Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.—It’s the battle of the Bulldogs this Saturday [Sept. 4] as Mississippi State opens its 2021 football season at home against non-conference opponent Louisiana Tech. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. in Davis Wade Stadium, and gates open at 12:45 p.m.
MSU fans are expected to “ring true” as their Bulldogs experience their first official matchup since winning the 2020 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on New Year’s Eve against Tulsa. Game viewing will be on ESPNU or fans can listen for free at https://hailstate.com/showcase?Live=1865.
Road Closures, 4 hours before kickoff:
- Creelman St. from Tracy Drive to Stone Blvd.; Stone Blvd. from Bost Drive to Bully Blvd.; Barr Ave. from Bost Drive to College View Drive; College View Drive from Bailey Howell Drive to Barr Ave.; and Old Bully Blvd. from Bully Blvd.
Parking information, only cashless transactions—debit and credit cards—for all public paid lots:
Lee Blvd.
- Lee Blvd. parking spaces, next to Bell Island, are now Reserved ADA parking and parking for visiting team buses only.
- Fans who wish to tailgate at Bell Island can still drop off tailgating supplies until 4 hours before kickoff and 3 hours for an 11 a.m. game (cutoff is 11 a.m. for the LA Tech kickoff at 3 p.m.) At the cutoff time, roads surrounding Davis Wade Stadium are closed to reduce vehicle traffic due to the influx of pedestrian traffic.
- No trailers or vehicles are allowed to stay parked overnight in these spaces.
- Any vehicles left on Lee Blvd. will be relocated Saturday morning.
McArthur Hall
- The 8 parking spaces in front of McArthur Hall on Barr Ave. are no longer open spaces for game day parking. They have been converted to accommodate official game day parking needs.
- Any vehicles left parked at McArthur Hall will be relocated Saturday morning.
Expanded Public Parking
- Lot 13, next to the Fresh Foods dining facility, has expanded and now has 300 new parking spaces available for game day public parking.
Transit Services, boarding not allowed without face mask due to federal and MSU transit requirements:
Free transit service is provided by Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit (SMART) on game days from various on and off campus locations to Giles Hall, Newell Grissom and Old Main Academic Center. Below are routes and stop locations fans can use to access campus via SMART. For more on schedules, routes and stops, visit www.smart.msstate.edu.
4 hours prior to kickoff until 2 hours after the game’s end:
- ADA Public North and South Parking Lots: North Campus ADA transit provided from 100 Research Blvd. to Old Main Academic Center. South Campus ADA provided from the Animal and Dairy Science parking lot on Wise Center Drive to Newell Grissom
- Research Park Public Parking Area (North Campus, Hwy 182) provided from other parking lots in the Research Park to Giles Hall
- Wise Center and Rec Plex (South Campus, Blackjack Road and Hail State Blvd.) provided from other Wise Center parking lots and the Scales Building to Newell Grissom
- Davis Wade Express (Lampkin and Jackson Streets | Starkville Daily News) provided from the Lampkin St. and Jackson St. intersection to Giles Hall
- Mississippi Horse Park provided from the Horse Park to Newell Grissom; RV reservations with the Horse Park required
- No coolers are allowed on any MSU Transit buses
SMART Routes: Provide continuous service Monday-Saturday, including game day from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. or until 2 hours after the game’s end (whichever is later). To view routes and schedules, visit https://www.smart.msstate.edu/schedule-and-routes.
Restroom Locations:
- Junction Jane and Johns in the Junction and across from Fresh Foods
- Portables at Amphitheater, Dorman Hall, Sorority Grass, Research Park and Vet School
- Inside Allen, Hilbun, McArthur and Memorial halls; Bost Extension “B”, Roberts and Butler Guest House-Williams buildings; Humphrey Coliseum-east exterior, Newell Grissom gym and Soccer Stadium
Eateries (Colvard Student Union closed):
- Marketplace at Perry, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 5-8 p.m.
- Food trucks and a beverage tent at the Hailstate Tailgate in the Coke Fan Fest area, Stone Blvd., adjacent to the Junction, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- Steak ‘n Shake, Roberts Building, Lee Blvd., noon-11 p.m.
- Subway, north end of Perry Hall next to the Union, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Football fans attending Saturday’s game are encouraged to plan their parking and departure route in advance and follow the instructions of officers directing traffic. Game and traffic information will be updated on Twitter @HailStateFamily and @msstatepd.
For complete gameday information, including parking and traffic flow maps, visit www.hailstate.com/gameday.
Tickets remain for the game and can be purchased now at HailState.com/tickets, by calling 1-888-GO-DAWGS or in person at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office, first floor, Bryan Athletic Administration Building (288 Lakeview Drive), now-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.