No Cowbells Please – Noisemakers Not Allowed At USA Home Games
C.J. Bennett reads the defense while head coach Joey Jones looks on from the sidelines in Starkville Mississippi on September 22, 2012. The Bulldogs would win the game 30-10.
In case you haven’t heard the news, it’s looks like the Jaguars game against Mississippi State on September 13 at Ladd-Peebles is going to be a sellout. But one of the things that Mississippi State fans are known for will not be allowed into the stadium as South Alabama officials have declared that no artificial noisemakers will be allowed at South Alabama home games this season. That includes the cowbells that Bulldog fans so covet ringing.
USA officials have already contacted their counterparts at MSU to inform them of the policy in hopes that the message will be received by the Bulldog faithful prior to their travels to Mobile for the game.
Despite there being a “ban” on artificial noisemakers already in place in the SEC, Bulldog fans can let their cowbell inhibitions go wild during designated periods in Starkville. When the Jaguars played in Starkville two years ago, the Jags kept the cowbells silenced early, but as the Bulldogs gained momentum the rang loud. I can attest that it is one of the more annoying things in college football too. Personally, I think if you’re crowd has to rely on a cowbell to make noise then you’re doing it wrong as all of the other teams are able to make plenty of noise without a cowbell to encourage their team and cause communication problems. But I digress.
USA Athletics Director Joel Erdmann does not anticipate any problems with the enforcement of artificial noisemaker policy as all bags are subject to search just like any other game. “If anyone entering the stadium is found to have an artificial noisemaker, they will have to leave it at the gate or return it to their car,” Erdmann elaborated. Furthermore, if an artificial noisemaker is used during the game it is possible it will be confiscated and/or the person using it could be escorted out of the stadium.
South Alabama and Mississippi State will kickoff at 3pm on Saturday, September 13th with radio coverage on 99.9FM locally and online through iHeartRadio. It can also be seen on ESPNews nationally.