Week after week, True Maroon fans either cheer for their team adamantly in the stands or while crowded around TVs. While the Bulldogs have faced some impressive teams this season, many fans look forward to the battle with rival University of Mississippi. On Nov. 28, Mississippi State Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebel Black Bears will battle it out in this year’s Egg Bowl. While the annual Egg Bowl fuels the fire for the rivalry, the rivalry itself started over a century ago.
Whit Waide, an MSU political science professor, said the rivalry stemmed from a difference of values between the two schools. 
“Originally, there was only one school in Mississippi, and that was Ole Miss. Some thought Ole Miss should maintain its elite and aristocratic status and didn’t want an education that promoted farming. Those who saw the importance of agriculture broke away. In 1862, Congress passed the Morill Land Grant Act and Mississippi A&M was born. Under the act, we received a total of 30,000 acres federal land for each member of Congress the state had. The land was then used to establish an institution that valued academics and agriculture. ”
Waide said that MSU’s awareness of its beginning is because being a Bulldog is about more than school spirit for sports teams. It is about helping to build a stronger Mississippi.
“It is important to know our origins and to have a deeply rooted knowledge about who we are here at MSU. State is engineered to help people. We are ‘The People’s University.’ Some may call us a cow college, but there is nothing better than being just that. We feed people and fuel the state. We have done more for the state of Mississippi than any other school, but we get very little credit,” he said.
Mark Keenum, president of MSU, said the rivalry is healthy for both teams because it makes being a Mississippian special. 
“In any sport against Ole Miss, it’s a big occasion simply because it’s a rivalry game. You can ask any MSU fan, but they would probably say there is no bigger ball game than this one coming up. If we could only beat one team and win one game this season, it would have to be this one,” he said.
The rivalry began in the 1800s, but the Egg Bowl competition began almost 90 years ago in 1927. In 1926, when MSU was still Mississippi A&M College, Ole Miss won a particular game after a continuous losing streak. The Ole Miss fans were so excited they stormed the Mississippi A&M field and attempted to tear the goalposts down. Fans from both sides were injured. 
To prevent such events in the future, students of the two schools created the “Golden Egg,” a large egg-shaped trophy given to the winning team. From that point on, the battle between the Bulldogs and the Rebels was referred to as the Egg Bowl. 
James Giesen, assistant professor in the MSU history department, said he has watched the Egg Bowl on television since he was a child. Even as a kid from Michigan, said he knew he should root for MSU.
“It’s good to have students engaged in true spirit for the school. Hatred can have a very unifying effect on an otherwise diverse student body,” Giesen said. “However, if this was an actual competition for eggs, we would surely destroy them. Our school has done more for egg production than they have in any production.”
Michael Hogan, Student Association president, said while he did not grow up a Bulldog, he has certainly become one over the years. He said he loves his university and aims to steer MSU to becoming better. 
“MSU comparing ourselves to Ole Miss is fine, but I’m making sure that we focus on us. It’s all for fun, but at the end of the day, we beat the Rebels regardless of the score,” he said.
Fans agree that school spirit is essential to every game, but especially a game as heated as this one.
 

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Egg Bowl Victory