Wednesday Bulldog Update - 4/6/11
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SUPER BULLDOG WEEKEND IS HERE!
The 26th Super Bulldog Weekend presented by Regions is upon us, and it should be one of our best ever!
Last year, the largest crowd ever returned to campus, and with the great schedule of events we have planned and all the momentum surrounding our athletic programs, we’re expecting even more people on campus this year. We’re hoping you’ll help us reach our goal of 40,000 fans at the spring football game Saturday night.
Coach Dan Mullen kicks off the weekend at the Student Association’s movie night at Davis Wade Stadium tomorrow, addressing the crowd at 6:30 p.m., prior to the showing of Toy Story 3 on the SEC’s largest video board. Admission to the movie is free and Bulldogs of all ages are welcome.
The annual Pig Cooking Competition is again a highlight of the weekend. Those rigs begin to roll onto campus at 8 a.m. Friday. They will park behind McArthur Hall. Fans are welcome to take part in the Mississippi Pork Producers/Farm Bureau Sampling of the Grill at 4 p.m. on Friday and again at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Both of those events will take place at the corner of Barr and Collegeview, near the entrance of McArthur Hall.
Also on Friday, the women’s tennis team hosts Auburn at 3 p.m., softball entertains Auburn at 5 p.m., and baseball begins a series against Florida at 6:30 p.m.
You’ll want to be on the campus for a busy day Saturday. It begins early with the Strength & Conditioning Camp at 7:30 a.m. Both soccer and volleyball hold alumni matches at 11 a.m. Softball plays game two of its series against Auburn at 11:30 a.m., and baseball’s Game 2 first pitch vs. Florida is set for noon.
Saturday’s football festivities begin with FanFair in The Junction from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The highlight of those activities is an autograph session with several Bulldogs currently playing in the National Football League. The annual Maroon-White Spring Game kicks off at 5 p.m. Following the game, Music Makers, Campus Activities Board and the Student Association host a free concert featuring Robert Randolph and the Family Band in the MSU Amphitheater.
The weekend concludes Sunday with another noon first pitch for baseball against Florida and softball’s series-ender against Auburn at 1 p.m. Women’s tennis hosts Alabama beginning at 1 p.m. as well.
The full schedule of events can be found on the Super Bulldog Weekend presented by Regions page on Mississippi State’s official website at www.mstateathletics.com/gameday.
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FUNDING ANNOUNCED FOR FOOTBALL FACILITY
We are excited to announce today the largest gift in Bulldog Athletics history, a $12 million donation from the Seal Family Foundation of Gulfport, Miss. The gift will go towards a planned $20-25 million project to build a football training and office facility and renovate the football practice fields. With the Seal gift and donations from over 35 families, more than $17 million has been raised for the project, which will be financed privately through gifts made to the Bulldog Club.
The gift, given by former Bulldog football players, twin brothers Lee and Leo Seal, is made in honor their late father Leo Seal Jr. A former Mississippi State football player, Seal Jr., was a long-time Bulldog Club donor and president of Hancock Bank.
The generosity of the Seal family has always set a great example of philanthropic donations to Mississippi State, both academics and athletics. Not only is it the largest gift in our athletics history, it will most likely be one of the largest gifts in all of college athletics this year. Lee and Leo have carried on the legacy of giving set forth by their father and grandfather.
Lee and Leo’s father, the aforementioned Leo Seal Jr., provided lead funding for the construction of the Seal M-Club Building, named for Leo Seal Sr., as well as the Leo W. Seal Family Business Complex at the College of Business.
The all-encompassing football facility, approximately 80,000 square feet, will include a new weight room, locker room, training room and coaches’ offices. Located on the hill behind the Palmeiro Center, the building will overlook the football practice fields.
Since the project will be constructed entirely through private donations and contributions, our staff is actively pursuing additional gifts. We intend to begin construction as soon as we have raised funding sufficient to complete the project. It is because of the donations of those that love this university that we are able to continue to grow and create great experiences for our student athletes, fans and alumni.
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FOOTBALL TICKET DEADLINE LOOMS, WAIT LIST GROWS
We have received the third weekly report from our ticket office on football season ticket sales for the 2011 season, and while the renewal pace grows, so does the waiting list for season tickets. With just over three weeks remaining in the priority renewal process, we continue to run about 2,000 season tickets ahead of where we were last season, when we sold every available football season ticket. Officially, we sold 43,387 season tickets a year ago, obviously an all-time record, and a credit to our great Bulldog fan base. At this pace, it is likely we will sell every available season ticket in advance of the renewal deadline.
The interest is certainly unprecedented. When you consider that we have more than 700 accounts totaling in excess of 1,600 tickets from new customers or existing fans looking to increase their order, tickets will be in high demand for this coming year.
Remember, the season ticket order renewal deadline is the end of April (actually May 2). You don’t want to miss that deadline this year, because any non-renewed season tickets will be sold to those on the waiting list.
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FORMER FOOTBALL GREATS TO BE HONORED
We are moving forward with a plan to recognize those individuals responsible for some of the greatest moments in school football history, much as we have done for men’s basketball and baseball. A group of former football figures will be honored at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field beginning in 2011, and the initial recipients of the honor will be announced via video presentation at halftime of the Maroon-White Spring Game this weekend. The four, who will have their names permanently displayed within the football stadium, will honored this fall.
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BASKETBALL PRACTICE FACILITY OPEN HOUSE ON HOLD
It was initially our intent to open the doors to the basketball practice facility this weekend so that everyone back on the campus could tour the building. Unfortunately, we still have a few loose ends to tie up and won’t be able to do an open house this weekend, but we are hoping to open the facility to guests during a home baseball weekend in May.
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MISSISSIPPI STATE WEEKEND HOME SPORTS SCHEDULE
Friday, April 8 – Women’s Tennis v Auburn, 3 pm; Softball v Auburn, 5 pm; Baseball v Florida, 6:30 pm
Saturday, April 9 – Softball v Auburn, 11:30 am; Baseball v Florida, 12 pm
Sunday, April 10 – Baseball v Florida, 12 pm; Softball v Auburn, 1 pm; Women’s Tennis v Alabama, 1 pm
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IT’S MAROON FRIDAY…EVEN IN COSTA RICAIt goes without saying that Super Bulldog Weekend is Super Maroon Weekend. But it’s Maroon Friday even in Playa Ocotal, Costa Rica. Lamar Conerly recently sent this image of his sons Adam and Ethan and him observing the Friday tradition, far from the Magnolia State. Are you in the maroon?
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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.
Go Dawgs!
Scott Stricklin