What does 'Sip' mean? Explaining Ole Miss football slogan

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In his six seasons at Mississippi football, Lane Kiffin immersed himself in the Mississippi culture and Oxford community.

Just look at his hot yoga sessions.

Kiffin’s adoption of the Ole Miss culture even carried over into how he announced to the Rebels’ fanbase on X (formerly Twitter) when the program picked up a key recruiting win by making his catchphrase “Come to The Sip” post.

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Now, as the Rebels enter their third game in the post-Kiffin with Pete Golding, curiosity has not only built throughout the College Football Playoff on whether it stays with the Rebels or if it will die with Kiffin now at LSU, but also what it exactly means.

Here’s what you need to know on it ahead of Ole Miss‘ CFP Fiesta Bowl semifinal against Miami on Thursday:

What does ‘Sip’ mean for Ole Miss football?

Believe it or not, it’s rather straightforward, and there are two answers for it: It is short for the state of Mississippi and it basically means “Come to the ‘Sip (Mississippi).”

Who created ‘Sip’ slogan for Ole Miss football?

While Kiffin used the slogan ad nauseam in his six seasons at Ole Miss on social media, the slogan preceded his time in Oxford.

Kiffin’s main use for it came in the recruiting sphere when Ole Miss would land a player in the transfer portal or through the high school ranks. When this happened, Kiffin, a super active user of social media, would tweet out “Come to the ‘Sip” to announce that player.

In 2024, Ole Miss took the “Sip” slogan to the next level when it painted the end zones with “The Sip” on each side of the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The Rebels’ use of “The Sip” hasn’t been well received by everyone over the years, though.

As noted by the Clarion Ledger — part of the USA TODAY Network — in 2024, former Mississippi State linebacker John Lewis told reporters at SEC Media Days that it was “overrated.”

“It’s overrated. This is our state,” Lewis said. “Everybody knows that. We run the ‘Sip because we run Mississippi. We’ve been saying it. They’re just following us, so it’s OK. They literally want to be us.”

Ole Miss athletics also uses “The Sip” slogan in recruiting posts or coaching staff hires with its other programs. It appears that the Rebels football program has retired with Pete Golding now as the full-time head coach, as Golding has tweeted out landshark emoji’s out after Ole Miss landed the commitment from a recruit.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What does ‘Sip mean? Explaining Ole Miss football slogan

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