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By (https://www.wtva.com/authors/taniya-mcqueen/) Ta'Niya McQueen    Published: Sep. 14, 2026 at 9:02 PM EDT | Updated: 9 hours ago     Share     (https://google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.wtva.com)  Add Us On Google Add as a preferred source on Google      OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) – What could be one of the biggest football weekends this season could mean big business for Oxford. Thousands of fans are expected to pack into the city for the weekend match between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Louisiana State University Tigers, led by former Rebels’ coach Lane Kiffin. Once the teams and fans arrive, money moves through a variety of businesses in Oxford, from hotels to restaurants.  In the past, Oxford hotels reported 91 percent occupancy during their 2023 match with LSU.   Restaurants are booked up for months. “I think it’s going to be max capacity everywhere in town,” said Oby’s co-owner Ayers Spencer. “We do a lot of catering for the Grove. We have been booked up since before the season for this weekend. And that usually does not happen.” Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill said they are expecting about 350,000 in town. (https://www.wtva.com/2026/09/15/security-being-upped-ahead-coachs-return/) RELATED - Security being upped ahead of a coach’s return     “We know that every hotel room is booked,” Tannehill said. ”Vrbos, Airbnbs also. It’s interesting because there are so many events going on during the week. So we’re expecting a full-game crowd. A lot of people say, ‘My goodness, it’s LSU weekend, y’all will make so much money.’ And the community will, in fact, make it. It will be a huge shot in the arm, but we only have the same number of hotel rooms and the same number of seats at tables and restaurants. They can only turn over the same number of times.” For their 2026 match, Ole Miss and LSU are each undefeated and ranked in the top 10, something that hasn’t happened in this rivalry since 1962.  Copyright 2026 WTVA. 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