The Ole Miss football program is putting a new spin on a spring game, leaning fully into a concept akin to the NFL’s modernized Pro Bowl. Instead of a traditional spring game, Ole Miss on Friday announced the “Grove Bowl Games”.
Head coach Lane Kiffin and his program will eschew the traditional 11-on-11 scrimmage for a 7-on-7 period to give fans some taste of something close to football. Along with that, there will be a series of offense-vs-defense challenges that are scored for points, along with the 7-on-7 scrimmage.
The exact nature of the skills testing and competitions were not disclosed on Friday, but if the NFL and the Pro Bowl provide any clues, things like Tug-o-war, weight sled races and others could be on the docket.
The Grove Bowl Games are slated for Saturday, April 13, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with gates opening at 2 p.m. local time. Admission and parking are free.
Kiffin recently added a former NFL coach to the staff
Former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge is joining Kiffin in Oxford, according to Zach Berry of OM Spirit.
“Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has made waves already this offseason with a few hires,” Berry wrote. “At first it was snagging Billy Glasscock away from Texas. Then it was hiring former Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett. And to follow it up, the Rebels grabbed another general manager in SMU’s Alex Brown. Then, April 2, Kiffin hired former NFL director of personnel, Alex Williams.
“Now, Ole Miss has done it again with the hiring of former New York Giants head coach and longtime NFL assistant Joe Judge.”
Judge was most recently an assistant head coach with the New England Patriots in 2023. Prior to his second stint with the franchise, he was an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach with the Patriots.
Additionally, Judge was famously the head coach in New York for two seasons. The Giants fired Judge earlier this year after just a 10-23 record, after his infamous QB sneak call that sent social media into a frenzy.
Ole Miss has a ton of potential for 2024, and Kiffin is evidently hoping Judge can help cultivate that moving forward for the Rebels this upcoming season. Ole Miss is expected to be one of the top teams in the SEC and should push for College Football Playoff contention in the expanded field of 12 teams.
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