‘Dixie’ will no longer be played at Ole Miss football games

Posted on Aug 19 2016 - 1:18pm by The DM Staff

Ole Miss Athletics Director Ross Bjork announced today that The Pride of the South, Ole Miss’ marching band, will no longer play any variation of the song “Dixie.”

Bjork released this statement Friday:

Ross Bjork speaks about the Creed at the Ford Center in Oxford, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. DM Photo | Cady Herring

Ross Bjork speaks about the Creed at the Ford Center in Oxford, Miss., Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. DM Photo | Cady Herring

“The newly expanded and renovated Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will further highlight our best traditions and create new ones that give the Ole Miss Rebels the best home field advantage in college football. Because the Pride of the South is such a large part of our overall experience and tradition, the Athletics Department asked them to create a new and modern pregame show that does not include Dixie and is more inclusive for all fans.”

The song’s removal is the result of an ongoing dialogue between the campus leadership, band leadership and the Ole Miss athletics department, but the initial request to remove the song was made by the athletics department, Bjork said in an interview Friday.

“I can’t predict (how people will react),” Bjork said.

Bjork said, regardless of the initial reaction to changes, decisions have to be made for the best of the university. He said it was athletics’ priority to be welcoming to all people in accordance with the UM Creed.

 

“Dixie” was the unofficial anthem of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. The university and Athletic Department have been phasing out versions of “Dixie” for more than a year now.

Members of The Pride of the South were told about the change on Tuesday, Aug. 16. They were told not to speak to the media. Practices this week have not included the song.

 

 

 

The Ole Miss community immediately responded to the announcement via social media.

Check back in with theDMonline.com as this story develops. This story was originally reported by Mississippi Today.

Ole Miss won’t allow the band to play “Dixie” anymore. Might be a good time to invest in Confederate flag and “heritage, not hate” t-shirts.