Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin makes stunning apology to gamblers before ESPN reveals real reason for remark

Most college football coaches will tell you they're unaware of any betting lines on their respective teams.

Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin wasn't among that group on Saturday after his Rebels beat the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, 30-23.

Instead, he conceded that Kentucky's late field goal must have been tough on some gamblers, seeing as it brought a 7.5-point underdog to within seven points of Ole Miss.

'That's a really hard team that plays really close games,' Kiffin told ESPN. 'So, I'm proud of our guys. Sorry to a lot of gamblers there at the end.'

ESPN announcer Sean McDonough quickly explained the reference to viewers after the late field goal impacted several betting lines while leaving the game's outcome unaffected.

'Lane hit the nail on the head,' McDonough said. 'Gambling is part of it now, so we might as well acknowledge, the field goal changed the spread. Ole Miss went off as a 7.5-point favorite, and it also took it from the under to the over. The over/under was 51.5. The game ends at 53 with the field goal.'

College sports has traditionally kept the gambling world at an arm's distance. However, with the Supreme Court's 2018 decision to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), those lines have been blurred as 38 states now offer some degree of sports wagering within their borders.

Sportsbooks are typically barred from sponsoring major college events, although some regular-season games on local cable providers might occasionally feature a gambling advertisement, depending on state laws.

The American Gaming Association, a national trade group, has voluntarily agreed to stop entering new partnerships with schools, while refusing to offer any name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals to college athletes.

Naturally, fans were a bit surprised to hear Kiffin's comments on ESPN.

'Insane for a coach to acknowledge a gambling line,' one wrote on X. 'The whole gambling ethos is going way too far. 10 years ago this would probably have been a lifetime ban.'

Others (read: gamblers) were more understanding.

'Thank you for the apology Lane,' one wrote. 'I was a victim today.'

The Rebels avenged last year's 20-17 loss to the Wildcats with Saturday's win. Now 2-0, Ole Miss moves on to face another SEC rival in Arkansas next week, while 1-1 Kentucky welcomes Eastern Michigan.

'To come on the road in the SEC and win is hard,' Kiffin said after watching running back Kewan Lacy's 138-yard effort. 'That game toward the end was like last year, but all three phases went our way this year.'