In preparation for the final three home football games of the season, the Mississippi State University Athletic Department has launched a new cowbell initiative to continue to encourage fans to ring their cowbells responsibly.
Scott Stricklin, MSU Athletic Director, said this initiative is one last push to get students to ring responsibly. Stricklin said there has been some progress and some students are doing great with the new policy, but others are not doing as well as hoped.
“Our students haven’t bought in and shown compliance as well as we would have liked,” Stricklin said. “With just a few home games left, this is the chance to show the league we can manage this responsibility the right way.”
Stricklin said when he and MSU President Mark Keenum go to meet with the SEC officials, they have to show the school has improved and is ringing its cowbells more responsibly.
“I would love nothing more than to tell the SEC that Mississippi State was successful,” Stricklin said.
Stricklin said if there is not improvement between now and the end of the season, he fears MSU will revert to the old rules of cowbell use. In that case, cowbells would be prohibited, and stiff fines would be imposed on MSU when cowbells are sneaked in and rung at home games. Stricklin said the school will be pressured into losing that tradition.
“That’s not where we want to be with this,” he said. “I love our student support and the way the student body has been excited this season, but out of respect to Dr. Keenum, Coach Mullen and myself and the tradition of the cowbell we love, it is critical we ring when we are supposed to but also put it down and yell when we are supposed to.”
Stricklin said MSU has gone from “respect the bell” to “save the bell.”
“The only way we can save the bell is by ringing at appropriate times,” he said.
The plan will be implemented especially before the Kentucky game, but, as always, fans will be encouraged to ring responsibly during the UAB Homecoming game Saturday.
“We need to get in the habit of doing this every game, but especially during conference games,” Stricklin said. “I have confidence this will improve.”
Robert Smith, sophomore industrial engineering major, says he thinks the student body has been doing a good job, but the Ford “ring” and “don’t ring” signs on the video board do not really help.
Smith also said he believes if cowbells were banned like last season, fans would still bring them into the stadium.
“People will still sneak them in [if the old policy comes back],” he said.
Bruce Strong, freshman chemical engineering major, said the student body could be handling the responsibility better.
“I think we should be proud to have this opportunity to represent our university with the cowbell,” he said. “It is a really great privilege but like all privileges it can be taken away, so we need to take it seriously.”
Thomas Sellers, Student Association president, said there will be several events between now and the Kentucky game to remind students and fans about the initiative to ring responsibly. Sellers said Mullen, Stricklin and himself want to keep the tradition and will be talking to fans in the upcoming weeks.
“We have been trying to get the message out, and especially the week of the Kentucky game we will be going full force,” he said.
Sellers also said the initiative in cowbell use has not changed.
“The whole time we have been urging Bulldog fans to ring responsibly,” he said.
Sellers said the student body has continued to do better, but still needs to improve.
“We are all Mississippi State,” he said. “We really need to focus on saving this tradition.”