The first teams representing Mississippi A&M, the forerunner of Mississippi State, were called the Aggies. When the school officially became Mississippi State College in 1932, they were nicknamed the Maroons. The nickname officially became “Bulldogs” in 1961. However, “Bulldogs” had been used unofficially since at least 1905, when Mississippi A&M shut out Ole Miss 11-0, and the cadets ceremonially buried Ole Miss’ “athletic spirit” with a bulldog pup placed on top of the coffin. Later, newspaper accounts of the victory reported that the Aggies had played with a “bulldog” style of play. Since then, “Bulldogs” had been used interchangeably with “Aggies” and “Maroons.” Since 1935, the mascot has been a registered English bulldog with the nickname “Bully,” which is also used for the costumed mascot. Bully is the official mascot of the Mississippi State University Bulldogs in Starkville, Mississippi, and the name is given to both the costumed mascot and the live bulldog that appears at State games. The live mascot Bully is an American Kennel Club registered English Bulldog and each dog is given the inherited title of “Bully”. The name “Bully” is traditionally considered a title and not the official name of the specific dog that holds it.
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