Southern Miss fans are buzzing ahead of this weekend’s matchup against Jackson State, but not all of the pregame chatter has been about football. A Facebook post circulating from an account titled Eaglepost has drawn heavy criticism for its condescending tone and thinly veiled racism toward Jackson State supporters, many of whom proudly represent the HBCU tradition.
The post, written under the name Rye Stanford, outlined so-called “rules for JSU fans for the USM game.” What followed was a laundry list of stereotypes directed at Jackson State fans, ranging from accusations about littering “chicken boxes” and “swisher sweet wrappers” to mocking their cars, music, and behavior at tailgates. One line even instructed fans to “keep your windows up and your rap down,” a statement that reads less like game-day etiquette and more like coded language steeped in racial bias.
Condescension Disguised as Humor
The attempt at humor in the post lands as patronizing and insulting. By singling out chicken, rap music, and Dodge Chargers, the writer leans into caricatures often used to demean Black culture. The post continues its mockery by painting Jackson State fans as clueless about assigned seating, addicted to smoking “skunk weed,” and incapable of tipping at restaurants.
It’s one thing for fans to trade good-natured trash talk before a big game, but the tone of this list is not playful banter. Instead, it plays directly into stereotypes about Black fans and HBCU culture, reducing an entire fanbase to a handful of ugly clichés.
The HBCU Context
Jackson State is one of the crown jewels of HBCU football, with a long history of producing NFL talent and drawing some of the largest crowds in the Football Championship Subdivision. Its passionate fanbase is not only loyal but also a key part of the broader HBCU culture that has shaped American sports. For Southern Miss fans to belittle that community with racialized “rules” sends a troubling message.
Adding to the irony is the fact that Southern Miss head coach Charles Huff is himself a product of an HBCU. Huff, who took over the Golden Eagles program in 2024, played college football at Hampton University, another historically Black institution with a proud athletic tradition. The idea that fans who will cheer a Southern Miss program led by a Black man who came through the HBCU system while making such ‘posts’ is appalling — but not shocking.
The Larger Problem
This episode underscores a larger problem in college athletics: the persistent lack of respect for HBCUs and their supporters. Whether it’s television coverage, playoff opportunities, or even pregame commentary, HBCU programs and their fans are too often treated as less than their predominantly white counterparts. The Facebook post in question is simply another example of the casual racism that these games bring out.
Just because Southern Miss is a punching bag for SEC schools doesn’t mean it has the right to “punch down” at JSU. Though JSU is an HBCU and has never received its proper funding, it has a much richer football history and is currently a nationally-ranked Division I (albeit FCS) program. Perhaps Southern Miss fans would do better to support their historically underachieving program under its new leader than to take shots at Jackson State.