for 20 years. The teams with female athletes are called the Lady Statesmen.
However, since the late 1980s, the student body embraced the Fighting Okra, a mascot that depicts a piece of okra wearing boxing gloves and brandishing a fierce expression. In 2006, the mascot was a character in the 2006 episode of Good Eats titled "Okraphobia". The Fighting Okra was featured on an ESPN commercial during the 2023 College National Championship Game.
== Academics ==
The university offers more than 20 undergraduate programs, 15 master's programs, and 2 doctoral programs. They are organized into three colleges:
College of Education, Arts and Humanities
College of Business and Aviation
College of Nursing, Health and Sciences
== Athletics ==
The Delta State University Department of Athletics sponsors thirteen intercollegiate sports (as well as cheerleading, which is not considered a sport by the NCAA), competing at the NCAA Division II level. DSU is affiliated with the Gulf South Conference and New South Intercollegiate …
