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| School Name: | University of Mississippi |
| Location: | Oxford, Mississippi |
| Arena: | The Pavilion at Ole Miss |
| Capacity: | 9,500 |
| Conference: | SEC |
| Head coach: | Kermit Davis |
The Ole Miss Rebels represent the University of Mississippi in NCAA Division I sports as members of the Southeastern Conference. The Rebels were part of the SEC's West Division when the conference used divisions in basketball; the only sports in which the SEC now uses divisions are baseball, football, and women's soccer. Originally known as the "Mississippi Flood", they were renamed the Rebels in 1935, eight years after the state's Delta region was devastated by the Great Mississippi Flood. The school's colors are cardinal red (PMS 186) and navy blue (PMS 281), purposely chosen to mirror the school colors of Harvard and Yale, respectively. With a long history in intercollegiate athletics, the university competes in 18 men's and women's sports. Student-athletes, 630 in all, received all-conference academic honors from 1995–2004.
History[]
The Rebel men's basketball team, under the direction of first year head coach Andy Kennedy (basketball coach), tied for first place in the SEC West during the 2006–2007 season. Led by the senior trio of Clarence Sanders, Bam Doyne, and Todd Abernethy, the Ole Miss men finished the year with a 21-13 record, including a 16-1 record at home inside Tad Smith Coliseum. They advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament, before falling at Clemson University. In his debut season with the Rebels, Kennedy was named the 2007 SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press after guiding Ole Miss, a preseason last-place pick in the SEC West, to its first division title and most wins since 2001, when they made the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2007–2008 season was a historic one for the Ole Miss men's basketball team. The team started off the season 13-0, a school record. Since entering conference play, the team has faltered, falling to 17-7 overall.
Songs and cheers[]
Songs[]
The school's fight song is Forward Rebels.
The song, Dixie (song) is an un-official fight song still popular with a large number of fans and alumni, and although not played as often as in the past, it is still performed by the Ole Miss "Pride of the South" Marching Band during the pre-game celebations in the Grove and at least once during home games.
A modification of Dixie called Dixie Fanfare is also played by the Ole Miss "Pride of the South" Marching Band.
A modification of the Elvis Presley song An American Trilogy, now known as From Dixie with Love, is also played during football games, both home and away. Students and fans often refer to it as Slow Dixie. The song was officially dedicated to Ole Miss fans when it was played before the Ole Miss versus LSU football game in 2003, which is to date the largest crowd at a football game ever in the State of Mississippi.
Cheers[]
The school cheer is entitled Hotty Toddy:
Are you ready?
Hell yeah! Damn Right!
Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty
Who the hell are we, Hey!
Flim Flam, Bim Bam
OLE MISS BY DAMN!
See also[]
- Kermit Davis - Men's Basketball coach