Oxford Fire Dept. preps for heat, record crowd

OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) – The rivalry between Ole Miss and Louisiana State teams is always heated. This year, so will the game-day temperatures.

Ole Miss and LSU play Saturday evening in Oxford, where a record crowd is expected.

Temperatures are forecast to reach nearly 100 degrees at kickoff.

Oxford Fire Chief Joey Gardner said his department is preparing for large numbers of people throughout the city, both at the stadium and in areas including the Grove and the Square.

“We have extra people scheduled,” Gardner said. “We’ll have the same amount on shift that we regularly do. We’ll have extra people at the stadium. We’ll have extra people in the Grove, and we’ll also have some extra people on the Square tonight and tomorrow night.”

Temperatures are expected to be near 100 degrees at kickoff, several hours after the hottest part of the day.

The game kicks off at 6:45 p.m.