New SEC Rule Means Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin Will Submit Injury Reports For Conference Games

The SEC is requiring teams to submit an availability report before each conference game this season.

Nov 4, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) and Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (right) react after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Lane Kiffin has not openly discussed many injuries since taking the head coaching role with the Ole Miss Rebels, but once SEC play begins this season, those will become public knowledge.

The Southeastern Conference announced on Thursday that schools will provide "availability reports" for football, basketball and baseball league games this season, beginning this fall. For football, each school will have to submit a report three days prior to a conference game (on Wednesday, if the game is on Saturday) followed by daily updates and a final report 90 minutes before kickoff.

“This availability reporting policy is intended to reduce pressure from outside entities seeking participation information and represents a commitment of our 16 institutions to provide enhanced transparency to support efforts to protect our student-athletes and the integrity of competition,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a press release. 

On these reports, athletes will be listed as “available,” “probable,” “questionable,” “doubtful” or “out” for the upcoming game with additional designations of “available,” “game time decision” or “out” included as well.

This will impact how Kiffin and the Rebels approach their injury discussions this season. Since he arrived in Oxford, the head coach has not often discussed the details of individual injuries, and while that could in some aspect lead to a competitive advantage, this new requirement from the SEC will help with transparency for fans, media and coaches alike moving forward.

There is also a financial penalty if schools do not comply with this rule. The press release stated that "[f]ailure to provide accurate and timely availability reports will subject schools to potential penalties ranging from $25,000 for a first offense to $100,000 for a third and further offenses in football, and a maximum of $15,000 to $25,000 in men’s and women’s basketball and baseball."

Each week's injury reports will be available online at SECsports.com/FBreports.