Another college town I wish.....

[leeinator]

Starkvegas was like. Bowling Green KY. I had to go to Louisville this past weekend and as I went up I-65, I came across Bowling Green and hadn't been up that way in quite a few years. Back in that day, I never really noticed their city, but last weekend I was highly impressed with how much it had grown and seemed to be of a much higher quality area than I ever remembered. They have a really big and colorful city sign poised on the north and south side of the city limits on I-65. No way you can not know you're entering their town. Their city and WKU seemed to be in lockstep of promotig each other in great harmony. Made me think of how bad the relationship between Starkvegas and MSU was over many years. Too bad. To me, Bowling Green and WKU are what Starkvegas and MSU should have been as 2 team players helping each other.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Starkville is nothing like Bowling Green, so not even close enough to make a comparison.

The more apt comparison is Hattiesburg to Bowling Green. They are very similar.

 

[Pookieray]

Wife and I came through BG about two years ago now and we both commented how nice everything was and you could really tell the growth by all the new shops and restaurants.

 

[olblue]

Wife and I came through BG about two years ago now and we both commented how nice everything was and you could really tell the growth by all the new shops and restaurants.

Between WKU, the I-65 corridor, and its close proximity to Nashville, Bowling Green is thriving. And a great place to call home.

 

[TroyMcClure2025]

Having lived there, BG, like other comparably-sized towns has its share of shitholes.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Having lived there, BG, like other comparably-sized towns has its share of shitholes.

Is it 19.83% nicer than Starkville?

 

[mstateglfr]

Is it 19.83% nicer than Starkville?

Its definitely close to that, but slightly different. Starkville is 19.83% worse.

 

[Maroon13]

I tracked up to South Bend this summer. Along the way and back, I dropped by Illinois, ND and Indiana.

Bloomington and Indiana University were the best of the 3. Cool college town with a stip of bars, restaurants and shops leading up to campus. IU has a pretty campus too with Greek life that would rival any sec school. Bloomington is just the right size for a college town, not small, not big, but big enough to have what you need there. Not a bad drive to Indianapolis either.

Notre Dames campus was beautiful. First class campus with beautiful architecture. The town area near the school was decent. The rest of south bend is meh.

Illinois.... decent campus with some unique architecture. The football stadium was the nicest building I saw on the campus. Champaign is an industrial looking city, ugly.

 

[40 acres and a mule]

Starkville would be a lot different if GM had started building Corvettes there in 1981. Just saying.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

Starkvegas was like. Bowling Green KY. I had to go to Louisville this past weekend and as I went up I-65, I came across Bowling Green and hadn't been up that way in quite a few years. Back in that day, I never really noticed their city, but last weekend I was highly impressed with how much it had grown and seemed to be of a much higher quality area than I ever remembered. They have a really big and colorful city sign poised on the north and south side of the city limits on I-65. No way you can not know you're entering their town. Their city and WKU seemed to be in lockstep of promotig each other in great harmony. Made me think of how bad the relationship between Starkvegas and MSU was over many years. Too bad. To me, Bowling Green and WKU are what Starkvegas and MSU should have been as 2 team players helping each other.

You've lost your damn mind. Go back to bed.

 

[Maroon13]

As I sipped coffee I watched a YouTube video that ranked the sec football stadiums.

We ranked 13 or 14. But I don't care what anyone says, the campus area immediately around Davis Wade is one the best landscapes in all of the sec. Most schools have parking lots or wasted area that doesn't allow access to the stadium. We have more green area than most and our tailgating is closer to the stadium than most.

Once they bulldoze the Guest house/PD station that will open more green space on the east side

 

[onewoof]

their downtown sucks, there is one downtown area on the rise and it aint them bro, outdated and decaying even though they pressure wash it yearly

 

[L4Dawg]

Starkville is turning into a pretty decent college town. It could have happened a lot earlier if the locals had embraced MSU from the beginning. That didn't really even START to happen until 30-40 years ago. It has only really happened in the last 15-20 years.

 

[dorndawg]

As I sipped coffee I watched a YouTube video that ranked the sec football stadiums.

We ranked 13 or 14. But I don't care what anyone says, the campus area immediately around Davis Wade is one the best landscapes in all of the sec. Most schools have parking lots or wasted area that doesn't allow access to the stadium. We have more green area than most and our tailgating is closer to the stadium than most.

Once they bulldoze the Guest house/PD station that will open more green space on the east side

If wide open unpopulated spaces around the stadium is cool, we're about to be Miles Davis

 

[TroyMcClure2025]

Is it 19.83% nicer than Starkville?

I’ll only say anyone that considers Starkville a top-tier college town has seldom left Mississippi. And yes, Tuscaloosa also sucks.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Illinois.... decent campus with some unique architecture. The football stadium was the nicest building I saw on the campus. Champaign is an industrial looking city, ugly.

I went to AF Tech School nearby in Rantoul, IL. Coming from the 'Sip it was the first time I saw real cold and real snow. It got worse, my next base was Northern Maine.

 

[paindonthurt]

I’ll only say anyone that considers Starkville a top-tier college town has seldom left Mississippi. And yes, Tuscaloosa also sucks.

I’m curious to see what your top 5 are. I don’t think Starkville is a top 5 or 10 in the country but it’s a good college town.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

I’m curious to see what your top 5 are. I don’t think Starkville is a top 5 or 10 in the country but it’s a good college town.

Here's my top 5 in two flavors:

Small college towns

Bozeman, MT (Montana State)
Missoula , MT (University of Montana)
Golden, CO (Colorado School of Mines)
Boone, NC (Appalachian State)
Logan, Utah (Utah State)

Bigger Cities

Boise, ID (Boise State)
Salt Lake City, UT (University of Utah)
Spokane, WA (Gonzaga)
Fort Collins, CO (Colorado State)
Honolulu, Hawaii (University of Hawaii)

 

[paindonthurt]

Here's my top 5 in two flavors:

Small college towns

Bozeman, MT (Montana State)
Missoula , MT (University of Montana)
Golden, CO (Colorado School of Mines)
Boone, NC (Appalachian State)
Logan, Utah (Utah State)

Bigger Cities

Boise, ID (Boise State)
Salt Lake City, UT (University of Utah)
Spokane, WA (Gonzaga)
Fort Collins, CO (Colorado State)
Honolulu, Hawaii (University of Hawaii)

Haven't been to a single one!!

 

[onewoof]

Haven't been to a single one!!

you aint missin nothin, nothin at all

 

[leeinator]

Starkville is nothing like Bowling Green, so not even close enough to make a comparison.

The more apt comparison is Hattiesburg to Bowling Green. They are very similar.

I wasn't comparing, just wishing we were more like them, but I kind of figured you wouldn't have known that.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I wasn't comparing, just wishing we were more like them, but I kind of figured you wouldn't have known that.

Well I figured that anybody that lives in reality would compare to a town status that we could actually achieve.

The better question is how can Starkville (and the Golden Triangle) simply be different. We are the only Power 5 program that is not anywhere near an interstate. We also don't have any decently sized metro areas anywhere near us. We really had to try hard to put ourselves this far off the map.
Then on top of that, you'd think anything around the area would see the golden goose that is a university, but instead, the locals see the University as a hindrance. Nothing's ever perfect in life but damn we sure did a number on ourselves. Thank the Lord we have the SEC - best decision we've ever made.

Either way, we're going to have to embrace the rurality. Just like football, trying to market 'development' just puts us in a long line behind literally everyone else.