The SEC Nation crew is packing its bags for Week 2—but not for the only SEC vs. SEC showdown on the schedule.
On Sunday morning, it was announced that SEC Nation and Marty & McGee will broadcast live from Missouri on Sept. 6, ahead of the Tigers’ home matchup with Kansas. ESPN2 will air the “Border War,” while Kentucky’s clash with No. 21 Ole Miss—an actual conference game, broadcast nationally on ABC—gets passed over.
That’s right: the SEC Network’s flagship traveling pregame show chose an unranked, non-conference rivalry over a ranked matchup inside the league.
Why Missouri–Kansas?
The Border War is a historic and heated rivalry, and both teams are off to a 3–0 start. Missouri hosting Kansas makes sense from a storyline standpoint, but when you look at the bigger picture, the decision feels puzzling.
Kentucky–Ole Miss is the only intra-conference game next week. And it’s not some bottom-barrel matchup, either. The Rebels enter ranked in the Top 25, and Lane Kiffin’s squad is seeking revenge after last season’s loss to the Wildcats.
A Missed Opportunity for Kentucky
This stings for Big Blue Nation. Kroger Field will host one of Kentucky’s most important games of the season, and it had the makings of a perfect SEC Nation backdrop. Instead, the spotlight shifts west.
Granted, Kentucky didn’t exactly dazzle in its opener, scraping by Toledo in a 24–16 win. But that doesn’t change the stakes: a victory over Ole Miss could reset expectations and vault Kentucky back into the national conversation.
Looking ahead, Kentucky still has Texas, Tennessee, and Florida at home this fall—plenty of big-stage opportunities. Still, this Week 2 snub might have been the Wildcats’ best shot at landing SEC Nation in 2025, and the conference’s decision feels like a subtle reflection of where the program stands in the national pecking order.
The Bigger Picture
In most years, an SEC vs. SEC battle would be the obvious choice for the network. But this year, the allure of the Border War outweighed the value of Ole Miss–Kentucky.
For Mark Stoops’ squad, the message is clear: if you want the spotlight, you’ll have to earn it.
