Not up to code and homeless, JSU looks for state assistance

May 18, 2008

Stadium's future now lies in JSU's, DFA's hands

Sid Salter
ssalter@clarionledger.com

The last time that Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium was filled to its official capacity of 60,492, your trusty scribe had a reasonably full head of hair. Consider the photo of the bald guy below Exhibit A in today's column.

For anyone looking seriously at the future of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, the numbers tell the tale. The last time Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium was filled to capacity was 1984, when Alcorn State University took on Mississippi Valley State University for the 1984 SWAC championship. Alcorn beat Valley 42-28 before 63,808 fans.

Originally called Mississippi Memorial Stadium, the stadium was proposed as a 35,000-seat monument to the state's veterans of World Wars I and II. The stadium was later completed to the 46,000 seat level in the 1950s.

The stadium often had capacity crowds for Southeastern Conference games in the 1960s and 1970s - crowds swelling to the point that in 1980, the decision was made to expand the stadium by 16,500 seats to 62,500 seats. Subsequent renovations dropped the current seating to the official 60,492 seats.

Change of direction

But almost before the expansion was completed, changing sports management economics nationwide made it more profitable for Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Mississippi to play their home games on campus rather than in Jackson. The schools slowly stopped playing in Jackson. A 1988 Clarion-Ledger analysis showed that in the eight seasons following the 1980 expansion, only 24 of 103 football games drew more fans than the pre-expansion capacity of 46,000.

State-owned stadiums at Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Mississippi were expanded and retrofitted for modern conveniences like skyboxes and chairback seats. They also are fully compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Alcorn State got a new modern stadium built on the Lorman campus. MVSU's Willie Totten Stadium got a makeover of sorts as well.

But Jackson State still doesn't have an on-campus stadium and is still playing in Veteran's Stadium.

Here's where the numbers begin to complicate things.

Where are the fans?

In 2007, JSU's storied football program returned to prominence, beating Grambling State 42-31 to win the 2007 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship - JSU's first SWAC title since 1996 and the school's 16th in its history.

But through the first six JSU "home" games at Veterans Stadium, attendance averaged 12,818. Even with 32,506 fans who attended the 2007 Capital City Classic game between JSU and arch rival Alcorn, the season "home" game attendance average was 15,631.

JSU justifiably wants its own on-campus stadium, like all of Mississippi's football-playing public colleges and universities already have. But dismal attendance figures in a championship season don't help JSU's cause.

Those figures don't help build a new on-campus stadium and they don't help keep "the Vet" standing.

Beginning July 1, the stadium will be managed by the Department of Finance and Administration. JSU will manage and promote its own football games. DFA is working to bring the stadium up to code and to improve traffic control, concessions and other amenities.

But the bottom line is, well, bottoms - bottoms in seats, that is.

That's funny....

even JSU fans don't like JSU

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TightEye,

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