Lane Kiffin fumes over Alabama kickoff time, accuses SEC of not wanting LSU to win

The Week 10 SEC football schedule will feature a mid-afternoon kickoff when Alabama visits LSU. Both conference rivals are on a bye this week, having entered the break ranked in the top 25.

The 3:30 p.m. kickoff was apparently less than ideal for LSU head coach Lane Kiffin. "I never even considered that it wouldn't be at night," Kiffin said when asked Wednesday about next week's game.

Alabama-LSU has become a nighttime staple in recent years. The rivalry game has been played at night in each of the past six seasons, while the last non-night meeting in Baton Rouge came in 2010.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin reacts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Baton Rouge, La., on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

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"I didn't even think to think about the time," Kiffin said. "I just assumed, especially since the last 16 years, this game has been at night here all the time. I guess that's probably naive of me."

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Ole Miss, where Kiffin coached for six seasons, is scheduled to play Georgia in a Primetime game on November 7. Against the backdrop of legal disputes involving Kiffin, LSU and the SEC, the LSU coach suggested the league office may have viewed the scheduling decision as an opportunity to punish him.

A detailed view of the painted SEC logo on the field after a game between the LSU Tigers and the Clemson Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Lousiana, on Sept. 5, 2026. (Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

"I was joking to [LSU SID Michael Bonnette] earlier, saying obviously the SEC wanted to change it from how it's been to give LSU less of an advantage because of how well LSU plays at night and how intimidating it is to play here," Kiffin said. "I was like, 'If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what's been going on, they must've just been on Mars the last four months.'"

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"I guess when I look at it that way, I'm not surprised."

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LSU is 1-6 in its last seven home games against Alabama under the lights at Tiger Stadium, also known as Death Valley. Many of those losses have come by wide margins.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin works during fall practice at Tiger Stadium on Aug. 22, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La. (University Images via Getty Images)

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Since narrowly losing to Kentucky on Oct. 10, Kiffin has guided LSU to consecutive victories over SEC opponents. LSU and Alabama will enter next week’s game with identical 6-2 records.