The Ole Miss Showdown
An SEC Heavyweight Saturday in The Swamp
The Experience
The Rebels are coming to The Swamp, and this is the kind of SEC Saturday that decides seasons. If you’ve made the trip from Oxford before, you also know that nobody travels harder, or hosts better, than an Ole Miss crowd — and you’re not about to settle for a chain hotel and a long Uber ride. This weekend is the version that meets the standard.
We host a full buyout of the ranch house — sleeps twelve, 246 acres, 1.2 miles of private river frontage — about forty minutes from Jacksonville and seventy-five from Gainesville. Quiet land, big porches, a fire pit that earns its keep. A proper basecamp for the crew that travels well, expects a real welcome, and would rather not deal with stadium parking.
The kitchen is stocked when you arrive. Chef-prepared options from our local culinary partners — Cinotti’s Bakery & Deli, The Farmery (Lowcountry Gullah Geechee farm-to-table), and Chef’s Garden Catering — are waiting in the fridge for you to choose from. You pick the dinner you want for Friday night and the breakfasts you want for Saturday and Sunday, warm them in the oven on your own schedule, and eat when you’re ready. No service window, no kitchen full of staff, no cooking. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian selections are part of the spread.
Saturday begins on your clock with a heat-and-serve breakfast, then off to The Swamp. Late September on the St. Marys is just about perfect: warm afternoons, golden evenings, and a porch made for the post-game debrief. A late-night snack is set out around the fire, win or lose. Sunday is one more breakfast and a slow, easy checkout — coffee on the rocking chairs, the river doing its thing.
Transportation to and from the stadium is not included in the base package — most groups bring their own. We offer a round-trip luxury shuttle with driver as an optional add-on (see below) if you’d rather not deal with parking, traffic, or designating a driver. Jacksonville International (JAX) is about a forty-minute drive from the ranch; airport transfers aren’t included but can be arranged on request. Game tickets are not included and can be sourced for you for a service fee.
- Entire ranch house, two nights (Fri & Sat) — sleeps up to 12
- Friday afternoon arrival and welcome
- Stocked kitchen with chef-prepared farm-to-table dinner options (Fri), heat-and-serve
- Stocked kitchen with chef-prepared breakfast options for Saturday and Sunday, heat-and-serve
- Saturday late-night snack at the ranch
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian selections in the spread
- Run of 246 acres: river frontage, fire pit, porches, trails
- Your own transport to and from the stadium (or add our luxury shuttle below)
- Game tickets (we can source for an added fee)
- Red, white, and blue Ole Miss gear
- Tailgate spread and stories from past Grove Saturdays
- A jacket for evenings on the river
- Traveling Ole Miss fans making the SEC road trip
- Out-of-town Gators home for an SEC heavyweight Saturday
- Group of friends or two-to-four couples
- Client entertaining and corporate Saturdays
- Alumni travel groups and booster outings
Chef-prepared meals cooked on site
CustomTrade the stocked, heat-and-serve kitchen for a private chef who builds a custom menu around your group and cooks every meal on site — Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast and game-day fuel, late-night spread after the game, and Sunday brunch. Wine pairings, dietary accommodations, and service style all built to your weekend. Priced to the menu and the headcount.
Round-trip luxury shuttle to Ben Hill Griffin
$2,000Private luxury shuttle and driver from the ranch to the stadium Saturday morning and back to the ranch after the game. No parking, no traffic, no designated driver — just climb aboard, save your legs for the fourth quarter, and let someone else handle the drive home.
We'll respond within 24 hours with available dates and reserve your weekend with a deposit.
This experience can be added to any wedding weekend, retreat, or corporate offsite at River & Roots. Ask about bundle pricing.
Let's get you out here.
Tell us which experience you're interested in, who you're bringing, and when you'd like to come.