Ole Miss is called the Rebels because that nickname was chosen in a 1936 naming contest run through the student newspaper, and Southern sportswriters picked “Rebels” from hundreds of suggested names. The choice reflected regional identity and “Southern” imagery at the time, which is why it has remained historically linked—fairly or not—to the Old South and Confederate- era symbolism.

Quick Scoop

  • Before 1936, Ole Miss teams were often called the “Mississippi Flood” or “Mighty Mississippians.”
  • The student paper, The Mississippian , ran a contest to find a new athletics nickname, gathering over 200 suggestions.
  • A panel of Southern sportswriters picked from five finalists; 18 of 21 chose “Rebels,” and the university’s athletic committee made it official.

How “Rebels” Was Picked

In 1936, the university wanted a fresher, punchier sports identity, so the nickname search was turned into a publicity-style contest through the campus newspaper. Judge Ben Guider of Vicksburg is often credited with suggesting “Rebels,” which then advanced to the final set presented to sportswriters.

Those writers overwhelmingly voted for “Rebels,” and committee chair William Hemingway famously said that if 18 sportswriters wanted “Rebels,” he would not “rebel,” effectively sealing the nickname “Ole Miss Rebels.”

Ties to Southern Identity

In the 1930s South, “Rebels” carried strong connotations of Southern regional pride and defiance, which made it appealing as a sports identity. Over time, that also tied the brand to Confederate imagery—especially through older mascots like Colonel Reb—which has made the name part of ongoing debates about symbols of the Old South in college sports.

Nickname vs. Mascot Today

  • The nickname “Rebels” has stayed in place since 1936 and is still used across Ole Miss athletics.
  • The mascot and imagery have evolved: older Confederate-style symbols (like Colonel Reb) have been phased out, and newer mascots (such as the Landshark) were introduced to move away from overt Confederate associations while keeping the Rebels name.

Forum / Trending Angle

On forums and in recent coverage, the question “why is Ole Miss the Rebels?” usually sparks three threads of discussion:

  1. The historical naming contest and 1930s Southern sports culture.
  1. Whether the nickname can be separated from Confederate symbolism now that mascots and imagery have changed.
  1. How the “Rebels” brand has been re-framed as grit, resilience, and underdog spirit in modern SEC football conversations.

In short: they’re the Rebels because of a 1936 naming contest and a sportswriter vote, but what “Rebels” means has been contested and reinterpreted ever since.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.