Southern Miss Golden Eagles The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi in Division I athletics . The teams compete in Conference USA . The school ' s earliest nickname was Tigers . Thereafter came such nicknames as Normalites ( from Mississippi Normal College , the early name of the University ) , Yellow Jackets , Confederates , and Southerners . Golden Eagles was selected in a student / alumni vote in the early 1972 . Seymour d ' Campus is the name of the modern - day mascot eagle . Southern Miss has a long history in the NCAA , and its intercollegiate sports teams operate under the auspices of the university ' s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors . Bowl games , conference championships , and All - American athletes have all been frequent occurrences at Southern Miss . Among notable alumni is former NFL quarterback Brett Favre and former NFL punter Ray Guy . Football . The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team participates as a member of Conference USA and plays its home games in M . M . Roberts Stadium . In 2008 , after 17 years at the helm of the USM Football program , Jeff Bower was replaced by Larry Fedora . The football team won two College Division national championships ( as Mississippi Southern College , in 1958 and 1962 ) , and won three of the first four Conference USA titles . Through the 2011 season , Southern Miss has posted 16 consecutive winning seasons . The program has had three undefeated seasons overall , including a 9 - 0 season in 1958 . Thirty All - Americans have played for Southern Miss , including 12 first - team selections , and a number of players have moved on to the National Football League , most notably Dawg Pound creator and three time consecutive Pro - bowler Hanford Dixon , NFL Team of the Century punter Ray Guy and three - time NFL MVP Brett Favre . Rivalries . News & notes . Southern Miss ' football history currently includes 16 - straight winning seasons , eight consecutive bowl appearances and four league championships in the 12 - year history of Conference USA . In 2007 , the Golden Eagles and Coach Jeff Bower were selected as conference team and coach of the decade respectively . Seasons . 2007 . After 17 years as head football coach , 14 of those being consecutive winning seasons , Jeff Bower was forced to resign . Former Oklahoma State University offensive coordinator , Larry Fedora , was named as his replacement . 2008 . Under first year head coach Larry Fedora , the Golden Eagles posted a 7 - 6 record after a dismal 2 - 6 start . The Golden Eagles won five straight games to finish the season , including wins over 2008 C - USA champion East Carolina and a New Orleans Bowl win over Sun Belt Conference champion Troy University . Also in 2008 , the Golden Eagles football team boasted an 80 % graduation rate and the men ' s program was awarded the 2008 David M . Halbrook Award for Academic Achievement Among Athletes having the best graduation rate of any of the eight public universities in the state of Mississippi . Women ' s basketball . The Lady Eagles also have a storied history . With 10 postseason appearances , the women ' s program is the most proficient at Southern Miss . In those 10 appearances , they have made the NCAA Tournament 8 times advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1994 . The team has had two All - Americans including Janice Felder in 1994 . Softball . The Southern Miss Lady Eagles softball team made it to the Women ' s College World Series in 1999 and 2000 behind the arm of Courtney Blades . Baseball . The Southern Miss Golden Eagles baseball team made its first ever appearance in the College World Series in 2009 . Traditions . " Eagle Fever " , " Anyone . Anywhere . Anytime . " and " Go Gold ! " are the rallying cries that Golden Eagle students and fans have used to help create such traditions as Homecoming and EagleFest , tailgating in " The District " , " Friday Night at the Fountain " pep rallies , the " Eagle Walk at The Rock " , the game - day Eagle Walk parade , the Painting of the Eagle Walk , the Junior Eagle Club Tunnel , the band ' s Fifth Quarter Concert , featuring a hallmark rendition of " Amazing Grace " . Mascot . The first athletic teams were called Tigers or Normalites . In 1924 , the mascot was changed to the Yellow Jackets . In April 1940 , the student body of the newly renamed Mississippi Southern College voted to name the teams Confederates ; the name was changed to the Southerners in 1941 . General Nat ( named for Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest ) became the Southerners ’ mascot in 1953 ; his horse was named Son of Dixie . In 1972 , an ad hoc committee appointed by the Alumni Association voted on submissions from alumni , faculty , students and staff for a new name , and . The name Golden Eagles was chosen . The mascot was an individual in a golden eagle costume . The mascot was later named Seymour d ’ Campus ( a pun , or play on words , on " see more [ of ] the campus " ) . The name was inspired by the 1984 World ' s Fair mascot , Seymour d ’ Fair ( a pun , or play on words , on " see more [ of ] the Fair " ) , who was played by former Southern Miss mascot Jeff Davis ’ 83 . Seymour d ' Campus has competed in a number of Universal Cheerleaders Association ( UCA ) mascot competitions , ranking 21st in 2000 , 11th in 2001 , 7th in 2002 , and 15th in 2003 . In 2008 he ranked 10th and was also chosen to be one of the 12 members of the Capital One All American Mascot Team .