Mississippi State University is building off of its success in both tennis and basketball, as the athletic department looks forward to improvements coming for the programs’ respective facilities. 
MSU’s Director of Athletics John Cohen said there will be a new facility for tennis and gave an update on the start of Humphrey Coliseum renovations.
“We are going to build an indoor tennis facility,” Cohen said. “We are marching toward the renovation of the Humphrey Coliseum. We feel very confident about starting construction for that two years from now.”
The new tennis facility is still in the planning stage, but Cohen said it will go right on football practice field four, which is to the left of Nusz Park’s third base side. The installation of indoor tennis facility allows for the team to practice and play regardless of weather conditions. Currently, MSU and its opponents are forced to wait for the courts to dry out first before they can play.
Another big project for athletics is the renovation of Humphrey Coliseum. The renovation is aimed to add more premium seating and a facelift to the concourse area of the arena. The “Hump” was first built in 1975, and portions like the Mize Pavilion and coaches offices were added in 2011. In January, Cohen told The Reflector The Hump is supposed to follow a similar timeline as the Dudy Noble Field renovations.
Cohen said it is very important for the athletic department and the university to continue to improve its athletic facilities as they contend to be one of the best in the Southeastern Conference.
“We play at the highest stage that there is in the Southeastern Conference,” Cohen said. “You have to constantly upgrade your facilities and you want the best experience and opportunities, as you can, for your student athletes. You want your fan base, your alumni and your student body to have a great experience at our events as well.”
MSU’s athletic department has seen a lot of improvements in its programs competing at the national level such as baseball, basketball and tennis this past year, as well as football. Cohen said everything they do is in order to continue to get better as an athletic department.
“We do everything we can do to move forward in that direction,” Cohen said.