Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜s anticipation builds for Jeff Lebby鈥檚 first appearance Saturday [Aug. 31] as head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the university is reminding fans about safety precautions and other updates ahead of the matchup against the non-conference Eastern Kentucky Colonels. With a 5 p.m. kickoff in Davis Wade Stadium, gates open two hours and 15 minutes prior to the game.
Fans can visit for the most complete gameday information, and up-to-the-minute transportation details will be available at . Other gameday and campus information can be found by following on X, formerly known as Twitter.
All parking on campus is reserved for Bulldog Club members or is available for purchase using a debit or credit card. Multiple roads close on campus on gamedays with most roads only being accessible by those with a valid reserved or paid game day permit.
SEC Network+ is broadcasting this first contest between these two teams.
On Friday [Aug. 30], the annual Cowbell Yell pep rally moves to the Junction this year and welcomes singer/songwriter Ernest as the headliner. Click here for more details. 聽
New This Season
鈥擬ississippi State encourages fans to download and use the to enter and exit campus on gameday. Waze will have updated road closures and traffic patterns. Visit to find directions to your specific parking lot.
鈥擠avis Wade Stadium will be fully cashless in 2024. The cash to card exchange service at select State Style Store locations will no longer be available due to low redemption and to align with industry standard. Fans are encouraged to bring their debit or credit card or purchase a pre-paid card at a local bank or retail store prior to visiting campus.
鈥擜t the main entrance to campus from Highway 12, Stone Blvd. will be closed from Hwy. 12 to Bost Drive for improved pedestrian traffic flow. Tailgaters along this area of Stone Blvd. can access it by using Bully Blvd. and Stone Blvd. up to 4 hours prior to the game when road closures begin.
鈥All parking permit holders east of Stone Blvd. and south of Lee Blvd. should use Hardy Road as their access point, not Stone Blvd.
鈥擴niversity Drive at Camp St. will close 4 hours prior to the game and will only be open to permits.
鈥擳he grass space between campus sidewalks and open public tailgate areas has been expanded from 8鈥 to 12鈥 to allow improved pedestrian movement throughout the Junction and other public tailgate areas on campus.
鈥擜s with the final two games of last season, the north Junction grass area adjacent to Davis Wade Stadium has been closed to public tailgate tents.
鈥擜lso, Hail State Tailgate on Creelman Street will expand its hours, opening 4.5 hours before kickoff.
Road Closures, Friday [Aug. 30] and Saturday [Aug. 31]
鈥擝.S. Hood Drive closes Friday, 2 p.m., and remains closed all day Saturday; Creelman St. closes Thursday, 6 p.m., for Friday night鈥檚 Cowbell Yell and opens Saturday for one-way traffic for tailgaters until 5 hours prior to kickoff; Famous Maroon Band St. closes Friday, 6 p.m., with residents entering from President鈥檚 Circle to Magruder St.; Barr Ave. from Collegeview Drive to Garner Circle will close Saturday, 6 a.m.
Roadblocks beginning Saturday, 7 a.m.
鈥擥eorge Perry St. at Bailey Howell Drive; Bailey Howell and Barr Ave.; Bailey Howell and Collegeview Drive; Lee Blvd. and Wingo Way; Lee Blvd. at Bailey Howell; Hardy St. and Morrill Rd.
Roadblocks beginning Saturday 4 hours before kickoff
鈥擟ollegeview Drive and Hwy. 12 off ramp; University Drive at Camp St.; Hardy St. and Blackjack Road; Bully Blvd. and Old Bully Blvd.; Stone Blvd. and Bost Extension; Barr Ave. and Bost Drive; Stone Blvd. from Hwy. 12 to Bully Blvd. will close 4 hours before kickoff
Transit Services
鈥擣ree transit service is provided by Starkville-91传媒 Area Rapid Transit (SMART) on game days from various on and off campus locations to Newell Grissom and Old Main Academic Center. For schedules, routes and stops, visit聽.
From ADA Public North and South Parking Lots
鈥擭orth Campus transit service is provided from 100 Research Blvd. to Old Main Academic Center (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)
鈥擲outh Campus transit service is provided from the Animal and Dairy Sciences parking lot on Wise Center Drive to Newell Grissom (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)
From Research Park Public Parking Area (North Campus | Hwy. 182)
鈥擯rovided from other parking lots in the Research Park to Old Main Academic Center (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)
From Wise Center and Rec Plex (South Campus | Blackjack Road and Hail State Blvd.)
鈥擯rovided from other Wise Center parking lots and the Scales Building to Newell Grissom (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)
From Davis Wade Express (Lampkin and Jackson Sts.)
鈥擯rovided from the Lampkin St. and Jackson St. intersection to Old Main Academic Center (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)
SMART Routes
鈥擱outes provide continuous service Monday-Saturday, including game day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or until 2 hours after game (whichever is later). Bus tracking information can be found by visiting聽.
鈥擲tarkville Central SMART Route:聽Walmart Supercenter, Kroger, Avenue of Patriots, Whitfield Street, Greensboro Street, Downtown, Midtown to Old Main Academic Center: Stop locations are at the Chevron on the Avenue of Patriots, the intersection of Whitfield and Scales Street, the Greensboro Center, City Hall, Regions Bank and the Old Main Academic Center
鈥擲tarkville South SMART Route:聽Walmart Supercenter, Kroger, Medicaid, Sportsplex, Lynn Lane, Loxley Way, Wise Center, and Animal Dairy Science to Newell Grissom
鈥擲tarkville North SMART Route:聽Walmart Supercenter, Abernathy, Mallory Ln, JL King Park, Reed Road, OCH, Reed Place, Garrard Road West and East, Walmart Neighborhood Market, Starkville Flatts to Old Main Academic
From Mississippi Horse Park
鈥擳ransit Service is provided from the Mississippi Horse Park to Newell Grissom (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)
鈥擱V reservations with the聽聽are required. No coolers are allowed on any 91传媒 Transit buses.
Rideshare
鈥擳he designated pick-up and drop-off location for rideshare will once again be at the The Mill at 91传媒.
Restroom Locations
鈥擝uildings: Allen, Hilbun, Bost Extension 鈥淏,鈥 Butler-Williams/91传媒PD, Colvard Union, McArthur, Newell-Grisham, Roberts, Soccer Pressbox, Welcome Center
鈥擳railers: Fresh Foods, Junction Jane and Johns
鈥擯ortables: Bost, East Herbert/IED, Herzer, Pace Seed grass, and Sorority grass lots; Amphitheater, North Garage-east, east and west Wise Center (Vet School), West Dorman (moved from east side); Research Park bus stop
Eateries for Saturday
鈥擣resh Food Co., 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
鈥擝ento Sushi, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
鈥擲ubway, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
鈥擲tarbucks, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
鈥擟hick-fil-A, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
鈥擯anda Express, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Also, 鈥淧rovisions on Demand鈥 stores in Dogwood and Hathorn residence halls will open from 5-10 p.m.
Basic first aid is available at the 91传媒 Police tents set up in the Junction.
Tickets are available for the game and can be purchased now at , by calling 1-888-GO-DAWGS or in person at the 91传媒 Athletic Ticket Office, first floor, Bryan Athletic Administration Building (288 Lakeview Drive), now-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The ticket office on the north side of Davis Wade Stadium also opens three hours before kickoff.
91传媒 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽.