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In 2013, Army ROTC cadets from Ole Miss and Mississippi State University began a new tradition: the Egg Bowl Run. Every year, cadets from each school work together to complete an 80-mile run between Oxford and Starkville to deliver the official game ball to the home stadium of the annual Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State football matchup.
The daunting, 12-leg run is no easy task, but every year cadets are eager to participate. On Sunday, Nov. 19, Ole Miss cadets will depart around 5 a.m. from the Old Armory Pavilion on University Avenue in Oxford and begin running south to Calhoun County. The cadets will run with the Egg Bowl game ball approximately 40 miles to Calhoun City’s town square. MSU ROTC cadets will meet UM cadets there, have a little friendly competition, and then take possession of the official Egg Bowl game ball. MSU cadets will then run the ball to Starkville and the MSU campus, where the 2023 game will be played on Thanksgiving Day.
Over the years, Rebel and Bulldog fans alike have come out in force in tiny Calhoun City to cheer on cadets from both schools. In years past, about 500 equally divided fans have hosted tailgate parties and lined the square for the run. The National Guard even provides an interactive military display for children and adults to enjoy.
All this fanfare and camaraderie serves an important purpose. Cadets are running to encourage your support of their program. The Egg Bowl Run and the exclusive memorabilia you see on this page help cadets raise money for the Magnolia Battalion’s activities, training exercises, team-building opportunities and cadet competitions, preparing these future officers to excel in the Army and in life.
Our university’s Army ROTC Magnolia Battalion has consistently been ranked one of the best programs in the country. In fact, it was named the No. 2 ROTC program nationally out of 275 universities in recent years. Ole Miss Army ROTC regularly produces distinguished military graduates who rank among the top 20% of their peers nationally. Several cadets have ranked among the top 25 of all cadets in the nation, and in 2016, one cadet ranked among the top 10.
Ole Miss cadets are involved in almost every club, Greek organization, honors society and student organization on campus, including athletics. They achieve academic excellence through the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, the Croft Institute for International Studies, the Intelligence and Security Studies Program, Gamma Beta Phi, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, study abroad, Project Go, Global Ambassadors and more.
The Ole Miss Army ROTC program is designed to instill professional leadership competencies that translate to success in both the military and the civilian world. Through this unsurpassed partnership with the university, we look to recruit, develop, retain and commission officers of the highest character, commitment and competence.
Help us continue that tradition of excellence. Make a gift today, and don’t forget to cheer on our cadets during the Egg Bowl Run!
Ole Miss Army ROTC cadets will run 40 miles during the Egg Bowl Run. During the run and every day, our cadets represent the seven Army Values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. Honor their effort with a $47 gift! To show our appreciation, we'll publicly thank you on our University of Mississippi Army ROTC social media accounts and send you a personalized note.
The University of Mississippi permanently established its Army ROTC program on March 11, 1936, 88 years ago. Since then, nearly 2,000 students have earned Army officer commissions after completing UM's program and have served their country in war and peace. When you give $88 to honor Army ROTC's history at Ole Miss, you'll receive a clear bag with our logo in red and blue, suitable for game days in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. You'll also receive an Army ROTC tumbler.
Established during World War I, an Army Training Corps unit operated at Ole Miss from September 1918 to January 1919, helping students prepare to serve the nation as Army officers just as our current ROTC program does today. Ole Miss cadets participate in a program with 105 years of history. When you give $105 to commemorate that history, you'll get a chance to field a two-person golf team at the second annual Army ROTC Golf Scramble held at the Oxford Golf Course on April 19, 2024. Only one prize is available, so make your $105 gift now to claim it!
Of 275 Army ROTC programs in American colleges and universities, the program at the University of Mississippi has consistently been ranked one of the best. In fact, in 2016, the program ranked No. 2 overall. You can honor that tradition of excellence among our peers with a $275 gift. In return, you'll enjoy a truly special experience by joining the Army ROTC Cannon Crew on the sidelines of one of the first three home games of the 2024 season. Help fire the cannon when the Rebels score and score your own crew T-shirt. ONLY ONE spot on the cannon crew is available, so make your gift now!
This deluxe prize package includes a football autographed by head football coach Lane Kiffin, a basketball signed by head women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, two Army ROTC shot glasses, a Coach Kiffin bobblehead, an Army ROTC tumbler coffee mug, dinner for two at Army ROTC's Spring Dining Out, and a football signed by Ole Miss Army ROTC cadets. This exclusive prize package is available to ONLY ONE person, so be the first to give and claim it!