Entertainment Sports Ole Miss Football Says They're 100% Vaccinated Against COVID: 'Pretty Amazing' Head coach Lane Kiffin said his entire team was vaccinated to ensure that they would not have to forfeit any games during the upcoming season By Jason Hahn Jason Hahn Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 10, 2021 05:59PM EDT Photo: Joel Auerbach/Getty The college football season hasn't begun, but Ole Miss is already ahead of the field. Head coach Lane Kiffin told ESPN this week that the entire football team has been vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the start of the 2021 season. That goes for players, coaches, staff members and anyone who will be on the field as part of their program, Kiffin said. "It's pretty amazing and great motivation for our fans and the state," he told ESPN. Last month, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said schools in the conference would not be able to reschedule games if they suffer a COVID-19 outbreak this season. In anticipation of this, Ole Miss players urged each other to get vaccinated until they hit their 100% goal. "Nobody wants to be in a position to forfeit games," Kiffin said of the Mississippi-based team. 4 New York Yankees Players Test Positive for COVID in a Week Following Road Trip to Florida Stephen Dunn/Getty When speaking to reporters in July, SEC commisioner Sankey said that the conference plans to play its game on schedule this season, regardless of any outbreaks among teams that could led them to forfeit. "You hope not to have disruption, but 'hope is not a plan' is the great cliche," he said, according to the Washington Post. "That means your team needs to be healthy to compete, and if not, that game won't be rescheduled," he continued. "And thus, to dispose of the game, the 'forfeit' word comes up at this point." Olympians Talk About Playing in Empty Venues for Pandemic-Delayed Tokyo Games: 'We Miss Everybody So Much' As of Tuesday, only 35 percent of Mississippi's population is fully vaccinated, The New York Times reported. The state ranks last in the country in vaccination rates, immediately behind Wyoming and West Virginia. COVID-19 cases in Mississippi have also increased by 116 percent in the last two weeks, and the state is averaging about 2,366 positive tests a day, the Times said. RELATED VIDEO: Texas Father of 7 Records Goodbye Video for His Children Shortly Before Dying of COVID-19 Kiffin celebrated the team's vaccination goal on Twitter, where he also expressed hope it would inspire others to get inoculated. "Awesome job everyone!!!!" he wrote on Sunday. "Players, staff, and students !! #ProtectTheTeam @OleMissFB Hope this motivates the whole state." As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.