College traditions shape the student culture at universities across the U.S., and Ole Miss is no exception. For freshmen, learning the new traditions, from tailgating in the Grove to game day chants is a vital part of the university community. These traditions at the University of Mississippi make getting an education an unforgettable experience. Here are the traditions you need to know going into the football season kickoff.
Walk of Champions
The Walk of Champions started in 1983, when Ole Miss Football head coach Billy Brewer began the tradition of players walking through the Grove to the stadium so that fans could be a part of the team’s pregame ritual. Students and fans cheer on the football players as they walk through the Walk of Champions on game day, building a connection between the school and the team that cannot quite be replicated.
Aaliya Batada, a junior integrated marketing communications major, believes that participating in Ole Miss traditions helped her feel like she belonged when she was new to the university.
“I would say the Walk of Champions we have on game day gives students the best taste of what Ole Miss is like, as it shows how important football is to our community,” Batada said.
Regardless of the years between the start of this custom and the popularity it holds today, it has always served as a way for students to connect and share an immense sense of pride over their school.
Tailgating
Football is a key part of Ole Miss culture and tradition. In the Grove, students, alumni, Oxonians and visitors come together to (hopefully) celebrate the Rebels. Students from all over the country dress in the same colors and socialize with one another.
“These traditions are so important to our school and definitely gave me a sense of belonging, as the tradition) gives everyone at Ole Miss a chance to connect and share something special,” Batada said.
The tradition of tailgating in the Grove started sometime in the 1950s, when fans started driving cars, station wagons, farm trucks and RVs directly into the Grove to hold picnics from their tailgates and trunks. This custom later grew when the university banned vehicles from the Grove due to a particularly heavy rainstorm. This ban paved the way for the blue and red tents that have now become a tailgating staple.
“Our school spirit definitely shows (up) on home game weekends, and it’s an entirely different world than a normal day here in Oxford,” Batada said. “I would definitely encourage all freshmen to try and go to the football games and experience everything they have to offer. It is an experience like no other.”
Chants and Alma Mater
Ole Miss chants during football games have become a signature ritual as well, uniting fans and students into one voice during a game. The “Hotty Toddy” call-and-response chant originated on Nov. 19, 1926, when The Mississippian published “Heighty Tighty,” which later became “Hotty Toddy.”
The uniting chant has been a hallmark of most students’ Ole Miss experiences. It is a way for students to share their love of the university with each other, as well as with those who come from beyond Mississippi.
“(College traditions) help keep school spirit alive, and it’s a way for us to stay connected with Ole Miss students that have been here before us,” Batada said.
Trash can Friday
Trash can Friday takes place a day prior to the game. Dozens of blue and red trash cans fill the grove by the Department of Landscape Services at Ole Miss. Students pass by these Ole Miss-colored trash cans as they go to their classes, giving them a taste of excitement for the game on Saturday. Often, students will step into the empty trash cans with friends and take pictures to post on social media.
Cameron Moody, a sophomore integrated marketing communications major, feels the excitement of an Ole Miss home game when she sees the trash cans in the grove.
“(The trash cans) hype me up for game day. They symbolize kickoff and all the other fun activities in the grove,” Moody said.
The energy on campus is palpable, and Ole Miss achieves exactly what it is trying to with this seemingly simple tradition: creating an excitement for what is to come. This tradition, along with many of the others, is part of the reason why Ole Miss is such an appealing school for Mississippi residents and non-residents alike.
Locking the Vaught
With this tradition, students and fans lock their arms together and sway back and forth just before kickoff to intimidate opposing teams.
According to Shyann Crow, an Oxford resident and Ole Miss alumna, locking the Vaught is a way to bring students from every state together.
“Locking the Vaught as a freshman made me feel very connected, especially as an out-of-state student; being able to bond with fellow students who I didn’t know made me feel like I belonged,” Crow said.
