Ole Miss applications expected to rise after historic football season
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Even though the Ole Miss Rebels didn’t go all the way to the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship, the effects of the team’s historic season can be seen in countless ways throughout the university, including interest from prospective students.
Ole Miss came close to the team’s first National Championship in more than 60 years, but ultimately lost the spot in the Fiesta Bowl a semifinal against the Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 8.
Historically, colleges and universities have found success by utilizing their football teams as a marketing tool. A winning team means more interest from prospective students, even if the student doesn’t play football.
After a successful athletic season, many universities experience an increase in enrollment, a phenomenon known as the “Flutie Effect,” named after former Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie. After Flutie led Boston College to an unlikely win against Miami in the 1984 Orange Bowl, studies showed a 30% increase in enrollment.
Eduardo Prieto, University of Mississippi vice chancellor for enrollment management, said it’s still too early to tell the full scope of the most recent football season’s impact, but he did say the Rebels have contributed significantly to prospective student interest in the past.
This past fall, Prieto said the university leveraged recruitment opportunities from bowl games in particular by coordinating outreach events in the away game cities.
“When we went to the Sugar Bowl, we had outreach events in New Orleans,” Prieto said. “It’s a coordinated outreach across the board. … The same thing applied when we went to Arizona. We had a number of outreach events that are geared to multiple audiences.”
These outreach efforts, Prieto said, included specific events geared toward prospective students, parents, high school guidance counselors and alumni.
“We try to leverage those opportunities across the board, especially during football season,” Prieto said.
The University of Mississippi has seen a steady increase in enrollment over the past five years, even before the Rebels started securing more wins.
According to data from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the University of Mississippi, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, has had the highest enrollment out of the state’s eight public universities every year since 2022.
In fall 2022, the University of Mississippi surpassed Mississippi State University by just over 300 students, ending State’s long-running streak in the top spot.
In fall 2024 and fall 2025, the University of Mississippi Oxford campus alone had the highest enrollment in the state.
Prieto said football has been a huge draw for many Ole Miss students over the past few years. However, piggybacking off the Rebels’ success is only one part of the university’s rising enrollment rates.
“We’ve got a great team here and a great community. I think athletic success definitely helps, but it doesn’t paint the total picture,” Prieto said. “Our success comes from a variety of avenues.”
Ultimately, the full effects of the most recent football season on enrollment remain to be seen, and the university still has work to do.
“Just because we’ve had a successful football season — the best in our history — that doesn’t guarantee that we’re going to have another record-size freshman class,” Prieto said. “Any growth we have, it’s going to be due to a combination of factors, not just football, … but we’re sure thankful for and appreciate that athletic success.”
Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss historic football season could help applications, enrollment
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