Egg Bowl name origin: Where Ole Miss-Mississippi State rivalry got its name

The Egg Bowl is one of the most heated rivalries in college football between Ole Miss and Mississippi State but where did the odd name come from?

Few college football rivalries have the true animosity that the Egg Bowl generates. Put simply, the Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs have absolute disdain for one another and it shows in either Oxford or Starkville when the schools face off once per season.

However, given the two mascots and the Mississippi ties, it’s hard to calculate exactly how the rivalry got its name.

So if you’re wondering why it’s called the Egg Bowl, we have you covered.

Egg Bowl name origin: How the Ole Miss-Mississippi State game got its name

Ole Miss and Mississippi State have been playing since 1901 but the trophy known as the “Golden Egg” was introduced in 1927 after fights broke out following Rebels fans taking down goalposts and opposing fans fervently defending them, even using chairs as weapons.

As such, they created a trophy that featured a brass football atop a base. However, when it was created, the football used in the college game was a more rounded shape. Thus, the football atop the trophy looks more like an egg than anything else.

With that said, the term Egg Bowl wasn’t used until 1979 when it was coined in a local newspaper in reference to the shape of the trophy.

Call the rivalry game whatever you want, though — the matchup between Mississippi State and Ole Miss is one of the best in college football.

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