Wednesday Bulldog Update - 2/27/13
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NORTH END ZONE PRIORITY DEPOSIT DEADLINE NEARS
As construction at Davis Wade Stadium continues, the Bulldog Club is kicking off a new effort to remind fans about the upcoming April 1 deadline for new premium seating deposits. By now, you should have seen the video the Bulldog Club has had produced in support of the drive for premium seating deposits. Donors and season ticket holders are encouraged to visit www.daviswadestories.com and watch that video that shows True Maroon fans describing their favorite memories of Davis Wade Stadium, if you have not yet seen it.
The deadline for making a priority deposit for season tickets in the new north end zone is April 1, 2013. The new north end-zone will be complete in time for the 2014 season and those who make a deposit by the deadline will be placed in priority rank order and will be assigned seating before those who wait until after April 1st (2013). Additionally, the re-seating of Davis Wade Stadium will take place prior to the 2014 season. Donors who make major gift donations to the “Today.Tomorrow.Forever" athletic facilities initiative will be placed in rank order and will be assigned their seats before the rest of the general donor base.
FACILITIES UPDATE
The only remaining pieces of the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex left to complete are some way-finding displays and the turf field adjacent to and west of the Seal Complex. The signage should be completed by the end of March and the turf field should be installed in time for the beginning of spring football practice March 21. We should be able to turn on the practice field lights in the next week or so.
As for the Davis Wade Stadium expansion and renovation, precast seating is currently being constructed off-site for later delivery to the stadium. Risers should begin being installed by the end of March. The west-side concourse slab and the concrete base for the television compound just west of the stadium are planned for an end-of-March completion. Exterior work on the west side of the stadium is scheduled for the end of May.
ANOTHER BIG WEEKEND SCHEDULE AHEAD FOR BULLDOG SPORTS
It will be another big weekend on the campus, with several sports in action. I hope you can be with us.
Women’s basketball gets a jump-start on the weekend tomorrow night at the Hump. Coach Vic Schaefer and his Bulldogs play their final home game of the 2012-13 season, a 7 p.m. tipoff against Georgia. Coach Schaefer will honor Darriel Gaynor as part of senior day activities.
Coach Daryl Greenan and his women’s tennis team play open Southeastern Conference play this weekend with matches against Auburn on Friday at 3 p.m. and Alabama on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Coach Rick Ray sends his men’s basketball team to the Hump floor Saturday at 4 p.m., against in-state rival Ole Miss. Bulldog fans are encouraged to bring a canned food to the Coliseum Saturday as our final drive in the Million Meals Challenge we initiated earlier this year. Volunteers will be at all entrances to the Hump to collect cans. The Challenge has raised over 900,000 meals since the drive was announced during the football season this past fall. We need your support Saturday to reach our Million Meal goal.
Coach John Cohen and his Diamond Dawgs play a four-game, three-day series Friday through Sunday against St. Joseph’s. Friday’s game has been moved to 4 p.m. due to cold weather concerns. The two team will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon, and a single game Sunday starting at 1:30 p.m. The Bulldogs, who are ranked in every collegiate baseball poll, hold a poll-best No. 5 national ranking by Baseball America.
You can still order your baseball season tickets now, and receive a discount over buying individual game tickets. Order them today (1-888-GO-DAWGS, 662-325-2600, or www.hailstate.com/tickets). Our ticket office reported this week that we had sold 5,456 baseball season tickets through the close of business Monday.
I hope you will have the opportunity to come out and support these hard-working student-athletes.
‘13 FOOTBALL SEASON TICKET RENEWALS MAILED AND ON-LINE
Football season ticket renewal information has been posted to Bulldog Club member accounts for your review, and hard-copy forms were mailed to Club members and season ticketholders this week.
As we prepare for the 2013 season, there will be some important changes in and around the stadium. First and foremost, you will note that we have changed the naming of the seating sections within the bowl itself. The change will not impact your seat locations, only the naming of the section. Rows and seats will remain the same.
The section naming changes are being made to accommodate the addition of the new north end sections, which will be in play for the 2014 season. With that in mind, and to permit section identification that is consistent throughout the stadium, the main grandstand sections will be changed from letters to numbers, and the numbers on the existing Floyd Wade Jr Club Level and the east side upper deck will be changed to match up with corresponding levels in the north and west sides. For example, if you have been in Section D, your seats are now in Section 04. If your Club Level seats were in Section 401, that section will now be named 117. These changes will be reflected in your ticket renewal.
To see a detailed map of the stadium, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact the MSU Athletic Ticket Office at 888-GO-DAWGS.
Despite the costs associated with running an SEC athletic program continuing to climb, season ticket prices and Bulldog Club priorities for 2013 will remain unchanged. The ’13 season package features seven home contests, including home conference games with Kentucky, LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss.
Included in that renewal will be the opportunity to order tickets for the Bulldogs’ 2013 season opener against Oklahoma State at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. We began accepting single-game ticket orders for that game in November (click here), but those tickets may also be purchased with your ’13 season ticket order.
SUPER BULLDOG WEEKEND REMINDER
Don’t forget to put the weekend of April 17-21 on your calendar, when MSU will host the 28th-annual Super Bulldog Weekend. The weekend actually begins Wednesday when the first round of the SEC Women's Tennis Championship (which MSU hosts) will be held. Then, on Thursday night, ESPNU will televise the first game of our baseball series with Auburn.
On Saturday, due to construction at Davis Wade Stadium, the football game will be played at 1 p.m., with the baseball series finale against Auburn slated for 4.
We have launched the SBW site (www.hailstate.com/gameday), so please visit it often this spring for updates. I hope you’ll make plans to join us in Starkville for what is always a fun weekend.
ATHLETICS HELPS MAKE LIFE-LONG CONNECTIONS
I recently received this email from an extended family member from a former Bulldog very close to our hearts…
“Dear Mr. Stricklin,
We met very briefly at the Hall of Fame induction for Frank Dowsing; I am his only niece. About a month ago, we lost my grandmother - his mother.
So, the nuclear family of Frank is down to my mother - Virginia Dowsing Toliver. I was prompted to write when I recently saw the story on Uncle Frank in Our Mississippi Magazine written by Paul Jones. I do not know Paul Jones but our family was so touched by the story, especially because of the recent passing of my grandmother. The support Mississippi State provided our family during my uncle's induction over two years ago was beyond incredible. My grandmother was transitioning to a different stage of Alzheimers at that moment and I cannot say how much she captured of the weekend but I can assure you she did know it was a special time for the family. Looking back at all of the weekend's pictures, she had a constant smile and at the banquet, when they showed his video footage, she was especially alert. I just wanted to thank you, the Athletics Department and Mississippi State University for your support. Because the love you showed our family, my son (now 6) and I have become fervent fans and supporters of Mississippi State and follow every game. I missed this year's Egg Bowl because we could not travel but did attend the last two.
We also follow you on Twitter. We did not (go to the) Gator Bowl because my own Alma Mater was in the Rose Bowl, so we ventured to Cali (Go Stanford!).
I grew up with my uncle as a father figure and a hero because he was an academic superstar (and pushed me), a man of great character and he LOVED family. I grew up only hearing about his athletic ability. The Hall of Fame induction and this year's story (will) help me try to instill a piece of him into my own children. I just cannot thank you enough for showing the Dowsing Family the true meaning of #HailState through your support of its athletes and alumni.
Best
Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo
c/o The Dowsing Family"
MISSISSIPPI STATE HOME SCHEDULE
Thursday, Feb. 28 – Women’s Basketball v Georgia, 7 pm
Friday, March 1 – Women’s Tennis v Auburn, 3 pm; Baseball v St. Joseph’s, 4 pm
Saturday, March 2 – Baseball v St. Joseph’s (DH), 12 pm; Men’s Basketball v Ole Miss, 4 pm
Sunday, March 3 – Women’s Tennis v Alabama, 1 pm; Baseball v St. Joseph’s, 1:30 pm
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