Just like any other state, Mississippi has its fair share of traditions. One of the most popular is ringing cowbells at Mississippi State University football games. The tradition is so widespread that even non-football fans are aware of it. Its origin, on the other hand, isn’t as widely known. In fact, few people are aware of how or when it even started…until now.

Mississippi State University (MSU) is no stranger to tradition – from Bully, the bulldog mascot, to Hail State, its famous fight song.
Jimmy Smith/Flickr
However, there’s no denying that the most recognizable and most resounding symbol of MSU tradition is the cowbell.
Jimmy Smith/Flickr
Surprisingly, the precise origin of the popular tradition remains a mystery to this day.
Mississippi State University/Facebook
There are several legends regarding the tradition’s start.
American Committee for KEEP, Inc./Flickr
The most popular is that, during a home football game between MSU and Ole Miss, a jersey cow wandered onto the field. Following the cow’s appearance, MSU was victorious, and so, students immediately adopted the cowbell as a good luck charm.

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The new tradition quickly caught on, and by the 1950s, cowbells were a staple at MSU games.
Jimmy Smith/Flickr
In the 1960s, two MSU professors began making the long-handled cowbells that fans know and love today.
CJ Anderson/Flickr
A hit right from the start, the two professors received an overwhelming number of requests for the cowbells. Before long, the Industrial Education Club had to take over production.
The cowbells remained a fixture at MSU football games until 1974, when the SEC adopted a rule against artificial noisemakers.
Mississippi State University/Facebook
In 2010, the SEC lifted the ban with a few restrictions. And ever since, cowbells have been allowed at MSU home football games.
Today, you can find cowbells in an array of shapes, sizes, and colors at the MSU bookstore as well as in stores around Starkville.
Roger Smith/Flickr

To learn more about the history of cowbells, along with MSU’s other traditions, visit the MSU website.

So, did you know about this long-held tradition? Do you have your own cowbell? Know of another state tradition with vague origins? Tell us!

This isn’t the only state tradition with a unique history. Click here to read about the Southern folk tradition of grave houses.

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