For some people, Saturday marks the beginning of a new era, the Croom Era. For some people, tomorrow starts the annual tradition that is almost religious in the South. Tomorrow, about 55,000 people will have the opportunity to experience life at Mississippi State University for the opening of the 2004 college football season.
Director of game-day parking Chris Nettles and his team have been preparing the campus to accommodate all 55,000 visitors. “We will be utilizing every conceivable space for parking,” he said.
Some of those “conceivable spaces” include the new 90-space lot behind Lloyd-Ricks and a new lot to the west of the stadium that will hold almost 200 cars, said Dean of Students Mike White.
Nettles said that some grass spaces have to be used “because there are not enough paved, painted spaces on campus.”
Other areas that will open for parking are those lots beside Hamlin and Critz halls.
Residence hall construction should not affect game-day parking, said Police Chief Thomas Johnson.
Nettles said the university offers a service to residence hall occupants.
“We pay desk assistants to work the parking lots behind residence halls and keep them open for residents with decals,” he said.
Some residents in North Zone parking areas (especially Hull Hall residents) will be required to move their cars to make room for season ticket holders. These residents will be allowed to move their cars to Barr Avenue or to the Hamlin Hall parking lot.
“We sell students a parking decal and that decal becomes their reserved pass on game days,” Nettles said. “We try our best to give students a place to park. It may not be where they want to park, but it is a guaranteed place for them.”
Students who are parked in the parallel spaces along George Perry Street are required to move their cars before Saturday morning to accommodate two-way traffic leaving campus after the game.
“Students who do not move their cars by 6 a.m. will get a phone call from the campus police telling them to move,” said Johnson.
There will be no expense to students, but the university will have to pay a $90 towing fee, said Nettles.
Visitors bringing recreational vehicles will only be allowed to park in two designated lots on campus, which is a change from last season. Due to security reasons, individual game ticket holders will only be allowed to park their RVs in the recreational center parking lot. “Here, visitors will not be susceptible to harassment and vandalism as they have been in the past because we will provide 24-hour security,” Nettles said.
Season ticket holders must park their RVs in the designated lots near the Humphrey Coliseum.
Another change being made from last season is with the disabled parking ticket holders. Season ticket holders that require disabled parking will be allowed to park in the Bost Extension Center lot for west-side tickets or in Memorial Hall for east- and west-side tickets, said Nettles. Individual game disabled parking is available near Thompson, Montgomery and McCain Halls.
“Two golf carts will be available for transportation assistance and one van will provide wheelchair access,” said Nettles.
Johnson warned visitors against parking on Sorority and Fraternity rows. “After the game, we will give visitors 20 minutes to move their vehicles before we start towing.” Johnson said this is necessary for emergency vehicles to access the roads.
Visitors who park off campus and walk to Davis Wade Stadium are encouraged to use the bicycle path on University Drive to access campus.
“Crossing Miss. Highway 12 on foot is not safe,” Nettles said.
After the game, all traffic must exit using George Perry Street Johnson said that even those who live off East Lee Blvd. will be required to exit on George Perry to U.S. Highway 82. “They can turn east on 82 and then come up East Lee to their homes,” he said.
White said, “Some view college game days as a disruption, but I view it as an opportunity to show off MSU and the Starkville community.”