Southern Miss, Mississippi State Cancel Home-and-Home Series: Can the Rivalry Survive Long Term?

In the ever-changing world of college football, it's possible that rivalries get torn apart. And this just possibly happened to the Golden Eagles and Bulldogs.

Sep 5, 2015; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver De'Runnya Wilson (1) makes a catch while defended by Southern Miss Golden Eagles defensive back Trae Collins (2) in the second half of their game at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Mississippi State won, 34-16. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2025, the Southeastern Conference announced it would require teams to schedule nine conference opponents, up from eight, following in the lead of the Big Ten Conference and the Big 12 Conference. Doing this would, in turn, cut out one team from each team's future schedules, if they already had all four non-conference opponents scheduled.

Last month, it was confirmed that Southern Miss and Mississippi State's home-and-home series, scheduled for Sept. 14, 2030, in Hattiesburg, and Sept. 13, 2031, in Starkville, was no more. Now, the plan is a single game in Starkville on Sept. 15, 2029. While that compromise may look good to Golden Eagle fans and Bulldog fans alike at face value, is it what's best for the rivalry going forward?

I say no, personally, and will go into more detail on why below, but before we get into that, let's take a look at the overall history of the rivalry.

History of the Southern Miss-Mississippi State Rivalry

Seymour and Bully relax during the 1985 Southern Miss-Mississippi State game at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Golden Eagles 23-20 in front of a crowd of 54,300. | Southern Miss Athletics

Southern Miss first met Mississippi State way back in 1935 in Hattiesburg, where the Maroons (as MSU was known at the time) defeated the Yellow Jackets (USM's mascot at the time) 27-0. The next four games (1947, 1964, 1965, 1966) extended State's lead to 5-0 over the Golden Eagles, until 1967 when the Golden Eagles defeated State 21-14 in Starkville. Another win in 1968 gave Southern Miss another bit of hope, now down 5-2 in the overall series.

The rivalry was back and forth between the teams, and by 1981, the game moved from Hattiesburg-Starkville to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson. The series would continue in Jackson until 1988, when USM, State, and Ole Miss all reverted all their home games back to their respective stadiums. Southern Miss and Mississippi State would play in Hattiesburg in 1989 and Starkville in 1990 until the series went on a 24-year hiatus.

When the series stopped in 1990, Southern Miss held the edge over Mississippi State with a 14-12-1 record. This includes two wins Mississippi State forfeited from 1975 and 1976 for using ineligible players.

In 2014, while rebuilding from the 2012 season, Southern Miss faced Mississippi State for the first time since 1990 and lost 49-0. Since 2014, the Golden Eagles are 0-4 against the Bulldogs and have been outscored 147-68.

Home-and-Home is The Only Way This Rivalry Should Move Forward

Sep 5, 2015; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Southern Miss Golden Eagles running back Justice Hayes (7) is defended by Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Richie Brown (39) in the second half of their game at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Mississippi State won, 34-16. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rivalries are driven by home atmospheres. And while 80 percent of Bulldog fans most likely wouldn't consider Southern Miss, a Group of Six team in the Sun Belt, a true rival these days, you cannot deny the historical significance of the series as a rivalry. Cierra Clark, a sports reporter known for her podcast "SEC Tea," once described the rivalry as one she wished would become an annual event, even dubbing it the "Hospitality Bowl."

And while the series was played at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson in 1981, setting the attendance record, it still holds an important place in Starkville and Hattiesburg. In fact, three of USM's top 10 highest attendances are against Mississippi State (1989, 2015, 2025). Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but a return to the old ways of a home-and-home is the only good solution here, not accepting a one-sided road to Starkville.

The Future of the Hospitality Bowl

Seymour and Bully reenact the famous photo from the 1985 game 30 years later at USM and State's matchup at Renasant Stadium in 2015. Mississippi State defeated Southern Miss 34-16 in front of a record crowd of 36,641. | Southern Miss Athletics

Currently, Southern Miss is scheduled to play Mississippi State in Starkville on September 15, 2029. It is assumed that should the series be extended any further, any meetings will again be played at Davis Wade Stadium. Aside from the 2026 Auburn matchup, the 2029 State game is USM's only game against an SEC opponent. What a turn for a program that used to play an SEC team almost every year back in its glory days.

Facts About the Mississippi State-Southern Miss Series

• Record: 17-14-1 Mississippi State
• USM’s Longest Win Streak: 9 (1975-1983)
• State’s Longest Win Streak: 7 (1989-2025)
• First Matchup: November 15, 1935 (MSU 27, USM 0)
• Last Matchup: August 30, 2025 (MSU 34, USM 17)
• Highest Attended Matchup: 1981, 64,112 (MS Veterans Memorial Stadium)
• USM’s Record in Hattiesburg: 2-4
• USM’s Record in Starkville: 6-11-1
• USM’s Record in Jackson: 6-2

Can this longstanding, storied rivalry survive in the long term given the SEC's new scheduling format? Technically, it can, but it will require both sides coming together to make it work. A one-way trip to Starkville once per decade probably isn't enough to keep the fire burning.