Contact: Harriet Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.—As anticipation builds for Jeff Lebby’s first appearance Saturday [Aug. 31] as head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the university is reminding fans about safety precautions and other updates ahead of the matchup against the non-conference Eastern Kentucky Colonels. With a 5 p.m. kickoff in Davis Wade Stadium, gates open two hours and 15 minutes prior to the game.

Fans can visit hailstate.com/gameday for the most complete gameday information, and up-to-the-minute transportation details will be available at transportation.msstate.edu/gameday. Other gameday and campus information can be found by following @msstatepd on X, formerly known as Twitter.

All parking on campus is reserved for Bulldog Club members or is available for purchase using a debit or credit card. Multiple roads close on campus on gamedays with most roads only being accessible by those with a valid reserved or paid game day permit.

SEC Network+ is broadcasting this first contest between these two teams.

On Friday [Aug. 30], the annual Cowbell Yell pep rally moves to the Junction this year and welcomes singer/songwriter Ernest as the headliner. Click here for more details.  

New This Season
—Mississippi State encourages fans to download and use the Waze app to enter and exit campus on gameday. Waze will have updated road closures and traffic patterns. Visit HailState.com/Waze to find directions to your specific parking lot.

—Davis Wade Stadium will be fully cashless in 2024. The cash to card exchange service at select State Style Store locations will no longer be available due to low redemption and to align with industry standard. Fans are encouraged to bring their debit or credit card or purchase a pre-paid card at a local bank or retail store prior to visiting campus.

—At the main entrance to campus from Highway 12, Stone Blvd. will be closed from Hwy. 12 to Bost Drive for improved pedestrian traffic flow. Tailgaters along this area of Stone Blvd. can access it by using Bully Blvd. and Stone Blvd. up to 4 hours prior to the game when road closures begin.

—All parking permit holders east of Stone Blvd. and south of Lee Blvd. should use Hardy Road as their access point, not Stone Blvd.

—University Drive at Camp St. will close 4 hours prior to the game and will only be open to permits.

—The grass space between campus sidewalks and open public tailgate areas has been expanded from 8’ to 12’ to allow improved pedestrian movement throughout the Junction and other public tailgate areas on campus.

—As with the final two games of last season, the north Junction grass area adjacent to Davis Wade Stadium has been closed to public tailgate tents.

—Also, Hail State Tailgate on Creelman Street will expand its hours, opening 4.5 hours before kickoff.

Road Closures, Friday [Aug. 30] and Saturday [Aug. 31]
—B.S. Hood Drive closes Friday, 2 p.m., and remains closed all day Saturday; Creelman St. closes Thursday, 6 p.m., for Friday night’s Cowbell Yell and opens Saturday for one-way traffic for tailgaters until 5 hours prior to kickoff; Famous Maroon Band St. closes Friday, 6 p.m., with residents entering from President’s Circle to Magruder St.; Barr Ave. from Collegeview Drive to Garner Circle will close Saturday, 6 a.m.

Roadblocks beginning Saturday, 7 a.m.
—George Perry St. at Bailey Howell Drive; Bailey Howell and Barr Ave.; Bailey Howell and Collegeview Drive; Lee Blvd. and Wingo Way; Lee Blvd. at Bailey Howell; Hardy St. and Morrill Rd.

Roadblocks beginning Saturday 4 hours before kickoff
—Collegeview Drive and Hwy. 12 off ramp; University Drive at Camp St.; Hardy St. and Blackjack Road; Bully Blvd. and Old Bully Blvd.; Stone Blvd. and Bost Extension; Barr Ave. and Bost Drive; Stone Blvd. from Hwy. 12 to Bully Blvd. will close 4 hours before kickoff

Transit Services
—Free transit service is provided by Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit (SMART) on game days from various on and off campus locations to Newell Grissom and Old Main Academic Center. For schedules, routes and stops, visit https://www.smart.msstate.edu.

From ADA Public North and South Parking Lots
—North Campus transit service is provided from 100 Research Blvd. to Old Main Academic Center (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)

—South Campus transit service is provided from the Animal and Dairy Sciences parking lot on Wise Center Drive to Newell Grissom (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)

From Research Park Public Parking Area (North Campus | Hwy. 182)
—Provided from other parking lots in the Research Park to Old Main Academic Center (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)

From Wise Center and Rec Plex (South Campus | Blackjack Road and Hail State Blvd.)
—Provided from other Wise Center parking lots and the Scales Building to Newell Grissom (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)

From Davis Wade Express (Lampkin and Jackson Sts.)
—Provided from the Lampkin St. and Jackson St. intersection to Old Main Academic Center (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)

SMART Routes
—Routes provide continuous service Monday-Saturday, including game day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or until 2 hours after game (whichever is later). Bus tracking information can be found by visiting www.smart.msstate.edu.

—Starkville Central SMART Route: Walmart Supercenter, Kroger, Avenue of Patriots, Whitfield Street, Greensboro Street, Downtown, Midtown to Old Main Academic Center: Stop locations are at the Chevron on the Avenue of Patriots, the intersection of Whitfield and Scales Street, the Greensboro Center, City Hall, Regions Bank and the Old Main Academic Center

—Starkville South SMART Route: Walmart Supercenter, Kroger, Medicaid, Sportsplex, Lynn Lane, Loxley Way, Wise Center, and Animal Dairy Science to Newell Grissom

—Starkville North SMART Route: Walmart Supercenter, Abernathy, Mallory Ln, JL King Park, Reed Road, OCH, Reed Place, Garrard Road West and East, Walmart Neighborhood Market, Starkville Flatts to Old Main Academic

From Mississippi Horse Park
—Transit Service is provided from the Mississippi Horse Park to Newell Grissom (4 hours prior to kick off until 2 hours after game)

—RV reservations with the Mississippi Horse Park are required. No coolers are allowed on any MSU Transit buses.

Rideshare
—The designated pick-up and drop-off location for rideshare will once again be at the The Mill at MSU.

Restroom Locations
—Buildings: Allen, Hilbun, Bost Extension “B,” Butler-Williams/MSUPD, Colvard Union, McArthur, Newell-Grisham, Roberts, Soccer Pressbox, Welcome Center

—Trailers: Fresh Foods, Junction Jane and Johns

—Portables: Bost, East Herbert/IED, Herzer, Pace Seed grass, and Sorority grass lots; Amphitheater, North Garage-east, east and west Wise Center (Vet School), West Dorman (moved from east side); Research Park bus stop

Eateries for Saturday
—Fresh Food Co., 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

—Bento Sushi, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

—Subway, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

—Starbucks, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

—Chick-fil-A, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

—Panda Express, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Also, “Provisions on Demand” stores in Dogwood and Hathorn residence halls will open from 5-10 p.m.

Basic first aid is available at the MSU Police tents set up in the Junction.

Tickets are available for the game and can be purchased now at HailState.com/tickets, by calling 1-888-GO-DAWGS or in person at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office, first floor, Bryan Athletic Administration Building (288 Lakeview Drive), now-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The ticket office on the north side of Davis Wade Stadium also opens three hours before kickoff.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.