As Super Bulldog Week 2002 draws to a close there are even more fun-filled events scheduled for today and Saturday. A tradition that started a little over 17 years ago, Super Bulldog Weekend (now Super Bulldog Week) was created so that Mississipi State University fans and alumni could return to campus in the spring to enjoy athletic events and other activities put on by the university.
With its growing popularity from year to year, Super Bulldog Week has become as much a statewide celebration as it is a Starkville event.
“We’ve tried to be inclusive with the types of activities we provide, such as the pig-cooking contest and live music, along with soccer, tennis and of course, baseball,” Super Bulldog Week chairman Mike Richey said.
“For the first time this year, we’ve also included a spring volleyball tournament,” Richey said. “The variety of activities reaches out to every portion of the population, causing more and more people to get involved.”
Local businesses have joined in on the act to accommodate the thousands that flock back to MSU each spring for the annual event by offering extended service hours and nightly entertainment.
This is one of the many reasons why Super Bulldog Weekend was extended to a weeklong event, Richey said.
This year MSU Music Maker Productions was able to book Nickelback to perform in concert during Super Bulldog Week as part of the MTV Campus Invasion Tour.
“We’re pretty lucky to have MTV to come to campus, and it just so worked out that they came because Nickelback signed on to their tour after we had a bid in for them,” Music Makers Director Raymond Brooks said.
“I have a feeling we’ll have anywhere between 4,000-5,000 in attendance, because we sell at least 200 tickets a day. It’s going to be a great show and a great opportunity for people to get out and have a good time,” Brooks said.
Brooks also said that in order for the concert to be sold out, they must sell 6,000 tickets; therefore, there is still time to make purchases.
If parking is a major concern and deciding factor for coming and participating, then think again. Advanced Vehicle Systems Inc., in association with the city of Starkville and Small Town Center, a Research unit within the MSU School of Architecture, will provide free “joy rides” on Starkville’s first electric bus.
There will be three parking lots available for Park and Ride from downtown to MSU. Those will be at Amsouth Bank, Bancorp South and the city parking lot behind Starkville Cafe.
Transportation services will run from 9 a.m.- 10 p.m. today and Saturday with routes turning every hour on the hour. For more information on route stops, call 323-4583 or log on to www.cityofstarkville.org.