http://www.sportsblink.com/product_images/mississippi-state-bulldogs-classic-logo-pennant-3336514.jpg

Mississippi State Bulldogs

NCAA Division I, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

Southeastern Conference Champions: 1941
SEC - West Division Champions: 1998
All-time record: 500-538-39 (519-518-40 when counting forfeited wins, losses and ties)
Bowl record: 8-6

Current stadium:

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz207/jimbodawg/Mississippi%20State%20University/IMG_0096.jpg

http://image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com/pics21/1024/VR/VRNUOYSVQLVHDHX.20090924172240.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/41/93734196_97d494b3bd_b.jpg





Proposed expansion and renovation:

http://image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com/pics32/1024/FC/FCJAFNXQCRHAOUM.20110406023645.jpg

http://image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com/pics32/1024/AF/AFAEJFZVENPPFMO.20110406023650.jpg

http://image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com/pics32/1024/GM/GMNMBMCDXKBOIBY.20110406023640.jpg

http://blogs.clarionledger.com/msu/files/2011/04/4_stadium.jpg

Timeline ?

Good for MSU. They were such a strong program when I was in school in the late 90's, glad to see them coming back strong.

Sitting in the last row in the upper deck at David Wade Stadium feels like being on the summit of a mountain. It's the tallest thing for a hundred miles and you can see the horizon for 360 degrees! Such a cool experience. This was one of my favorite stadiums from the my SEC road trip days. Some damn good tailgating too. Ole Miss has nothing on you guys.

Timeline ?
the goal is to have the funding secured some time next year and for completion before the start of the 2014 season

Good for MSU. They were such a strong program when I was in school in the late 90's, glad to see them coming back strong.
The problem that Ole Miss, MSU, UK, and USC face is that when you play in a conference with so many traditional heavyweights -- Bama, Auburn, TN, UGA, UF, LSU, maybe even Arkansas -- someone's gotta lose. Those four programs, with their strong fan support and alumni bases, would likely be regular contenders in a league like the Big East; to think that, even after the proposed expansion, DWS will still be the 3rd-smallest stadium in the SEC, yet would have the 2nd-largest official capacity in the BE, makes you realize just how much more seriously, in general, football is taken in the South.

the goal is to have the funding secured some time next year and for completion before the start of the 2014 season

Hope they make it! Almost every SEC stadium I think think of has expanded or at least received some improvements the past 2-3 years.

Wow this place looks nice!

A few things of note ...

- Davis Wade Stadium is the 2nd oldest stadium in the Football Bowl Subdivision (D-I)
- DWS has about 52,000 sideline seats. That ranks pretty high in college football as most programs rely a lot on endzone seating. If I remember right, the stadium is in the top 20 in sideline seating.
* Expect the expansion to begin after this football season. The expansion and funding model have been approved by the IHL in Mississippi, and an architectural firm has been selected to do the final designs. Also, for the first time in history, there is a waiting list for season tickets and luxury boxes at MSU.

CANNOT wait for football season to start. Nothing, NOTHING like SEC football.

A few things of note ...

- Davis Wade Stadium is the 2nd oldest stadium in the Football Bowl Subdivision (D-I)
- DWS has about 52,000 sideline seats. That ranks pretty high in college football as most programs rely a lot on endzone seating. If I remember right, the stadium is in the top 20 in sideline seating.
* Expect the expansion to begin after this football season. The expansion and funding model have been approved by the IHL in Mississippi, and an architectural firm has been selected to do the final designs. Also, for the first time in history, there is a waiting list for season tickets and luxury boxes at MSU.
That's great to hear.

MSU could become a perennially formidable opponent if they can hold on to Dan Mullen who, if you ask a lot of people, was the brains behind Urban Meyer's offensive system throughout his head coaching career.

That's great to hear.

MSU could become a perennially formidable opponent if they can hold on to Dan Mullen who, if you ask a lot of people, was the brains behind Urban Meyer's offensive system throughout his head coaching career.

We Gator fans have certainly missed Mullen the last couple of years. Meyer looked lost without him.

We're (MSU) paying him $2.65 million per year, and there are not too many programs willing to top that. If he leaves MSU, it will not be because of lack of resources. We've committed to paying him and his staff, he's getting a brand new football complex overlooking the practice fields, and the stadium expansion is about to begin.

That's great to hear.

MSU could become a perennially formidable opponent if they can hold on to Dan Mullen who, if you ask a lot of people, was the brains behind Urban Meyer's offensive system throughout his head coaching career.

looks... bigger :D But i don't like the color of the seats. looks very old

looks... bigger :D But i don't like the color of the seats. looks very old

They are aluminum bleachers, not seats. They can fit more people in the stadium that way and as an SEC school, can charge whatever they want regardless of how comfortable it is.

The majority of the seating at most college stadiums is similar.

CANNOT wait for football season to start. Nothing, NOTHING like SEC football.

except the NFL :tongue3:

except the NFL :tongue3:

As someone who grew up in a town where Bama, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee fans all lived and feuded and then went to undergrad at UT, I can say without hesitation there are fan-bases and rivalries in the NFL that are just as passionate as those in the SEC. Steelers-Ravens, Jets-Patriots, Cowboys-Redskins... and those are just the ones I have experienced first hand. I married into a Steelers family and have been to a dozen games at Heinz Field and two road games. I would put than fan base up against any other one in the world.

Most SEC fans just can't comprehend that anyone anywhere else could care about anything as much as they do college football. Don't get me wrong, I love it too, but that's a pretty close minded view.

These are how the expansion will actually look. These designs were recently approved by the state and presented at the annual donor meeting.

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa77/bynneu/DWS1.jpg

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa77/bynneu/DWS2.jpg

It's not an either-or proposition. I like the NFL. College football is better.

MSU expansion looks great.

MSU gagged Saturday. Energized by Mullen, talented team, facing a very vulnerable Auburn team ... and still couldn't get it done.

Gagged ...would not use that word ... the team played hard, just fell short. The Auburn defender made the play. Gagging would indicate you choked, totally screwed up. On that one play, the Auburn defender was better. It was not like a kicker shanking a 20 yd fg attempt.

I have lots of issues about how the game went down, but MSU gagging is not one of them. Poor tackling, bad play calling at end, and questionable officiating to name 3.

It's not an either-or proposition. I like the NFL. College football is better.

MSU expansion looks great.

MSU gagged Saturday. Energized by Mullen, talented team, facing a very vulnerable Auburn team ... and still couldn't get it done.

Gagged ...would not use that word ... the team played hard, just fell short. The Auburn defender made the play. Gagging would indicate you choked, totally screwed up. On that one play, the Auburn defender was better. It was not like a kicker shanking a 20 yd fg attempt.

I have lots of issues about how the game went down, but MSU gagging is not one of them. Poor tackling, bad play calling at end, and questionable officiating to name 3.

Gagged = Big, FAT missed opportunity. This was the year to do it. Couldn't get it done.

Ir's a down year for the SEC. The East is hot garbage the past couple of years, including this one.

I like the new renderings. That might be the tiniest upper deck I have ever seen, but I think it looks good.

We'll see about the east. It wasn't that long ago that things were polar opposites and the combo of Georgia, Florida and Tennessee were unmatched by the west. A lot can change in a season...

These are how the expansion will actually look. These designs were recently approved by the state and presented at the annual donor meeting.
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa77/bynneu/DWS2.jpgThat odd little second tier right beneath the video board... what's up with that? Hardly seems worth the effort to build?

Other than that this is a real nice expansion. I'm always leery of the cost for such facilities given how little use they receive, but architecturally I appreciate it when people invest in the design rather than doing something half-a***ed. (Like my beloved GT... :no:)

That odd little second tier right beneath the video board... what's up with that? Hardly seems worth the effort to build?

Other than that this is a real nice expansion. I'm always leery of the cost for such facilities given how little use they receive, but architecturally I appreciate it when people invest in the design rather than doing something half-a***ed. (Like my beloved GT... :no:)

I agree with your logic to an extent, but with schools like Miss State where football is a big part of the school's identity, investing in the facilities boots overall moral and brings in a lot more money than just from tickets. Not that I've looked it up, but I imagine Georgia Tech's endowment is a lot less dependent on athletics than your average public school.

I also agree, GT's endzone expansion is pretty terrible. Grant Field is a pretty great place to watch a game though.

A classmate of mine is in the know on this project and told me that the project has not been awarded yet, so the 360 drawings aren't truly the final ones. Probably just that firms final submittal.

Here is a link to the update master plan pics, that look different one the ones originally posted. These show a large upper deck in both the east and west endzones and a heavily renovated north side with a new press box, like Ohio Stadium's new one.

http://www.mstateathletics.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&PALBID=400301

http://www.mstateathletics.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&PALBID=400301

I agree with your logic to an extent, but with schools like Miss State where football is a big part of the school's identity, investing in the facilities boots overall moral and brings in a lot more money than just from tickets. Don't get me wrong, I get it. Many of these projects are fully paid for through donations and ticket sales, in which case more power to them. I wish the Jackets were so blessed. It just seems funny at times that we're in a recession, yadda yadda yadda... and there are so many projects making Grade A venues for something used 6-8 times a year! But like I said, if the math works than go for it! At least these projects will ensure the long term viability of the venues and, like I said, are done with more sensisbility than simply throwing concrete up.
Not that I've looked it up, but I imagine Georgia Tech's endowment is a lot less dependent on athletics than your average public school.Tech's athletic department must fund itself save for a pittance received from annual student dues, including maintenance of grounds. This, combined with some very bad fiscal management the past 20 years has left the dept. with a 9 figure debt. Factor in Tech being a smaller school with fewer true locals and the result is, compared to average BCS schools, fewer alums as sports fans funding the AD.
I also agree, GT's endzone expansion is pretty terrible. Grant Field is a pretty great place to watch a game though. Nice of you to say, and that's why it's so sad: It could be so much better. I won't threadjack further, but will simply tip my cap and avow my jealousy.

The upper tier along one sideline that's shorter than it's counterpart - Any long-term thoughts to renovating that to either match the other side or at least extend the full length of the side?

Actually, the current economy is why this expansion can happen now. It's about an $80 million project that will be funded primarily through a bond issue. Interest rates are currently very low.

Also this is happening now because there is a waiting list for premium seating and season tickets at MSU.

Don't get me wrong, I get it. Many of these projects are fully paid for through donations and ticket sales, in which case more power to them. I wish the Jackets were so blessed. It just seems funny at times that we're in a recession, yadda yadda yadda... and there are so many projects making Grade A venues for something used 6-8 times a year! But like I said, if the math works than go for it! At least these projects will ensure the long term viability of the venues and, like I said, are done with more sensisbility than simply throwing concrete up.
Tech's athletic department must fund itself save for a pittance received from annual student dues, including maintenance of grounds. This, combined with some very bad fiscal management the past 20 years has left the dept. with a 9 figure debt. Factor in Tech being a smaller school with fewer true locals and the result is, compared to average BCS schools, fewer alums as sports fans funding the AD.
Nice of you to say, and that's why it's so sad: It could be so much better. I won't threadjack further, but will simply tip my cap and avow my jealousy.

Unfortunately, no. When that original expansion was done in 1986, the plan was for that upper deck to extend sideline to sideline. Budget issues forced that unfortunate flaw.

I think ultimately, the facility shakes out like a smaller version of Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin. The stadium is not mirrored, but has a solid design that is pleasing.

The upper tier along one sideline that's shorter than it's counterpart - Any long-term thoughts to renovating that to either match the other side or at least extend the full length of the side?

360 has been awarded this project.

The link you posted are part of a conceptual master plan. It was done by Populous.

A classmate of mine is in the know on this project and told me that the project has not been awarded yet, so the 360 drawings aren't truly the final ones. Probably just that firms final submittal.

Here is a link to the update master plan pics, that look different one the ones originally posted. These show a large upper deck in both the east and west endzones and a heavily renovated north side with a new press box, like Ohio Stadium's new one.

http://www.mstateathletics.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&PALBID=400301

^^

Nice of you to say, and that's why it's so sad: It could be so much better. I won't threadjack further, but will simply tip my cap and avow my jealousy.

I am from Chattanooga and almost went to GT for grad school, but Virginia Tech gave me a better offer. So many of the southern schools have unique, but equally great atmospheres on game day and I really miss taking 2-3 road trips a year to watch games in the south, but thankfully my HD sports package somewhat makes up for that. It's not the same as being in the stands with 10,000 people and their cowbells at MSU... (my attempt to get back on topic)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5OqoPq7o2k