Shaded Seats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (The Vaught) is one of college football’s most iconic venues. Home to the Ole Miss Rebels, the stadium is famed for its passionate fanbase and game-day atmosphere. Oxford experiences warm, sunny weather especially during early season games. Fans heading to Rebels games can use this guide along with the seating chart to find shaded seats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Where Are the Seats in the Shade and Sun at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium?

As a general rule, the seats in the shade at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium are:

• South End Zone: Some shade in the early afternoon
• West Sideline: Late-afternoon shade on the Rebels’ home side

And the seats in the sun at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium are mainly:

• East Sideline: Mostly sunny on the away team’s side
• North End Zone: Sunny for the entire day

Rebels games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium usually kick off at noon, 3:30 PM or 7:30 PM, with a few other start times occasionally mixed in. For specific details about shaded sections at different start times, please continue reading.

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Orientation to the Sun

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is situated in a northeast-to-southwest orientation. By noon, the sun is high in the sky over the south end zone. Over the course of the afternoon, it curves and dips behind the west side of the stadium, where it eventually sets. This configuration generally makes the south and west sides of the stadium the “shade sides,” while the east and north sides are the sunniest.

The graphic below shows the approximate hour-by-hour position of the sun throughout the day on September 1st.

See an interactive seating chart for the next event at Vaught Hemingway Stadium

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Early Afternoon Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Games

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is a historic venue that has been upgraded and expanded over the years. It uses a bowl-style design, with seating on all sides of the field and additional suites and premium seating behind the south end zone. The seating chart uses N and S prefixes plus a number for sections behind the north and south end zones, respectively. Sideline sections are strictly alphabetic.

Shade is limited at The Vaught early in the day. For a game that kicks off at noon, the sun is high above, and nearly every seat is sun-soaked. The exceptions are suites and club seats. Club Sections 107-117 behind the south end zone and MM-QQ on the sideline are covered and shaded.

Even if most seats start the game in the sun, more and more will become shaded throughout the afternoon. Shade seekers should focus on the south end zone. The rows in Sections S2–S10 farthest from the field become shaded first. As the game progresses, the shade line will move closer toward the field and cover more and more rows.

The sunniest seats are on both sidelines and behind the north end zone. Unless it’s a cloudy day, nearly all seats in Sections A-S and N1-N11 are in the path of the sun for the entirety of an early afternoon game.

Seats in the Sun and Shade at Late Afternoon and Evening Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Games

When the Rebels are scheduled for a 3:30 PM or later game, shade is more abundant as long as you know where to look. Around this hour, the sun will be curving and dipping behind the west side of the stadium. Therefore, shade seekers will find more shade on the west sideline than on the east sideline, particularly in sections closer to the south end zone. For instance, Sections A-E will become shaded earlier than F-J.

For 7:00 PM games, shade seekers should focus on the south end zone and west sideline. Sections S2-S11 and A-J are shaded by late in the afternoon. The east sideline remains mostly sunny, but Sections P-S, on the half of the field closer to the south end zone, will get some late-afternoon shade. The sunniest sections are all behind the north end zone, which will stay sun-soaked until sunset.

Seats behind the south end zone (right) are your best bet for afternoon shade.
Photo by Steve Nurenberg/Icon Sportswire

Ready to buy shaded seats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium?

Use the individual game links or click or tap here to see the upcoming game list for Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.