• Get to know Baylor’s Sugar Bowl opponent, Ole Miss

    Ole Miss and Baylor campus shots

    When Baylor and Ole Miss meet on New Year’s Day in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the accomplishments of both schools’ football and athletics programs will be on display on the national stage.

    But before kickoff gets here… Let’s learn a little about the university behind the football team the Bears will be facing: Ole Miss.

    The University of Mississippi, as it is officially known, was founded in 1844 — one year before Baylor — as the first public institution of higher education in the state. Like Baylor, Ole Miss is an R1 institution, and both schools have been recognized by U.S. News for their academic prowess and value. This year, UM came in at No. 67 overall among public universities (No. 148 nationally) and as the No. 31 “Best Value” among public institutions (No. 117 overall). For context, Baylor came in this year at No. 75 overall and as the No. 82 “best value.”

    Ole Miss and Baylor are remarkably similar in size; Ole Miss has slightly more undergraduate students (about 15,500 vs. 15,100), but fewer graduate students (3,100 vs. 5,400), making Baylor slightly larger overall (18,600 vs. 20,500).

    Ole Miss’ list of alumni includes 27 Rhodes Scholars, 10 governors and five U.S. senators; notable names include Nobel laureate William Faulkner, author John Grisham, and NFL quarterbacks Archie and Eli Manning. Ole Miss faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center performed the world’s first human lung transplant in 1963.

    Athletically, the Bears and Rebels have faced one another surprisingly infrequently — but Baylor holds a 10-3 edge all-time across football (1-0), men’s basketball (2-1), women’s basketball (2-1) and baseball (5-1).

    Sic ’em, Baylor and Ole Miss!