitors for the game.
The game itself will take place at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, but the preparation stretches across the city: police officers downtown, state troopers on the roads, mounted patrols in crowded areas, traffic planning, packed hotels and restaurants, and residents preparing for visitors who may have planned their trips months in advance.
The game will kickoff at 6:30 p.m.
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