Mississippi State University - Racing Cowbells
From the famous maroon and white school colors to the popular cowbells to Bully the Bulldog, and now cowbell mascots, Mississippi State thrives on its rich history of spirit and deep tradition. The cowbell reigns as the largest tradition at Mississippi State, and in 2019, the university added three racing cowbells to their Mississippi mascot family to complement the opening of a brand-new baseball stadium.
Transition from Objects to Mascots
Taking such an iconic symbol that fans hold in their hands and bringing it to life creates an even more unique experience for Hail State fans. Each of the cowbell mascots has a different personality to match the individuality of fans’ cowbells. Athletics staff continuously works with the performers to ensure that the personalities are carried out successfully on game day.
Mississippi Mascots And Media
Mississippi State University uses a very creative approach to include its mascots in media content. To unveil the cowbells, MS State created a spin-off of the ‘Family Matters’ introduction and the video went viral amongst fans. During each game, they use sections from the video to announce the cowbells prior to the race.
Cowbells Drive Fan Engagement
The mascot race makes the fan experience almost that of a major league park, while still keeping the unique college atmosphere that they have. Fans sitting in the “Left Field Lounge” – a unique outfield seating experience – get a prime view of the race, and they look forward to the watching the cowbells run right past them. The winning cowbell is taken throughout the concourse to interact one-on-one with fans and connect with them.
Leading up to the 2020 season, Mississippi State plans to bring the cowbell mascots to baseball fan day and other events to interact with fans.
“Baseball is unique here at Mississippi State, from the record crowds we host every season, to the long history of success on the field, our fans are passionate, dedicated, and love coming out to the ballpark to support the Diamond Dawgs. As we looked towards the grand opening of the new $68M Dudy Noble Field, the largest ballpark in college baseball, we worked through every facet of our gameday experience to ensure we were maximizing the experience for each and every fan. Over the last five years, we have many times discussed a desire to add a “mascot race” to the experience, but never pulled the trigger. We felt like doing so as a part of the opening of our new park was a perfect fit.
From start to finish, the process with Olympus was easy and efficient. From sharing the vision our team had for these mascots, to seeing the drafts of the mock-ups that were presented to us, and then seeing them come to life in our ballpark, it was a great experience. Despite being given a tight deadline, Olympus delivered an outstanding product, brought our vision to life, and helped create a new fan favorite here at Mississippi State.”
Rhett Hobart, Assistant AD of Marketing & Branding at Mississippi State University
Mississippi State Mascot Tips:
Tip 1
Stay true to the history and traditions of your programs and find a mascot that will fit your atmosphere and culture.
Tip 2
Think about all the unique features you can incorporate to help bring your mascot to life.
Tip 3
Try to get your mascot out there connecting with fans as much as possible.