The true uniqueness of “Ole Miss”

As I was coming back from lunch today, I was listening to a national sports talk show and they were discussing tonight’s hoops games. Several times, the hosts referred to “the Cuse” in reference to Syracuse. It got me thinking… How unique is the University of Mississippi’s “Ole Miss”!

There are colleges and universities all over this country that are looking for a one-of-a-kind moniker. There is great benefit in being so easily and instantly recognizable. While many have tried, there are very few that have succeeded. Granted, some of the most prominent schools don’t need them – Notre Dame, Harvard, Yale and Duke come to mind. They are their own brands but they benefit from either a short, non-geographic name or the fact that they’ve existed for hundreds of years.

Others have been successful in the process. I think “FSU”, “UVA” and “LSU” are universal. So is “Bama”. “UGA” is easily recognizable, although it is not often spoken. Miami is now commonly referred to as “The U” but that was more of a marketing/branding scheme.

“Big Blue Nation” is actually a clever nickname but it refers more to Kentucky’s fans than it does to the school. Texas is “UT”, although Tennessee tries to claim it too. Southern California is “SC” and California-Los Angeles is “UCLA”. Both have their challengers, though. South Carolina tries to lay claim to “SC” and there are several variations of “UC”, such as “UC-Santa Barbara”, “UC-Santa Clara” and “UC-Berkley” with which to contend.

Many, try as they might, can’t seem to get it right. “The Cuse” is clunky and awkward. So are “Zona”, “Va Tech” and K State”. In fact, there are so many “State” schools in the country – Mississippi, Michigan, Iowa, Washington, Arizona, etc. – that none of them really stand out as “State”. “A&M” has stood the test of time but only because all the other “A&M” schools have changed their names.

And then there’s “Ole Miss”… For generations, this has been the identity. It was selected as the name of the yearbook many years ago but it quickly became the name most often used to identify Mississippi’s flagship university.

It was never created for a pure marketing purpose. It wasn’t created to sound good on ESPN or anywhere else. It wasn’t invented to fit easy on a bumper sticker. It was organic in its creation and adoption and it has flourished over time. It serves as a nickname but it is also so much more. It has grown to be somewhat of a feeling. It is almost a fondness or a frame of mind.

In a very real sense, “Ole Miss” is the achievement that so many other schools strive for in their pursuit of a nickname or a unique identity. It’s one of the many reasons why it is great to be an OLE MISS Rebel!