Wednesday Bulldog Update - 8/24/16
August 24, 2016
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Welcome back, Bulldogs! To our students, our athletes and our fans, we're excited to begin a new athletic and academic year together at Mississippi State. The success we saw last year was unprecedented with our highest finish ever in the Learfield Director's Cup, which only makes us that much more eager to build on our accomplishments and continue to grow as a department in the year ahead.
There is a great deal to be excited about in the coming months as our soccer team has already kicked off its season, volleyball begins this weekend and our football team returns to Davis Wade Stadium next Saturday after back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in school history.
Our cross country teams are ready to hit the trails, while our basketball teams eagerly await their chance to get on the new floor at Humphrey Coliseum. Speaking of, season tickets for our men's and women's basketball seasons are on sale now at www.hailstate.com/tickets. Coach Schaefer and our women are coming off the best season in program history, while Coach Howland enters year two as our head coach, with the men just returning from an impressive European tour in which they went undefeated against four pro international teams.
The energy around the department this time of year is unmatched and we are all thrilled to get this year underway. I look forward to seeing everyone in Starkville in the weeks to come.
SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL OPEN HOME SLATES THIS WEEKEND
With a total of six matches between the two, our soccer and volleyball teams have their first home games of the year this weekend in Starkville. Opening the 2016 volleyball season at Newell-Grissom under second-year head coach David McFatrich, the Bulldogs have four matches on deck, playing Kansas at 7 p.m. Friday night, Lamar at noon Saturday, Eastern Washington at 7 p.m. Saturday night and McNeese State on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, Coach Aaron Gordon and our soccer team have already begun their season, and they play at home for the first time on Friday night at 7 p.m. against Lipscomb, then again on Sunday at 1 p.m. against U.T. Martin.
COWBELL YELL SEPTEMBER 1 AT 9 PM
As the football season is nearly upon us, make sure to join us next Thursday, September 1 at 9 p.m. in Davis Wade for the annual Cowbell Yell pep rally celebrating the beginning of the year for our football program. Bulldog fans have developed a reputation over recent years as one of the loudest and most dedicated fanbases in college football, annually making DWS one of the hardest places to play in the country. Cowbell Yell is the beginning of that proud tradition and our opportunity to kick the season off with the passion we are known for.
CLEAR BAG POLICY IMPLEMENTED FOR DAVIS WADE EFFECTIVE THIS YEAR
Many of you have likely seen emails or social media posts already, but for those who have not yet heard, it's important that we all be aware of the new clear bag policy going into effect at football games this year. Our policy, similar to the polices of the NFL and being adopted by most of the SEC this season, is in place to ensure the safety of those who come to Davis Wade Stadium to cheer on the Bulldogs. We also expect this to expedite the process of entering the stadium on gameday, addressing a concern many of you have shared with us as crowds have grown over the years.
You can find all the specific information at www.hailstate.com/clearbag, but here's the gist: all bags brought into DWS must be clear, and they must be no larger than 12x6x12 inches. Handheld clutch purses are allowed in addition to one clear bag per person, though they will be subject to search. For those who don't bring a bag of any kind, gates A, F, L and H located at the four corners of the stadium will be designated for people not bringing any bags into the stadium.
We've made sure that local retailers have approved bags, and they are also available at www.hailstatestore.com. I thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
COLLEGE BASEBALL'S BIGGEST VIDEO BOARD COMING TO DNF
I am thrilled to share our announcement that, in partnership with Daktronics, MSU will soon be home to the largest video board in college baseball. The first phase of the new Dudy Noble Field project, this video board will help ensure our program has the best facility in the country and will make the best gameday experience in baseball even better.
For those who would like to get an early peek at our defending SEC Champion Bulldogs, Coach Cohen's club begins fall ball in mid-September at Dudy Noble. Expect an announcement on the schedule to come in the next couple weeks.
We appreciate what you do for Mississippi State Athletics and want to encourage you to get others involved. There are three things you can do to help the athletic department at Mississippi State reach its desired goals –
1. Buy Season Tickets
2. Financially Support the Bulldog Club
3. Get Others To Do The Same
Thanks for taking the time to read this Update.
Hail State!
Scott Stricklin
