Ole Miss Launches Beat Week Gift Challenge
The University of Mississippi is running a six-day fundraising contest against rival Georgia, scored by the number of gifts rather than total dollars.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The University of Mississippi launched Beat Week, a fundraising competition against the University of Georgia running from November 2 to November 7, 2026. Every charitable gift of $5 or more to any area of the university counts as one point, and the school is encouraging donors to make three gifts to three different areas.
Why it matters
The contest is scored on gift count rather than dollars raised or donor numbers, giving Ole Miss a way to offset Georgia's larger alumni base. It ties the fundraising effort to the football game between the two schools on November 7, 2026.
Each gift of $5 or more earns one point, and three gifts to three different areas, totaling $15, is the suggested path for donors. Final point totals will not be known until the contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on November 7, 2026.
The players
University of Mississippi
A public research university in Oxford, Mississippi, commonly known as Ole Miss, which runs the Beat Week fundraising campaign.
University of Georgia
A public land-grant university in Athens, Georgia, and the rival institution in the Beat Week competition and the November 7 football game.
The details
Donors select Ole Miss on the Beat Week website and make a gift of $5 or more to any school, college, department, scholarship, student organization, academic program, or other charitable fund. A live scoreboard tracking each university's progress is available at beat-week.com.
Timeline
November 2, 2026: Beat Week challenge begins at 8 a.m.
November 7, 2026: Beat Week ends at 11:59 p.m., the same day Ole Miss plays Georgia on the football field.
Market Landscape
Ole Miss's January 2026 Sugar Bowl win over Georgia set the competitive backdrop for Beat Week, which turns a football rivalry into a donor-count contest. The strategy of counting gifts rather than dollars reflects an effort to compete with Georgia's larger alumni base.
Any donor can join by giving $5 or more to any Ole Miss area they choose, with no requirement to give a larger sum. Making three separate $5 gifts to three different areas counts for three points and totals $15.
The takeaway
Small, repeated gifts can add up across several campus areas, so donors can spread a modest contribution to support multiple programs. Following the live scoreboard through November 7 shows how the contest is trending.
What happens next
The Beat Week challenge concludes on November 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m., when final scoreboard standings will be set alongside the Ole Miss versus Georgia football game.
Further reading
Explore more on Philanthropy to see how universities and donors use charitable giving to support their communities.
More information
Make a gift and track the live standings on the Beat Week live scoreboard and donation portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by RedHillsMSNews.
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