Sep 6, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores students hold a sign for Mississippi Rebels fans during the SEC Nation show prior to the game at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
The Mississippi State administration sent out a press release on Thursday asking fans attending Saturday’s game vs. Vanderbilt to not give opposing fans “swirlies” after the conclusion of the game.
According to the release, this was a problem during Vanderbilt’s last visit to Davis Wade Stadium in 2008. 14 MSU students were put on probation for giving 36 Vanderbilt fans a swirly.
A swirly is being defined as “dipping someone’s head into a human waste depository”.
Some of the Vandy fans complained about the swirlies issued after that game because they were in urinal troughs. The MSU students held responsible suggested there weren’t enough toilets in the men’s restroom so they had to use what was available. Here is the full joint statement by the students from 2008:
"Vandy fans came in talking a bunch of smack the entire game. They were 5-0 and ranked #13 in the country. They went on and on but we didn’t say anything. Good for the nerds, they finally won some games. Plus were were just 1-4 and looking worse every week. Then in the ugliest game you’d ever want to see broke out and we win 17-14!Somebody in the student section shouted “we just flushed their season down the toilet!”. So it gave a couple of fraternities the idea to do what frat guys do to geeks. The Ag fraternity rounded them up like you do cattle, then the athlete fraternity issued the swirlies, and the party fraternity just watched and laughed. No one was injured. The only thing we regret is this win might keep Croom around longer."
With that kind of attitude from the students in ’08, the MSU administration wanted to get out in front of the problem this year. While there is likely only going to be six Vandy fans in attendance for this game, it is important to get everyone on the same page: no swirlies at Davis Wade, please.