Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Mississippi State Bulldogs host the South Carolina Gamecocks in MSU’s first Southeastern Conference Western Division game of the season on Saturday [Sept. 10].
MSU also will host SEC Nation, the SEC Network’s traveling college football live morning show, in the Junction on Saturday from 9-11 a.m. CST prior to the 6 p.m. matchup between the Bulldogs and the Gamecocks on ESPN2. Additionally, “The Paul Finebaum Show” will be held live from 2-6 p.m. Friday [Sept. 9] from the Junction and feature special guests.
In anticipation of the production requirements of SEC Nation, Creelman Street access via Stone Blvd. closed Wednesday evening. University personnel wishing to access Creelman Street (McCarthy Gym area) and the Lloyd Ricks Watson (LRW) parking lots are able to do so from President’s Circle only. Access to Creelman from Tracy Drive also is closed.
On Thursday and Friday afternoons from 4:30-5:30 p.m., Lee Blvd.–between the YMCA building and Colvard Student Union–will open for eastbound traffic only. This will give those in the affected area an alternate exit route.
Campus buses will be allowed to enter Creelman St. from President’s Circle to pick up passengers at the Montgomery Hall bus shelters. Faculty, staff and students housed in buildings located in the affected area of this street closure may make plans to take an alternate route to access Creelman and LRW parking lots on Thursday and Friday mornings of this week.
Here’s a timeline that will be beneficial to MSU students and faculty and campus visitors over the weekend:
Wednesday, Sept. 7
--Portion of Creelman Street will close at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday from Tracy Drive to Stone Blvd.
Thursday, Sept. 8
--Campus shuttles will reroute around President's Circle Thursday and Friday. Shuttle routes that will be affected by this closure will be re-routed to the Montgomery Hall shuttle stop via President's Circle and Bully Blvd. This information will be posted on the Parking and Transit website and on the www.smart.msstate.edu website.
--Large equipment may cause some traffic issues with tractors/trailers going to and from the SEC Nation set area and with staging for the show.
--Students should use caution changing classes in this area Thursday and Friday.
--The university is working to make sure no public tailgating areas are impacted by the additional space requirements for SEC Network guests.
Friday, Sept. 9
--Junction will still open at 4 p.m., but patrons will not have access to portions of Creelman St. for unloading tailgating equipment. Please be mindful of the influx on Stone Blvd. as traffic leaves campus as it closes and traffic arrives to drop off tailgating supplies.
--Friday any commuter decal can park in any commuter zone.
Saturday, Sept. 10
--B.S. Hood will close at 6 a.m. Saturday.
--Portions for Stone Blvd. will close at 2 p.m. in anticipation of the Fan Zone opening.
--Walker Rd. will be off limits to all non-credentialed patrons as normal. However, a loading/unloading zone will be set up on Saturday in front of the YMCA Building for fans. To assist with unloading supplies there will be a loading zone in front of YMCA, but access to it will close 8 a.m. Saturday to non-credentialed patrons.
--Stadium gates open at 3:45 p.m. Fans should arrive early.
--This is the first SEC game at home, so fines for improper use of cowbells will be strictly enforced. RING RESPONSIBLY.
--Dawg Walk at 4 p.m. WILL NOT change routes because of SEC Nation.
--Reserved RV/Wise Center, Research Park, Davis Wade Express, and Horsepark shuttle routes for Saturday will run three hours before kickoff (3 p.m.) and two hours after the end of the game.
SHUTTLES:
--Reserved RV/Wise Center - Picks up at Lot 29 and 31 and on the northwest corner of the Wise Center and drops off at Thompson Hall.
--Thad Cochran Research Park - Runs from Research Park to Humphrey Coliseum.
--Davis Wade Express - Picks up at Starkville Daily News and drops off at Giles Hall.
--Horsepark Shuttle – Runs from the Mississippi Horsepark to Thompson Hall. Riders must coordinate access with the Horsepark prior to loading the shuttle.
--S.M.A.R.T. Old Main Express Route – Patriots Park, Greensboro Center, Regions Bank, Fire Station One, Bulldog Burger, Giles Hall.
--S.M.A.R.T. Hwy. 12 Route – Walmart, Kroger, Vowell’s, The Mill, Newell Grissom.
--For additional transportation choices that run throughout Starkville, but do not run on campus, visit www.smart.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.