It Just Means More: Ole Miss, SEC and Jello shots taking over the College World Series
OMAHA, Neb. — The tournament to crown a national champion in college baseball is taking place inside Charles Schwab Field but there another cultural movement taking place about 100 yards away.
Across the street at Rocco’s Pizza and Cantina there is a board hanging on the wall behind the bar and that board determines bragging rights for a fan base that may hold more weight than winning the College World Series to some.
Those bragging rights would be which fans have bought the most jell-o shots for their respective team by the time the 11-day tournament reaches its conclusion. Despite being being a relative new addition to the fan experience, the College World Series Jello Shot Challenge has taken over Omaha in mid-June.
In typical fashion the SEC has placed its grasp firmly around the Jello Shot Challenge and planting its flag of dominance. In 2021, Mississippi State claimed the national title and the crown of Jello Shot kings with its fans setting the record at 2,965 shots purchased.
With the Bulldogs at home that crown is in jeopardy as one of two SEC fandoms are going to snatch it away in mere days.
Hunter Moore, an Ole Miss fan from Ridgeland, Miss., made it very clear why he came to Rocco’s with one goal in mind
“I think because Mississippi State set the record last year, I think everybody is trying to beat that,” Moore said. “You got to beat State in everything you can beat them in.”
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Ole Miss and Arkansas fans have ran away with this year’s challenge and did so in just two days. As of Saturday the two fandoms have combined for 5,337 of the nearly 6,900 shots bought.
At $4.50 a shot, Rocco’s had hauled in over $31,000 in jello shots alone the first weekend of the College World Series.
The competition between Ole Miss and Arkansas is set to come to a head both inside the stadium and at Rocco’s across the street.
Arkansas holds the lead of the jello shots at 2,793 as of Saturday afternoon with Ole Miss close behind at 2,544. Both fan bases have dropped large sums of cash on jello shots in attempts to overtake the other or extend its lead.
The Ole Miss baseball team has bigger things on their mind, such as looking to get to 2-0 and in the driver’s seat of Bracket 2 by defeating Arkansas on Monday. But, there are some players who had some thoughts about the hotly contested jello shot competition.
“I guess a good way to make money,” said Hunter Elliott. “I’m sure (Ole Miss will pass Arkansas). I’ve heard Ole Miss never loses a party.”
