Marino Casem, the longtime coach at Alcorn State University and Southern University, once famously stated that “in the South, college football is a religion, and every Sunday is a holy day.” This is certainly true for teams in the Southeastern Conference and especially true for Mississippi. Each fall, hundreds of thousands of loyal fans flock to their respective campuses to root for their favorite teams and cheer for their beloved team mascots. If Casem’s quote is true, these foam-headed cheerleaders might be considered the “saints” of this seemingly odd religion. Most fans, however, know little about the origin of their favorite mascots or other symbols of their university, and many of these symbols have deep roots in history, especially the Civil War years. During this presentation, the hidden history of some of the South’s most beloved (or despised) mascots will be revealed, including Mississippi State’s “Bully,” the origin of the LSU Tigers and, of course, the story behind the Ole Miss Rebels.
