Wajih AlBaroudi, For The WinFri, November 28, 2025 at 5:10 PM UTC·1 min readOle Miss and Mississippi State are reigniting their rivalry Friday, and aside from questions of where Lane Kiffin will coach next season, you may be wondering why in the world their annual meeting is called the Egg Bowl. If so, you've come to the right place.
It all began in 1926, according to ESPN, when a brawl broke out after Ole Miss beat Mississippi State (they were Mississippi A&M back then) as Rebels fans attempted to take down the goal posts in Starkville. The following year, the teams began competing in the "Battle for the Golden Egg," with the Golden Egg trophy positioned as a way to distract fans from any nefarious activity.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Clarion Ledger solidified the rivalry's name as the Egg Bowl in 1978 as Ole Miss and Mississippi State faced off in the regular-season finale with both teams out of bowl contention. The Rebels won that one 27-7 and own the all-time series 66-49-6.
Kiffin is 4-1 in the Egg Bowl, and with rumors swirling of him leaving for LSU or Florida, Friday's edition may very well be his last.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: What's the Egg Bowl? Explaining the Ole Miss-Mississippi State rivalry
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