Oxford Schools Show Top-to-Bottom Support for Rebels in Semifinals
OSD superintendent encourages students, staff ahead of Thursday's matchup
OXFORD, Miss. – From billboards to social media and everywhere in between, support for the Ole Miss Rebels is showing up everywhere as the team gets set to play Thursday (Jan. 8) in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Not surprisingly, the support has reached the Oxford School District, where a University of Mississippi alumnus holds the top job. OSD Superintendent Bradley Roberson never shies away from showing his support for the Rebels.
His love of Ole Miss dates to his time as a student, and Roberson said Hotty Toddy means "family to me."
"My wife and I have called Oxford home for more than 25 years, and we both graduated from Ole Miss," he said. "She was a cheerleader here, and we were only the second couple ever married in the Paris-Yates Chapel after it was built.
"Ole Miss isn't just where we went to school; it's woven into the story of our lives."
Roberson said while it means his immediate family, Hotty Toddy also means the love of the entire Ole Miss community.
"High-fiving complete strangers, shouting side by side and cheering on the Rebels together," he said. "It brings people from different backgrounds – and sometimes very different perspectives – together around a shared pride and connection. That's something special."
Roberson's school district has been saluting the Rebels ahead of Thursday's semifinal game against Miami, including posting videos asking teachers what brand they would like to have an NIL deal with and another asking staffers to name a Rebel player when they were shown a picture.
Some car rider lines will have a surprise on Thursday and Della Davidson Elementary School is recreating the famous Ole Miss Grove for students.
Oxford School District teachers (from left) Mary Helen Dye, Paul Gardner, Demarcus Helm, Kristen Power, Joanne McGehee, Anna Jeffries and Chasity Arbuckle have fun during the taping of a video supporting the Ole Miss Rebels as the team prepares for its Fiesta Bowl matchup with Miami.
For OSD families who are lucky enough to go cheer on the Rebels at the game in Arizona, getting students back to school on Friday would be tougher than stopping running back Kewan Lacy in the open field. But Roberson offered a helping hand.
The superintendent said any students who are absent on Thursday or Friday to attend the game in person just need to show a screenshot of their ticket and the absence will be excused.
In a note to parents about the excused absence, Roberson said he is "proud that we can celebrate this moment together while still keeping expectations clear and consistent for our schools."
"Enjoy the trip, cheer loudly, represent Oxford well, and most importantly … Go Rebels!" Roberson wrote as he ended his email.
Top: Oxford School District personnel (from left) Alana Fairley, Mary Simons, Kristen Power, Taylor Kilgore and Chasity Arbuckle compete to see who can identify the most Ole Miss football players from their photos. The contest is part of a video posted by the school district to support the team as it prepares for the Fiesta Bowl game against Miami.