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The NCAA has banned hashtags on college football fields

Mississippi State pioneered the idea, and just a few years later, the NCAA has squashed it all together.

By cristilmethod
Russ Houston | Mississippi State

State fans should remember it well.

Just two seasons ago in the week leading up to the 2011 Egg Bowl, Mississippi State became the first school to use a hashtag on a college football field, adding #HailState to the north endzone before the annual rivalry game against Ole Miss.

As is the case with many new ideas, the endzone hashtag was received with a mixture of cheers, jeers, and downright anger (from the old people), but the overall consensus was that MSU was bringing social media literally closer to the game of college football than it had ever been, and that they wouldn't be the last. Since that time less than two years ago, we've seen schools all across the country find innovative ways to work hashtags and other social media snippets into numerous parts of the college football experience.

But alas, the opportunity to include a popular hashtag on your school's field is no more.

This afternoon, the NCAA revealed to us their true passion. Are they pushing to compensate poor college football players? No. Are they working to correct blatant deficiencies within their enforcement department? Probably not.

I'll tell you what they ARE doing though [slams fist down on table], and that is putting a stop to the nation-wide epidemic that is football field hashtags:

That's right -- no longer can State use #HailState, or Arizona use #BearDown. Because, you see, a hashtag on the playing surface is a clear and unarguable potential hazard to player safety harmless show of school spirit, and must be stopped IMMEDIATELY.

Check back soon for the impending release about how the NCAA has also banned the use of instagram pictures on jumbotrons, because DUH.

EDIT TO ADD: Well of course this makes even more sense:

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