Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin expressed disappointment after Wake Forest decided to cancel their scheduled home-and-home contract, emphasizing it sent a positive message to the Rebels' players about their progress.
In the wake of Ole Miss' resounding 40-6 victory over Wake Forest, head coach Lane Kiffin revealed that the Demon Deacons had chosen to cancel their home-and-home contract, which was set to see them face off in Oxford, Mississippi, next season.
Kiffin, speaking to 247 Sports, stated, "We called over and (Wake Forest athletic director) John Currie said 'we're not playing next year' and bought out of the game." He added, "So I thought that was a good message for our players -- that somebody would want to pay money not to play them. Says a lot about where our program is right now."
Wake Forest Cancels Home-and-Home Series with Ole Miss After Rout
Kiffin elaborated on the issue during a press conference on Monday, highlighting that Wake Forest had broken an "unwritten rule" by opting out of the game.
"That's rarely ever done," he said. "I've never really heard of doing it, and it really puts us at a big disadvantage. It is what it is. It obviously wasn't appreciated very much, them putting us in that situation."
Wake Forest Cancels Home-and-Home Series with Ole Miss After Rout
"Now we've got to go find somebody and most people are all scheduled up," Kiffin continued. "And even when you find somebody, you've got to go pay them. It's kind of an unwritten rule not to do that, actually."
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Associated Press confirmed that Wake Forest had indeed canceled their trip to face Ole Miss in the SEC.
Wake Forest Cancels Home-and-Home Series with Ole Miss After Rout
The sudden cancellation has forced Ole Miss to search for a replacement opponent to fill the vacated slot.
Kiffin expressed further frustration, saying, "I really find it amazing that you wait until the week of the game to tell the team."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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