Notre Dame Shocks Twitter with Cowbell Reference

Cowbells have always been a Mississippi State tradition... but is the University of Notre Dame giving them a try as well?

An image posted on Twitter by "The Fighting Irish"--Notre Dame's official account for athletics-- shows an odd scene. A worn cowbell sits on what looks like a ledge or bench with a hockey rink in the background. The cowbell is navy with a large, yellow Notre Dame logo nearly covering both sides. The words "Notre Dame" and "Fighting Irish" rest above and below the logo, respectively. What's even more strange is the caption, which seems to hint that the Fighting Irish might be looking to incorporate cowbells into their sporting events.

Don't believe it? See for yourself.

Our New Year’s resolution?

𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙬𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡.#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/zpFZymsa7R
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) January 3, 2022

Why would Notre Dame suddenly try their luck with cowbells? Perhaps it was evident that they worked when the Fighting Irish visited Starkville in early June 2021. That's when their baseball program got knocked out of the NCAA Super Regionals by the Diamond Dawgs, who would go on to win their first national championship. It was certainly a devastating loss for the talented program, and there's no reason to believe that the Fighting Irish would willingly choose to hear the sound of cowbells ever again.

Maybe Notre Dame has heard what others schools have had to say about the beloved noisemakers. They are undoubtedly distracting and can make it hard for teams to perform. Some athletic programs from Mississippi State's opposing schools even take the time to prepare their players for the deafening sound of tens of thousands of cowbells ringing in unison. The Fighting Irish might be willing to use just about anything to add more chaos and startle opponents who are certainly not used to the noise.

However, Notre Dame lacks one thing when it comes to cowbells: tradition. MSU's cowbells have a treasured history, but the Fighting Irish have no ties to the instrument. If Notre Dame were to adopt the use of the cowbell, it would be similar to Auburn adopting the "Fins Up" hand symbol used by Ole Miss for no rhyme or reason. Sure, nothing says that universities can't use the same traditions as other universities...but in this case, it makes absolutely no sense.

Will the Fighting Irish actually begin incorporating cowbells into their sports and the university's overall culture? Only time will tell, but the university's marketing team has certainly raised some eyebrows. If Notre Dame does choose to begin using cowbells, then the NCAA better do a good job of avoiding any potential matches between the two universities-- for the sake of the fans' eardrums, of course.