STARKVILLE, Miss. — Officials at Mississippi State University have responded after someone decoded a vulgar message aimed at Ole Miss hidden on shirts worn by the school’s baseball team.
The shirts, provided by Adidas, feature a version of the famous Las Vegas sign and reads “VIVA STARKVEGAS Mississippi.” The rest of the shirt is covered with multi-colored dotted lettering spelling out words like “Hail State” and “Left Field Lounge.”
But it’s the hidden message that is getting attention.
If you look at the shirt upside down, a portion of the letters spell “F–k THE SCHOOL UP NORTH.”
Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said the shirts were offensive and were not school approved.
“This is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the standards and values of Mississippi State University or its athletic department. For anyone who was offended by this shirt, as I was, please accept our apologies and rest assured that this has been rectified.”
Late Thursday, Adidas took responsibility for the shirts.
“We apologize to Mississippi State, their student-athletes, fans and alumni for this error. The Bulldogs’ baselayer graphic today featured old artwork that was never presented to the university. This graphic does not reflect our brand values nor those of Mississippi State. We take full responsibility for this error and wish Mississippi State the best of luck during Super Bulldog Weekend.”
