Just as the phoenix rises from its own ashes, The Junction, a new tailgating and gathering attraction, will rise from the remains of the infamous Malfunction Junction after its slated summer deconstruction.
Ray Hayes, vice president of finance and administration for MSU, said The Junction will be a grassy area spanning from the front of the M-Club to as far as the outdoor auditorium next to Frat Row.
“Basically, taking out all three lights and two streets creates a big green space in front of the stadium,” Hayes said. “It’s going to be big, the size of a football field at least.”
“It’s going to be a very well-landscaped area and a prime tailgating location,” SA President Adam Telle said. “I don’t know of any other university that has tailgating opportunities so close to the football stadium.”
Hayes said the green space can hold more than 200 groups of tailgaters during athletic events. Vehicles, however, will not be part of the festivities.
“The current thinking is that there will be no vehicles [on the lawn],” Hayes said. “It’ll be more of a picnic area.”
Tailgating events will not be the only affairs held at The Junction.
Hayes said when athletic events aren’t going on, students can utilize the space to participate in activities like flag football or ultimate Frisbee. On top of that, campus organizations can use the area to hold their own events.
“It’ll be used for lots of things,” Hayes said. “Organizations will look at using it for their functions; it will be, in many ways, a supplement to the Drill Field.”
Telle and other SA members are taking part in the planning of The Junction.
“We’ve been working with administrators such as [Hayes] to try to make the most out of this opportunity to really outshine everybody else when it comes to tailgating,” Telle said.
“We’ve asked that several landmarks out there be preserved,” he added. “We also proposed the concept of a brick pathway, basically on the axis that connects the M Club and Dorman Hall.”
Telle said some concepts and options regarding the completion of The Junction are still being discussed.
“Our main goal is to see campus organizations have prime real estate where they can set up and barbeque or whatever they want to do before the games, along with alumni and fans,” Telle said. “I’d like to see ‘The Junction’ become a place where students and alumni can tailgate together and just build synergy.”
Telle believes people will use the area frequently, even when there is no tailgating.
“The real estate there is going to be used by people no matter what,” Telle said. “I don’t see why this place wouldn’t be somewhere you’d see students throwing frisbees or just laying on a blanket.”
“‘The Junction’ is a great idea, and we’re thankful that the administrators have been supportive and have listened to students’ input, but we need even more student input,” he said.
Freshman interior design major Faeh Herring advocates the idea of “The Junction.” As a Starkville native, Herring said she has attended tailgating events at MSU her entire life.
“[The Junction] is a great idea,” Herring said. “It will be really good for students and alumni to come together to support their team.”
Hayes said he is confident about “The Junction” as well.
“It’ll evolve as time goes on, but I anticipate that it will be heavily utilized from the start,” Hayes said.