Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin on Thursday issued a formal apology for a shirt that was worn by members of the Bulldogs baseball team which featured a profane message directed at in-state rival Ole Miss. adidas, the shirt’s designer, later apologized for its role in the smack talk shirt as well.
The seemingly innocuous shirts, introduced on Thursday as commemorative warmups, featured a logo that bore the message, “VIVA STARK VEGAS” and scattered marquee-like dots. Upon closer examination, the dots on the shirt spelled out various messages. But the one causing all the uproar is the salvo, “F–k The School Up North,” which can be seen when the shirt is viewed upside down.