Southern Miss, Ohio State football agree to cancel 2024 game. Golden Eagles add Kentucky
HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss and Ohio State have mutually agreed to cancel their 2024 football game, according to school release Tuesday.
It was slated to be the season opener for the Golden Eagles on Aug. 31. Instead, Southern Miss will now play at Kentucky on that same day.
The change is part of a four-team switch. Akron was slated to host Kentucky on that day, but it will now play at Ohio State.
The Golden Eagles were supposed to receive $1.9 million guaranteed from Ohio State, according to FBSchedules.com. Southern Miss athletics director Jeremy McClain told the Hattiesburg American that it will still receive that amount despite switching opponents.
Southern Miss' 2024 nonconference schedule includes home matchups against Southeastern (Sept. 7) and USF (Sept. 14), as well as a road game at Jacksonville State (Sept. 21). Kickoff times for those games have not been announced, nor has the 2024 Sun Belt Conference schedule and opponents.
The switch from Ohio State to Kentucky means Southern Miss will play an SEC opponent in four straight seasons from 2023-26. The Golden Eagles lost at Mississippi State last week, and have a 2025 home game against Mississippi State, plus a 2026 game at Auburn. Southern Miss has two open nonconference opponents in 2027.
Southern Miss and Kentucky have played four times in history, with Kentucky winning three of them. The Golden Eagles won in 2016 in Lexington, but the Wildcats got revenge the next season in Hattiesburg.
Kentucky is 6-5 this season with one game remaining at Louisville. The Wildcats have had a record above .500 in six of the last seven seasons. One more win either against Louisville or in a bowl game would give Kentucky its seventh winning season in the last eight.
Southern Miss closes the season on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPNU) against Troy.
Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Southern Miss, Ohio State football cancel 2024 game. Kentucky added
