Ole Miss Football fanatics stand out for their ability to be Rebel fans anywhere. In addition to helping break attendance records at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium two times this season, the Road Rebs — students, alumni and fans who routinely travel to out-of-town games — continue to go the extra mile to support Oxford’s favorite team.
What does it mean to be a Road Reb?
For senior accounting major Santino Rocchio, it means immersing yourself in the school’s gameday lifestyle and cheering for the Rebels.
“I love visiting other college towns to learn about their traditions and what makes their university unique,” Rocchio said. “I love sharing my pride for Ole Miss while appreciating another team in college football.”
Born and raised in Hernando, Miss., just an hour north of Oxford, Ole Miss graduate student Taylor Little attended home games with her family for many years before attending Ole Miss herself.
“I grew up in a family of Ole Miss fans,” Little said. “I have been coming to Ole Miss Football games every Saturday since I was a baby, and if we didn’t make it to the game, we would spend every Saturday making sure that we watched on the TV.”
Ole Miss has played on the road four times this season, traveling to Wake Forest, South Carolina, LSU and Arkansas. Little attended every regular season away game last year and has attended two of the four away games so far this year.
“There is nothing better than a home game in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, but taking a road trip to see the Rebs play is pretty amazing,” Little said. “When it comes to fans traveling to watch Ole Miss play on the road, I think it is very important for our performance on the field. In my opinion, our players thrive off of our energy as fans, and when they see how well we travel, it greatly affects how they play.”
Ole Miss Football Head Coach Lane Kiffin has expressed his appreciation for Road Rebs. Last season, when Ole Miss defeated Tulane 37-20 on the road, Kiffin was pleased with the Rebels’ attendance in New Orleans.
“I thought our crowd was phenomenal there, to show up for a road game like that and to stay for the end of the game,” Kiffin said in an interview with The Clarion-Ledger. “In the late fourth quarter, it felt like the whole stands was Ole Miss (fans), so that was cool to see.”
Senior international studies and Arabic major Cooper Carrico is a lifelong Ole Miss fan and a Road Rebel. Carrico described his experience traveling to Columbia, S.C., earlier this season to watch the Rebels secure a 27-3 win over South Carolina in Williams-Brice Stadium.
“This was my 13th SEC stadium to see Ole Miss play in, so that was great to check off my bucket list,” Carrico said. “The stadium was very energetic, and their tradition of waving their towels during sandstorm was very cool to see in person.”
However, one road game stood out to Carrico — when Ole Miss defeated Tennessee in Knoxville on Oct. 16, 2021.
“It was a checkered night game in Neyland Stadium, so that elevated the environment 100%,” Carrico said. “I went with a big group of friends, and we had a great time exploring the campus before the game and dodging objects that were thrown toward Ole Miss fans and the field when we won.”
Marin Noble, a sophomore biology major recently made the trip to Fayetteville, Ark., to support the Rebels. Noble credited Arkansas fans for their kindness.
“The Arkansas fans were very nice and made my experience as an away fan much more enjoyable,” Noble said. “Although it wasn’t the Grove, the tailgating and pre-game festivities were very similar and a lot of fun. There was no better way to end the weekend than by cheering on our Rebels to a road win.”
