Mississippi State University continues to encourage students to ring responsibly at the remainder of the home games this football season.
MSU fans should ring their cowbells before the game, during quarter breaks, halftime, during timeouts and anytime the Bulldogs score, according to respectthebell.com, the official site for cowbell policy. The upper right portion of the video board displays the words “ring” and “yell” during the appropriate times throughout each home game.
Rhett Hobart, Student Association president, said last year, the Southeastern Conference fined MSU $30,000 in cowbell penalties. This season, the SEC will fine MSU $50,000 for each violation of the cowbell policy.
Scott Stricklin, athletic director for MSU, said the cowbell compromise is in its second trial year, but he said he hopes that if fans ring responsibly, the SEC will allow the policy to become permanent.
Hobart said the SEC has given students the chance to prove tradition means more than reckless ringing and he said he hopes the students follow the cowbell policy to maintain the cowbell tradition for future MSU students.
“It is important for us as students to take this opportunity seriously and realize that with this great opportunity comes great responsibility, and we can make the difference in sustaining our tradition for years to come,” he said.
Hobart said the improvement in complying with the cowbell policy since it was first implemented last season is encouraging.
“If you compare the beginning of last season to where we are today, there is no comparison,” he said. “The improvement seen from the Kentucky and Arkansas games last season has carried over, and we are continuing to improve each and every game.”
After hearing students ringing irresponsibly during the La. Tech University game, Hobart said he hopes students will remember the guidelines this weekend at the Bulldogs’ home game against South Carolina.
“Our student body and fans did a great job at the LSU game this year; however, we regressed during the La. Tech game. It’s important that we work to ring responsibly this game,” he said.
Stricklin said he thinks students who still ring the cowbells during inappropriate times mistakenly think it is the only way to make an impact.
“We still have a few rogue ringers, and our challenge is to continue to educate everybody on the importance of doing it the right way,” he said.
Stricklin said he thinks fans can follow the rules and keep the tradition in place.
“They can make just as much noise yelling at the appropriate time. Ring when we’re allowed to ring. And by doing so, we keep that tradition for us and for generations to come,” Stricklin said.
Preston “Stick” Rogers, a student equipment manager for the football team since Sylvester Croom was head coach of the Bulldogs, said students need to ring responsibly because the team feels the excitement of the crowd when the crowd yells or the bells ring during the appropriate times.
“You kind of get goose bumps … it pumps them up, and they feed off that. It shows on the field,” he said. “You want to respect the bell and follow the rules.”
Hobart said the SEC showed faith in students at MSU by giving them the chance to bring cowbells to the stadium legally, and students should not take this privilege for granted.
“We are able to legally bring our cowbells into the stadium for the first time in nearly 40 years,” he said.
Rogers said he hopes fans will follow the guidelines because the cowbell is an important part of MSU history.
“(Fans) know what the cowbell means to the school, and I feel like they want it to be kept as a game day tradition for years to come,” he said.
Hobart said students should remember the legacy of the cowbell and its importance to MSU.
“It’s important for us as a student body to do all we can in order to preserve this great tradition and honor the hundreds of thousands of students who have come before us and relished in this tradition,” he said.