Ole Miss fans, as well as fans across the nation, frequently rave about the uniforms the Rebels wear for many sports. The Rebels have many different game day combinations, but some of their most recognizable uniforms are the ones that they donned in years past.
Football
When the Ole Miss Football program began in 1893, the Rebel uniforms were simple: plain wool with a block “M” on the chest. For a long time, the uniforms stayed close to the original style, only adding and subtracting minor details (such as numbers) or varying the letter style.
It was not until the late 1940s and 1950s that the uniforms Rebel fans recognize today began to take shape. During that time, stripes were introduced on the sides of the uniforms, and in 1948, the powder blue color was first introduced.
Ole Miss wore powder blue helmets on and off throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. When quarterback Archie Manning took the field for the Rebels in 1968, the uniforms had finally reached the classic red and navy throwback look.
While this design and combination is iconic, it is the powder blue variation that many fans tout as the best Rebel jersey. Considering its popularity today, it is all the more surprising that the powder blue jerseys disappeared entirely from the Rebel wardrobe rotation in 1994.
Fast forward to 2014, two decades later, when powder blue made its return. That year, the Rebels wore the powder blue helmets for a home game against the Memphis Tigers to honor Chucky Mullins, who donned the powder blue helmet during his time at Ole Miss.
After the Rebels’ 24-3 victory against Memphis, the color’s popularity surged; thus, powder blue became a permanent staple.
Overall, football uniforms have been pretty standard throughout history — regulated to red, navy or powder blue. Recently, though, Ole Miss has experimented with more alternate uniforms, specifically with the introduction of the Realtree camouflage helmets and uniforms in 2022.
Basketball
The Rebel basketball programs wear fairly standard uniform combinations today with the occasional special variation, such as when the women’s team wears pink uniforms during the annual Play4Kay breast cancer awareness game. However, out of all the Rebel teams, the basketball squads may have some of the most recognizable throwback uniforms.
When the men’s team played its first season in 1909, the uniform had a standard early-20th century design — essentially a tank top with “Ole Miss” printed on the front.
Similar to football, basketball jerseys did not change for many decades until Ole Miss added the women’s basketball program in 1974.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Rebels wore white uniforms, with a vertical red stripe running down each side of the jersey top and the shorts and with three horizontal navy stripes layered over the red. On the front, the Ole Miss wordmark was a stylish navy block outlined in red.
This jersey made a reappearance for the 2000-2001 basketball season, one of the most memorable seasons in Rebel basketball history. The men’s team advanced to the SEC Championship game and, later, the NCAA Tournament where the Rebels reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
As a result, the jersey has frequently been brought back because it serves as a reminder of Rebel basketball glory. In fact, the Rebels wore these jerseys at throwback games in the C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum.
