Off-Topic Forum

Granted, I'm at least a bit dim and I tend to overthink things, but why does the database (and most sources in general for that matter) always refer to the University of Mississippi as Ole Miss? Wikipedia calls "Ole Miss" an informal name, an "other name," and a colloquial name, so why has it taken hold so firmly? Is there any other school typically referred to by a nickname rather than its formal or at least abbreviated formal name, like UCLA for example? I can't think of one. 

There isn't anything on the University website about the nickname itself. However, a quick check shows that University of Mississippi was chartered in 1844 and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi (now Mississippi State) was established in 1878. I would guess that once the new school was up and running, and their close proximity to each other (105 miles), the University of Mississippi became the old Mississippi college, shortened to Ole Miss. This is purely conjecture on my part, but having lived in the south and knowing a lot of "old school Southerners" and their way of thinking, I think its as likely as anything else.

 I think that "Old Miss" on the list of college names should be changed to University of Mississippi.  On the back of most player cards, they will list college as "Mississippi",  not "Ol Miss" or whatever.

Ole Miss is a nickname for the university itself, not the sports teams' nickname. The teams' nickname is Rebels. The database should show "Mississippi Rebels" to stay consistent with the database's naming convention.

I live in SEC country. I've never heard them referred to as Mississippi, only Ole Miss. That Bama-Ole Miss game I watched Saturday? Ole Miss.

Their website? http://www.olemiss.edu/

I'm guessing your reaction is like mine when I was looking for Massachusetts Minutemen and eventually found them under UMass.

Their football helmet says Ole Miss. And their basketball jersey. And their baseball jersey. Nobody really calls them Mississippi in sports too much. The official name is University of Mississippi, but that's irrelevant.  UCLA, Texas A&M, LSU, Army, UNLV, UTEP are all major schools who are known universally by an informal name. They're the Ole Miss Rebels.

People from "Army" prefer West Point, or US Military Academy over "Army".  Same with "Navy". They prefer Annapolis or the United States Naval Academy.    The others mentioned are simply abbreviations.    Texas A&M is known as the Aggies, but I don't see Aggies listed.    Alabama as  Bama but their is no listing for Bama.   University of Maryland is commonly know as the Terps.   I don't see that listed either.   I don't see why only one team goes by another letter of the alphabet when you look it up.   If someone is looking up Mississippi, they don't look under "O".   If we go by what people in a specific area want to call their team, then the pros would just be Skins,  Cowboys and Giants.

  And why isn't Ohio State listed under "The Ohio State University" as every player says when introduced.

I prefer the Metropolitans and the Redlegs and I don't even like baseball anymore but it is wrong that the Reds aren't the first game every season. I'm an American League guy but the Reds are supposed to start every season. When they made Dave Parker shave I knew that some things were meant to be covered with hair. This is a random off topic rant - please ignore. Don't get me started on the Knickerbockers...

We can call Ole Miss "Mississippi" if it makes people happy but lets fix UMass and the others too if we do. Or maybe admin will tell us to get a life and randomly delete one of our accounts as a sign of he/she/its ultimate power.

Now lets talk about draft sets again... :)

[not gonna argue, not gonna argue]

 The back of Archie Manning's RC says it all......"MISSISSIPPI".