I did not grow up as an Ole Miss fan. I was raised in another state, cheering on another team, and having nothing to do with Ole Miss. When I toured the school (and of course fell in love with it as anyone does upon visiting it for the first time), I decided to make it my home.
So having been a fan for such a short amount of time, I had never partaken in the Grove and game day experience that Ole Miss is famous for. As the first game of the season came around, I wondered if it would all really live up to the hype.
I began my walk to the Grove dressed in something I might wear to church. That alone was a foreign feeling considering I had never been dressed so nicely to watch football. As I got closer, I could already see the energized, well dressed people and hear the excited commotion coming from the Grove. Although I had heard numerous stories of this famous Ole Miss tradition, none of these descriptions had prepared me for this.
I was met with an absurd amount of tents, spread out side by side and spanning across the entire Grove and every surrounding available space. These tents were elaborately furnished and decorated with everything from chandeliers to flat screens to hanging lights to floral arrangements. In and out of the tents stood people enjoying themselves while sharing meals, drinks, or simply friendly conversation.
I could not believe that the Grove I passed everyday on my walk to class had been so completely transformed to accommodate such a tremendous number of tailgaters and tents. I soon discovered that not only was the Grove entirely full, but the Circle and every spot between was as well.
After hours of taking in all of the sights, people, and food that the Grove had to offer, I made my way to the crowd of fans that flocked the Walk of Champions as the football team arrived. It a surreal feeling as we stood together as the band played, the cheerleaders cheered, and the team made their way down the Walk to the Vaught. Then the crowd would begin chanting the Hotty Toddy Chant in unison.
Soon enough, it was our time to make our way to the Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium. Having never been to an Ole Miss football game, I did not know what to expect here either.
As I sat in the student section, I looked across the crowd and saw a sea of white (as fans are supposed to wear a certain color for each game). Shortly after, I was linking arms with those on each side of me, swaying as Kashmir by Led Zeppelin played and we “Locked the Vaught” as the football team ran through the tunnel.
As for the atmosphere of the game, I cannot even begin to give a description that would give it justice. Everything was crazy yet truly wonderful. Fans stood on their feet the entire game as we cheered on the team, waved our pom poms in time with the band, yelled the Hotty Toddy Chant that was sporadically started throughout, and so forth. During the game, there was always an air of excitement no matter what.
As the game ended with a huge Rebel victory, the team, cheerleaders, and Rebelettes made their way to the student side of the stadium. Together, we joined in singing the Alma Mater, and a feeling of pride and love washed over me. It was then that I fell even more in love with Ole Miss and its incredible traditions.
So, did the Grove and game day experience that Ole Miss is famous for really live up to the hype?
HYDR.
