There are some things in life that are absolute certainties.
For example:
If an average person was cut, he would bleed red. If a patriot was cut then he’d bleed red, white and blue. And if a true Mississippi State University fan was cut, they’d bleed maroon and white.
Many students may come to MSU knowing what the Maroon and White stand for. But many of those same students may not know where it came from.
“It seems as if maroon and white have been around forever,” said Betty Self, an employee at the Mitchell Memorial Library, who said she enjoys studying the university’s older traditions.
Actually they have been around for over 100 years. The M Book of Athletics-Mississippi A&M College says that the colors were chosen by the first Mississippi State College football team captain.
W.M. Matthews, the football captain at the time, was presented the chance to choose the team’s official colors on Nov. 15, 1895. The team was on its way to play what was then known as Southern Baptist University in Jackson, Tenn. After learning other colleges had selected colors, the team asked their captain to decide their official team colors.
According to the legend, Matthews chose maroon and white without any hesitation.
As the years progressed the colors became synonymous with the university. A 1938 edition of The Reflector reported that there was only one instance when the team played under different colors. Coach Spike Nelson ordered cardinal and gold uniforms without consulting anyone. He was asked to leave his position at the end of that year.
Since then, MSU and its admirers have proudly displayed their maroon and white spirit since the moment they were declared the MSU colors.
Yet in recent years, a trend has emerged that has allowed for the addition of one more color. Ann Havens, the general merchandise manager for the MSU Bookstore, said the No. 1 selling color in the store’s MSU apparel is gray, with maroon claiming the No. 2 spot and white dropping to No. 3.
The manager at The Lodge, Sherry Neal, said that maroon was the most popular color at her store. However a new shade of gray, charcoal, has become the store’s No. 2 selling color.
At the Campus Bookmart, Ashley Etheridge, a store employee, said that the No. 1 and No. 2 most popular colors were maroon and white respectively.
“With a larger school you tend to lose some traditions,” Self said. “You’re not going to get 16,000 students to all do the same thing,” she added.
She said that one reason for the fading of certain traditions involved the larger number of students at MSU. With a larger school it becomes harder to maintain some traditions and pass them down to future students.
But for now, it seems the Maroon and White will continue to endure for generations to come. And heaven help the person who tries to change that. Isn’t that right, Coach Nelson?