Featured Image: Visit Oxford Mississippi
Let’s be very clear: SEC football isn’t just about the game. Saturdays in the South are somewhat of a ritual in the fall, filled with songs everyone knows by heart, foods you’re required to eat, very specific outfits, very loud bells, live animals, human letters, and at least one town where grown adults celebrate a win by throwing toilet paper into trees.
The traditions that have swept the SEC are just as iconic as the wins and national titles the conference has racked up over the years. So whether you’re a generational fan, a proud alum, or a first-timer, read on for a few of our favorite time-honored traditions so you can score big on game days this fall.
Starkville, Mississippi | Mississippi State University
If you ever go to a game in Starkville, pack your earplugs and maybe some ibuprofen. I say this as an alum.
The cowbell has been part of Mississippi State culture since at least the late 1930s or early 1940s, though exactly how it arrived is a little murky. The best story involves a jersey cow wandering onto the football field during a game against Ole Miss, after which State won (Hailstate), and fans apparently concluded the cow deserved some credit. So they started bringing bells. Decades later, the cowbell is inseparable from a Saturday in Starkville. But note: you must be gifted your first!
Oxford, Mississippi | University of Mississippi
The Grove on game day is really something. The 10-acre green space at the center of Ole Miss’ campus can pack more than 100,000 fans, transforming into a maze of tents outfitted with chandeliers, serving pieces, TVs, flowers, and family recipes.
On Friday night, crews take part in the Running of the Tents, racing to claim their patch of The Grove before spending the next several hours turning it into Saturday HQ. And yes, the fashion follows suit: sundresses, blazers, bow ties, and boots are every bit as much a part of an Ole Miss game day as the red and blue.
Athens, Georgia | University of Georgia
After the Bulldogs finish things at Sanford Stadium, students, alumni, and fans head toward North Campus to ring the historic Chapel Bell. Depending on the size of the win (and enthusiasm of the crowd), you may hear it well into the night.
The bell predates the football tradition by quite a bit. It once signaled the beginning and end of classes and even served as an air raid signal during World War II. By the early 1980s, it had begun its current role of celebrating wins.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Louisiana State University
It’s hard to go hungry at an LSU game. By game day, the areas around the Parade Ground and Pete Maravich Assembly Center fill with tailgates serving jambalaya, gumbo, boudin, and whatever else somebody’s family has been cooking since ~sunrise.
Louisianians know what they’re doing when it comes to food, so it’s an enticing enough reason to visit Tiger Stadium on game day. Even if you don’t have a ticket, you can cheer on the Golden Girls and the Golden Band, and wave hello to Mike the Tiger (yes, a real tiger) in his multi-million-dollar habitat on campus.
Auburn, Alabama | Auburn University
Toomer’s Corner sits right at the seam between downtown Auburn and campus, anchored by Toomer’s Drugs, which has occupied the corner for more than a century. Before the game, grabbing one of the drugstore’s famous lemonades is paramount. But after an Auburn win, the corner transforms entirely.
Fans pour into the intersection and “roll” the trees, sending toilet paper flying every which way. The tradition has roots in Auburn’s old telegraph days, when news of away-game wins arrived at Toomer’s Drugs and ticker tape was tossed onto the power lines. In 2026, toilet paper is the logical replacement.
Knoxville, Tennessee | University of Tennessee
Neyland Stadium has several traditions competing for a spot on the list: “Rocky Top,” checkerboard end zones, orange literally everywhere… but the Power T is hard to beat.
Just before kickoff, the Pride of the Southland Band forms a giant human T stretching out from the end zone, creating a tunnel for the Volunteers to run through as they enter the field. The tradition dates to the 1960s and has become one of college football’s most iconic entrances.
This season, Neyland has also become one of the places where Tennessee is remembering Dolly Parton. Following the East Tennessee icon’s passing in August, the Vols added a butterfly tribute to their helmets for the 2026 season. At the home opener, the Pride of the Southland formed her name on the field, her music filled Neyland, and more than 100,000 fans joined in for “I Will Always Love You.”
To learn more about our favorite Southern traditions, click here.
