OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA) — Mississippi State fans hope to be doing a lot of celebrating during Saturday's Egg Bowl at Ole Miss, but that celebration will be restricted when it comes to ringing their cowbells.
"It's an SEC rule," adds Calvin Sellers, police chief for Ole Miss. "Artificial noisemakers are not allowed in the stadium. If they come to the gate with them, we're going to advise them to take them back to their car."
When Mississippi State has a home football game, fans of the Bulldogs are encouraged to ring responsibly, but since this year's Egg Bowl is being played in Oxford, fans are not allowed to bring in artifical noisemakers or cowbells inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
If someone observes a fan ringing a cowbell, they can send a text message to 69050 saying "Rebs Cowbell" and the section and the row where the person is sitting.
"Someone will come and check it out," adds Sellers.
In the event your cowbell has special meaning and you don't want to run the risk of having it confiscated, the best advice from law enforcement at Ole Miss is to leave it in your vehicle.
"What they need to understand is once they take the bell at the gate, they're not guaranteeing them it's going to be anywhere."
With hundreds of law enforcement and security personnel working the game, all fans are encouraged to exemplify good sportmanship.
Gates to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will open at 3:30 p.m. with the kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.