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Time to complete your game day planning

By Thomas K. Stark

Nov 14, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs fans fill the Junction before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs fans fill the Junction before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /
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START PLANNING NOW, WE ARE JUST 9 DAYS AWAY FROM THE START OF THE 2016 FOOTBALL SEASON.

Yes, it’s true, the countdown until the start of the 2016 football season has reached single digits.  Next weekend, we’ll all be sweltering in the 11 AM heat as the Bulldogs open the season at home against South Alabama.

That means it’s time to review, assess and finalize your game day plans.  The key to a successful home game weekend is planning and preparation.   And with an 11 AM kickoff for the first game, you’ll be pushed to handle things next weekend, so get them done now.

Related Story: 2016 Season Hype Video

Here are a few suggestions from an old pro (me) that you may want to consider:

  1. Take care of the home front. If you’ve been promising your spouse you’ll take care of something “this summer”, guess what?  “This summer” effectively ends this weekend.  The following two weekends are MSU home games, so knock out those “honey do” items this weekend.
  2. Check your wardrobe. There’s nothing like pulling out your favorite maroon, white, black or grey polo, only to discover it’s too frazzled to wear. And in spite of my tongue –in-cheek article a few weeks ago about wearing the right colors, most of you will want to wear the designated color for the game. So make sure everything’s in order now, while there’s still time to visit your local sports apparel shop or order online, if necessary.
  3. Locate your tailgate necessities. Chairs, tents, tables, grills, coolers – these things have a way of getting misplaced or in some cases, loaned out to friends who forget to return them.  Take an inventory now so you’ll be ready to go next weekend.
  4. Get your paper products, bottled water, soft drinks, beer and liquor now. The last thing you want to be in Starkville on game day weekend is stand in a long line at Wal-Mart or Corky’s.  Save yourself the hassle.
  5. Familiarize yourself with traffic flow and parking around the stadium. Things sometimes change from year to year, so don’t assume everything is the same as last year. MSU publishes a fan guide containing this information that you can find here.
  6. Make sure you know where your tickets are. Yeah I know, it’s basic, but one time I misplaced my tickets and spent two hours searching the house for them. Now they have a permanent place that never changes, so I always know where to find them.
  7. Locate your cowbell. Again, probably not a problem for most folks, but I’ve had to go to games without my bell because I couldn’t find it. Now our bells live at our place in Starkville so we can never go off and leave them.

Next: MSU will have a clear bag policy for football games

Hopefully these suggestions will be of some help to you.  The long wait is almost over and another great season of MSU football is upon us.  So have fun, be safe and  #HailState!

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