Mississippi State's athletic department has already announced a significant change to Davis Wade Stadium on the way for the 2025 season, as LED lights will be installed. But they have even bigger plans for football's facilities in the future...
Mississippi State football's Davis Wade Stadium gets new south endzone in proposed future renovations
In a recently unveiled athletics "Master Plan", Mississippi State revealed it's long term vision for Davis Wade Stadium, and it involves the nation's second-oldest college football stadium getting a major facelift.
A rendering of potential South End Zone upgrades in State’s 10 year master plan. Also a look at the IPF at the Seal Complex. pic.twitter.com/27HvjxAUoG
— Robbie Faulk (@robbiefaulkOn3) January 24, 2025
The biggest proposed changes by far come in the south endzone. The plan calls for the removal of the present M-Club building and scoreboard that exist in that endzone and replacing it with an entirely new structure featuring home locker rooms, a variety of premium seating options, and even loft apartments that would entirely enclose that end of the stadium.
This design would allow for MSU to bowl in Davis Wade Stadium without adding more seats than are needed. You get a better looking stadium with new amenities to help attract fans and would likely make gamedays even louder in Starkville by trapping more sound inside the lower bowl. Along with the new endzone, the Master Plan proposes upgrades to Davis Wade's sound system, seating, club levels, and concourses.
Mississippi State football finally gets indoor practice field in athletics Master Plan
Davis Wade Stadium isn't the only football facility in Starkville that could see big changes. There's another proposed facility upgrade for Bulldog football, and it's something the program has been in dire need of for years.
The Master Plan calls for the turf practice field right outside the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex to be fully enclosed, giving football a full-sized indoor practice facility. Currently, Mississippi State is the only SEC football program that does not have a full-sized indoor practice field. The Palmerio Center gives them half a field, but that facility must be shared with baseball.
Giving the football program their own indoor field to practice on is a necessity for the program. Even if the plans for Davis Wade Stadium are adjusted or entirely scrapped, an indoor facility is a must. The move would benefit MSU baseball too, seeing as how the Palmerio Center could become entirely their own facility.
Of course in a perfect world, both of these changes come in the near future for Mississippi State football. These are needed steps for the program as they look to move ahead into the modern era of college football.