The University of Mississippi will host the first of three presidential debates leading into the 2008 general election.

The debate is set for Sept. 26 in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts on the Ole Miss campus in Oxford. It will focus on domestic policy.

The second presidential debate is Oct. 7 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., and it will be a town-meeting format with questions from the audience. The third debate is Oct. 15 at Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y., and it will focus on foreign policy.

The only vice presidential debate is set for Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis.

The sites and dates were announced Monday by the Commission on Presidential Debates in Washington.

Each debate will begin at 8 p.m. CST and will last 90 minutes.