Super Bulldog Weekend will draw Mississippi State University fans, students and alumni to campus to enjoy the annual event that showcases spring athletics and serves as host to many other on-campus activities. The MSU baseball team will host the University of Georgia in a three-game series. The softball team will host Georgetown University and Mississippi Valley State University in games to be played Saturday and Sunday.
Also during the weekend the 2008 Maroon and White football scrimmage kicks off Saturday at noon.
Other events include the Track and Field Bulldog Invitational at Spencer Stadium’s Maddox track and women’s tennis matches Friday and Sunday.
The series of activities, which was created by the athletic department, began as “Super Saturday” and has expanded over the years into a weekend-long event, said Jimmy Abraham, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association.
“This is the brainchild of the athletic department, and the focus of this weekend is the many athletic events that are taking place, including the spring football game and the baseball games,” Abraham said. “It’s become so successful that other areas on campus have events to support what’s taking place with what the athletic department has put on.”
There are programs planned for class reunions also taking place this weekend, Abraham said. He said he’s excited about bringing the alumni back to State.
“[There will be] a lot of opportunities for them to gather together and reminisce about old times here at Mississippi State University and why it’s so special to them,” Abraham said.
The MSU classes being honored this year include 1938, 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963 and 1968.
Super Bulldog Weekend in The Junction, scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday and sponsored by the Office of Admissions and Scholarships, will showcase campus departments, organizations and groups.
Nathan Moore, assistant director of admissions and scholarships, said the event is an opportunity to recruit prospective students to MSU.
“It’ll end up being the university’s largest recruiting event of the year, but it’s in conjunction with the broader weekend celebration at MSU,” he said.
The event, which has been part of Super Bulldog Weekend for three years, is mirrored after what used to be Fall Discovery Day, which was held during a football game day in the fall.
Along with information booths spread throughout the Junction, the event will also host exhibits, entertainment, free food and campus tours.
Moore said Admissions and Scholarships will be giving out complimentary tickets to the scrimmage to prospective students.
“We’ve made it a big push to make this the premiere recruiting event in the spring at Mississippi State … this year we’re hoping to make a big push for about 1,000 [prospective students],” Moore said.
The effort to entice future students to attend the event, Moore said, included mailing more than 55,000 direct mail postcards.
Admissions and scholarships staffers also advertised the weekend in newspapers and sent posters to high schools.
“I think what makes the event so much fun is that not only is it taking place in what is a really exciting weekend, but that they have choices and they can choose to do anything or see anything they would like,” Moore said.
The grand opening of the Union will also coincide with the weekend’s events and will include music, art, book signings and other presentations, said Colvard Student Union director Eddie Keith.
“We’ll have a lot of visitors,” Keith said. “In addition, there’s a big recruiting event in the Junction so we’re thinking alumni, prospective students and their parents and families are going to be in the building and we want to show it off.”
Abraham said the sporting events are the main draw for people to Super Bulldog Weekend, which serves as the spring homecoming for MSU.
“There’s no other weekend in the spring where this takes place,” Abraham said. “People plan to come for Super Bulldog Weekend. It’s such a big event on our campus. It’s something that people plan for a year or so in advance.