hypothetical wooly scenario; f/u question

[windcrysmary]

let's say we pull off a great 5 year football stretch... maybe even a SEC championship in that mix...

would it be impossible for us to develop a program that would justify an 80K stadium? in order to do that, we would have to generate interest from football fans in the area that are not , at this time, MSU fans.... all big time programs have fans who didn't grow up being fans of or attending the big time program...

is alabama so much better than Mississippi in regards to money, population etc that they can have (2) 90K plus stadiums and MS can't have one?

 

[AssEndDawg]

is alabama so much better than Mississippi in regards to money, population etc that they can have (2) 90K plus stadiums and MS can't have one?

Population:
Alabama - 4,708,708
Mississippi - 2,951,996

Tuscaloosa - 179,448
Oktibbeha - 43,944

Birmingham metro - 1,212,848
Jackson metro - 539,005

Distance from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa - 58.9 miles
Distance from Jackson to Starkville - 125 miles

Alabama is so much better in placing their schools and in having a hell of a lot more people. It's hard to get non-Alumni fans to drive two hours for a game. This is why they don't build pro-football stadiums out in the middle of nowhere.

 

[windcrysmary]

thanks for the stats though... sobering indeed..

what's the drive from jackson like these days?... 4-laned 25 yet?...how long does it take?... what about from mphs?

I'm still thinking a couple of bcs bowls and an SEC championship would have us a 70-80k stadium....

 

[Columbus Dawg]

about an 80K plus stadium. A bowled in stadium of 65K is plenty big for MSU and would be an unbelievable atmosphere. That is all we should be focusing on. I think Soldier Field only seats 62K. Several NFL teams are less than 70K. No need to get caught up with the LSU's and UT's of the SEC. Plus traffic flow would be horrible.

 

[futaba.79]

not a huge one.

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

...ironic how Washington D.C. is currently obssessed with austerity measures & deficit reduction, while out in SEC land, people are spending like drunken sailors (looking at you, University of Mississippi) with no mind being paid to common sense expenditures.


If you are going to build a 80K seat stadium @ Miss. State University, then you had better be planning on winning 8 or more games for 20 years running.


Otherwise, by the time you hit your Croomesque losing streaks, you are just going to have a giant homage to narcissistic indulgence chewing up the campus scenery.

 

[boatsnhoes]

this is all we need and it is beautiful.</p>

 

[AssEndDawg]

From the South/East outskirts of Memphis; 2 hours 15 minutes
From inside the Memphis loop: 2 hours 45 minutes (yes, it takes 30 #%*@%+# minutes to get out of Memphis)

From Madison: 1 Hour 30 minutes
From Jackson: 1 Hour 45 minutes
From Brandon/Clinton: 2 Hours

Highway 25 is 4 lane the entire way. From Memphis you either have to go I-55 to Winona and then Highway 82 to Starkville or you take Highway 78 to Tupelo and then Hwy 45 to Hwy 82. I go the Tupelo route because it's faster. Both are 4 lane the whole way. There is no straight shot from Memphis to Starkville that doesn't suck.

ETA: All times estimated, your driving may vary. This is what I get keeping the cruise at about 5 MPH over the posted speed limit.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

You are correct. Your pic is of a beautiful stadium.

But DWS will be a horseshoe, with maybe a few select seats up the outsides of the video board, but those will not be premium seating because they will have no view of the Nation's 2nd largest Video Board. That Video Board IS the signature of DWS and will be there for yearsssss to come.

 

[Roy Munson.sixpack]

a 10 year lifespan. That is NOT the signature part of the stadium. It will be replaced in 10 years or less regardless. The stadium has been there for damn near 100.

 

[Sutterkane]

Mississippi sports one of the worst high school education numbers, along with **** tons of counties in the bottom 100 counties in the USA for per capita income.

Mississippi can improve, but it's a 2 way process.

1. Become more liberal on some social issues, such as becoming more lax on local drinking laws...have a state lottery that does nothing but send funds to education....etc.

2. Become more conservative in fiscal things, such as getting rid of the state income tax and reducing car tag/tax prices. This also includes consolidation of universities.

Oh, and get the 17ing flag straightened out. Mississippi probably isn't first choice for the NCAA and other organizations to hold events in, but having a flag that has the confederate battle standard isn't helping things. Cite pride all you want and the lack of alternatives but get it done already....at this point it's simply hurting the state.

Once the state itself starts improving on these issues, more companies will want to move their businesses to the state, which means more jobs, and more people. More people = more students = bigger potential fanbase.

rant over.

 

[o_fredgarvin]

unless you do like the Grizzlies and sell upper deck seat for $5. Mississippi is too poor and too small of a population. I'll be happy with 65K seats.

 

[the next big thing]

and thus far have failed.