Plans are under way as Mississippi State University celebrates the first NCAA Division I SEC game of the season Thursday night against Louisiana State University.
ESPN will be televising the game and also broadcasting from the Junction on Wednesday.Student Association President Jeremy Johnson said there will be a “Cowbell Yell” pep rally in the Junction on Wednesday. Johnson said the Junction opens at 4 p.m. with the pep rally beginning at 5:30 p.m.
MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong’s band BARK will open the pep rally, and the Famous Maroon Band and MSU cheerleaders will also perform, Johnson said.
Plans are still being finalized, but Foglesong and head football coach Sylvester Croom are expected to speak at the rally, he said.
Johnson said the pep really will be a backdrop for the ESPN broadcast. Because this is the first SEC game of the season, ESPN will be televising not only the game, but also some of the pre-game festivities, he said.
From 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, ESPN will
broadcast from the Junction.
“We want to have a strong maroon and white presence there,” Johnson said.
He said he wants students and fans to come to the Junction to help provide a great atmosphere.
“I encourage students to come because this is a great opportunity for Mississippi State students to show that Mississippi State is a great institution and that we’re very supportive of our athletic program,” Johnson said.
Wednesday’s pep rally is expected to end at 7:30 p.m., and the Junction will close later in the evening until the Thursday afternoon game day activities, Johnson said.
On game day, university offices will remain open and classes will continue as usual. Events operations manager Chris Nettles said the Junction will open at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
In the past, it has been difficult to get everyone on the same schedule for the opening of the Junction, Nettles said. To help with this problem, the Chapel of Memories carillon will play “Hail State” and the Army ROTC will fire a salute cannon at 2 p.m. This will signal the official opening of the Junction, he said.
Fans are expected to wait until after 2 p.m. to begin setting up for tailgates and other pre-game festivities since classes will be in session Thursday, Nettles said.
Four areas where road access will either be partially limited or blocked will help with game day traffic, he said. B.S. Hood Road will close six hours before kickoff and will remain closed until an hour-and-a-half after the game. Part of Creelman Street, which runs in front of Dorman Hall, will be closed due to heavy pedestrian traffic in the Junction.
It will close three hours before kickoff and remain closed until at least one hour after the game.
Lee Boulevard will close at Tracy Drive three hours before kickoff.
Barr Avenue at the north end of Davis Wade Stadium will be closed to through traffic.
Nettles said students living in the Hull and Butler residence halls are asked to move their vehicles to the Ruby and Northeast Village parking lots. Students who park in the front section of Evans Hall are requested to relocate their vehicles to the back section of the Evans lot, Nettles said.
Students who live on campus and have
automobiles with correct decals will not have a problem parking in their residence hall lots, he said. Two lots will be available for commuter students: the gravel lot on Hardy Road between the Longest Student Health Center and the band hall, and a grass lot south of Blackjack Road and Stone Boulevard. The entrance to the grass lot is on Buckner Lane, Nettles said.
MSU Police Chief Georgia Lindley said there will be a number of officers working the game, including those at the gates checking backpacks and handbags.