| FACILITIES | DAVIS WADE STADIUM AT SCOTT FIELD
DAVIS WADE STADIUM AT SCOTT FIELD Capacity: 61,337 Head coach Dan Mullen and the Mississippi State Bulldogs return to the raucous atmosphere of Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in 2015 riding an eightgame home winning streak. In 2014, the Bulldogs tied the single-season school record for home victories, posting a 7-0 mark en route to the program’s first No. 1 national ranking. Nineteen of the top 20 crowds in stadium history have come during Mullen’s tenure as head coach of the Bulldogs. Christened after Olympic sprinter Don Magruder Scott, one of State’s first football superstars, the 101-yearold historic facility (the nation’s second-oldest Division I-A campus football stadium) has undergone five renovation and expansion projects during its history. The first game at Scott Field came with an MSU win over Marion (Ala.) Military Institute, 54-0, on Oct. 3, 1914. More than $100 million in football projects have been initiated in the last few years. Of that figure, $75 million of it went towards the nationally-praised 2014 Davis Wade expansion. The latest addition of note was the expansion of the north end zone completed in August 2014 which increased capacity to 61,337, provided additional premium seating, elevators, restrooms and concessions, and a completely new west side concourse. Construction began in August 2012. The construction contract for the project was awarded to the Harrell Contracting Group of Jackson, Miss. Harrell won the construction project in a university sealed bid process. The north end zone addition created a total of 8,815 new seats, which, factored with the loss of the previously existing bleacher seating in the north end zone, resulted in a net 6,255-seat increase. Included in those 8,815 seats were 7,076 grandstand seats, 1,155 Scoreboard Club seats, 236 loge seats, 22 traditional suites totaling approximately 288 seats and 60 field-level suite seats. Additionally, standing room availability and ADA-compliant seating were also included in the project.
MSU opened the 2014 season against Southern Miss in a 49-0 win and 61,889 people were on hand to see the dynamically improved Davis Wade Stadium.
Also included in the north end zone is a non-seated, field level premium area, The Gridiron, which provides club-like amenities to any season ticket holder who buys a membership regardless of that person’s stadium seat location. The new area became a fan favorite during the 2014 season. Following all seven of the Bulldogs’ home wins, the team sang the alma mater and then took a victory lap in front of The Gridiron. The visiting team locker room was also relocated to the north end zone addition, allowing the gameday recruiting center to expand in its current location. The north end also features a new high-definition video board similar in size to the one currently standing on the stadium’s south end, which is among the largest in college athletics. The west side renovation showcases a rebuilt concourse under the west stands, the addition of four high-capacity elevators, an increase in restroom and concession point of sale facilities and a brick facade that
matches the new construction on the north. In 2014, fans see the number of elevators at Davis Wade Stadium more than double (from five to 12), the restroom fixture total nearly double (from 313 to 621), and permanent concession point of sale positions increase by over 40 percent (from 110 to 156). For media, the project included a new television compound away from the stadium proper. The TV compound is now located west of the stadium, allowing network broadcast trucks to connect to stadium equipment via underground cable runs. The renovation and expansion was funded by the sale of $68 million in bonds and $7 million in private giving. Private contributions for the stadium project were part of the Bulldog Club’s Today. Tomorrow. Forever Athletics Facilities Initiative, which is completely independent of annual giving and priority seating donations.
The new North End Zone and Gridiron Club were part of a $75 million Davis Wade Stadium expansion completed in 2014 that increased capacity by over 6,000.
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2015 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL