The Egg Bowl will move to Thanksgiving Day next year and that’s a good thing for this traditional game.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State have played on and off on Thanksgiving over the years, but the move to bring the game back to the holiday date starting in 2017 seems fitting.

Even though it will be 2018 before Oxford gets to host a Thanksgiving Day game we will eagerly await this change since Oxford is the perfect place for a holiday contest.

First, Oxford has increasingly become a place those with second homes here spend the Thanksgiving holiday. When Ole Miss played Montana in basketball Saturday, the Rebels drew more than 7,000 fans because so many were in town.

That’s a change for years before when Oxford would empty for the holiday.

Second, by having the game on Thanksgiving Day fans are free to shop, hunt, play golf or other activities over the Thanksgiving weekend.

We’re glad, then, that this traditional game moves back to a more traditional date and look forward to many Egg Bowls in the future on Thanksgiving Day in Oxford.