Delta State–Mississippi College football rivalry
| |
Sport | Football |
---|---|
First meeting |
October 26, 1935 Mississippi College 33, Delta State 0 |
Latest meeting |
September 30, 2017 Delta State 30, Mississippi College 17 |
Next meeting |
November 10, 2018 Cleveland, MS |
Trophy | Heritage Bell |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 38 |
All-time series | Delta State leads 21–15–2 |
Largest victory | Delta State, 41–0 (1955) |
Longest win streak | Delta State, 6 (1948–1969) |
Current win streak | Delta State, 6 (1994–present) |
The Delta State–Mississippi College football rivalry, commonly known as the Heritage Bell Classic, is a college football rivalry game between a public university and a private Christian college in the U.S. state of Mississippi, the Delta State University Statesmen and the Mississippi College Choctaws. The current winner is Delta State, who won, 61–31, on September 29, 2016.[1] Delta State leads the all-time series, 20–15–2.[2][3]
History
Background: 1935–1994
The Delta State Statesmen were co-founding members of the Gulf South Conference in 1970. Mississippi College joined the conference in 1972 and played 34 straight games with the Statesmen before the Choctaws left the conference in 1996 which halted the series. The Choctaws left the conference and NCAA Division II to compete at the NCAA Division III level until 2014, when they rejoined the conference and continued the series with Delta State.[4][5]
The annual battle between Delta State and Mississippi College was one of the most anticipated contests in the "Magnolia State" from 1973 to 1995.[2]
Game results
Delta State victories | Mississippi College victories | Tie games |
|
See also
References
- ↑ "Delta State beats MC 61-31 in Heritage Bell Classic". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- 1 2 "BATTLE FOR THE BELL: Statesmen to Host MC on Thursday". Delta State University. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Football Preview: MC vs. Delta State". Mississippi College. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Matt Wilson named new commissioner of Gulf South Conference". AL.com. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Mississippi College Releases 2014 Football Schedule, First GSC Games Since 1995". Mississippi College. Retrieved September 28, 2016.