IDEELab helps young fans build cowbells on record-setting night
Contact: Chris Whitaker
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University’s new world record for most cowbells ringing simultaneously during the Sept. 26 football win against Missouri is in part thanks to the university’s Bagley College of Engineering and its IDEELab. The lab helped young Bulldog fans build 209 cowbells prior to kickoff and take part in the historic milestone.
At the two-minute mark of the first half, the young crafters joined as 41,819 fans rang their cowbells for 30 seconds to set the new world record recognized by Elite World Records.
“It felt amazing to watch how happy the kids were once their cowbells were fully assembled,” said David Morales, a senior electrical engineering student from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, who helped with K-12 activities at the event. “I have so much love for Mississippi State and our cowbell tradition. The opportunity to help kids get their first cowbell and welcome them into the Bulldog family was a delight.”
The university’s cowbell tradition at Mississippi State dates to the late 1930s and early 1940s. Over the decades, it has become one of college football’s best-known traditions, with many fans claiming it gives the Bulldogs the home-field advantage.
Morales said the youngsters’ visible joy brought back memories of when he received his first cowbell—a gift from his father after MSU Orientation in 2022.
“I remember being really excited to finally ring it at my first home game against Memphis,” Morales said. “Looking back, I think that excitement is similar to what some of the kids felt on Saturday. For me, that first cowbell became part of what made me feel like I belonged to the Mississippi State community.”
Children participated in the IDEELab’s Cowbell Engineer Program, led by Vanessa Morales and Taylor Stigall, Bagley College research engineers and K-12 outreach program leads.
Stigall said the idea came from a brainstorming session, and Saturday was the second time the program was offered to the public after debuting in September at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago where 405 cowbells were made.
“We started by asking, ‘What is one of the most iconic things about Mississippi State University?’ and we easily landed on the cowbell and the tradition behind it,” Stigall said. “There was a lot more pressure for this game because this is our home, and we wanted to do it justice.”
Each student-led station took children through every step of making a cowbell. They were introduced to laser engravers, computer numerical control machines, 3D printers, injection molder and pneumatic punch, which cuts clean holes or creates bends in sheet metal.
“This activity gives students a chance to see manufacturing up close and experience how an idea can become something they can hold,” Morales said. “It also gives them a clearer understanding of engineering. I hope the experience helped them picture themselves capable of studying engineering, working in manufacturing or making something of their own.”
Last week’s program was the beginning of a bigger plan that includes securing a mobile unit to take to high schools across Mississippi.
Ross Smith, IDEELab director, said, “A cowbell they can keep for years may now serve as both a reminder of a historic Mississippi State moment and one of their first connections to a future at Mississippi State. Hopefully, every time they ring it, they remember not only being part of a world record, but also their experience building, creating and seeing what engineering and manufacturing can be.”
To learn more about the IDEELab, visit www.ideelab.org. The Michael W. Hall School of Mechanical Engineering can be found on Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Bagley College of Engineering can be found on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube at @msuengineering.
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