Fall game days at Davis Wade Stadium are the highlight of the week for many students, but the challenge of buying student football tickets can keep some students from making it into the stadium. 
Football is the only sport at Mississippi State University where students have to purchase tickets in advance, and to many, the process seems confusing.
However, the ticket purchasing process has gotten easier than in years past.
Not long ago, students lined up in the Junction to purchase their tickets.
Graduate student Rachel Wolfe remembers her freshman experience buying tickets.
“It was not fun—it was a long process, and hot,” Wolfe said.
Now the process takes place online.
The first step to buying tickets is to join Hail State Rewards, a free online program where students accumulate points instead of money to purchase prizes and experiences.
Students can sign up at HailState.com/rewards to start earning points by downloading the Rewards app on their phone. If students sign up for Hail State Rewards before a certain date, they can purchase their tickets two days earlier than anyone else on campus.
Unfortunately, the deadline to join the program was August 17 at 11:59 p.m.
Students can still join the program to earn rewards, but they will not be eligible for early ticket purchase.
For students who have joined Hail State Rewards, tickets will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. August 21, but for all other students, tickets go on sale two days later at 8:30 a.m. August 23.
To purchase season tickets, students need to visit hailstate.com/studenttickets and sign-in to their student account. Students can charge the tickets to their student account, or they can purchase them with a debit or credit card.
The tickets will download to a student’s MSU ID. Once the transaction goes through, the MSU Ticket Office will send a confirmation email that the tickets are downloaded. Students do not have to worry about seating until game day. The student section, which is in the north end zone of the stadium, is general admission, and seating is first come first serve. 
Regena Williams, a ticket representative for the MSU Ticket Office, said the student section holds 10,500 students, and students can buy guest tickets the Tuesday before home games.
“The Tuesday before home games, we allot a certain amount for student guest tickets,” Williams said. “The website opens up at 8 a.m. and they are usually sold out about 9 or 9:30 a.m.”
A student must have seasons tickets in order to purchase guest tickets.  The process is online, and once it is completed the student can print out their guest ticket.
“So, why not buy student season tickets?” Williams said.
From a financial standpoint, it makes sense to get season tickets, Williams said. Last year, student season tickets were $55, while the price of one guest ticket ranged from $35 to $75 depending on the prestige of the opponent.  This year, the student ticket price has risen to $70 and guest prices have not yet been announced.
For the most updated information and links, visit hailstate.com/studenttickets.
Contact Melissa Weitzel at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter.