Mississippi State University, located in Starkville, Mississippi, is home to over 21,000 students.
Established as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi in 1878, Mississippi State was one of the colleges created under the 1862 Morrill Act to provide training in agricultural practices.
MSU still takes particular pride in its agricultural program. Currently, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station operates 16 branch stations across the state, addressing issues that directly impact Mississippi farmers, industries and communities. The Station focuses on plant and animal production systems, food safety and quality, sustainable energy, and communities and human health.
The college is also home to the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library — founded in 2012 to commemorate the Ulysses S. Grant Association’s 50th anniversary — and the state’s largest free outdoor concert.
The concert, known as the Bulldog Bash, draws about 35,000 people and takes place on a Friday night before an SEC home football game.
The Mississippi State team has undergone several name changes throughout the years. When the college was first established as Mississippi A&M College, the team was known as the Aggies, but when the college officially became Mississippi State College in 1932, students became known as the Maroons for the color of their uniforms. When Mississippi State was granted university status, the team became the Bulldogs.
Last football season, the Bulldogs went 5–7 overall with 1–7 in conference. Following a loss to Texas A&M, former head coach Zach Arnett was fired midseason. First-year head football coach Jeff Lebby replaced Arnett.
Mississippi State’s biggest rival is Ole Miss. Every year, the two teams compete against each other in the Egg Bowl, which is also known as the Battle for the Golden Egg. The Golden Egg is the trophy that is awarded to the winning team.
Ole Miss leads the two teams’ 119 meetings with a record of 64–47–6. Most recently, they won the 2023 Egg Bowl. However, Mississippi State won the year before. Six of the last eight Egg Bowl games have been won by the road team.
Mississippi State has other programs that have done well recently. In 2024, women’s golf won its first SEC tournament title while men’s tennis won the NCAA regional tournament at home. In 2023, its soccer team advanced to the NCAA tournament round of 16 for the first time in program history.
The program ranked No. 60 in the Learfield Directors’ Cup rankings, just underneath the University of Colorado and the University of Houston. It ranked last among SEC schools.
