Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium has stood tall and proud since its construction in 1950.
The 60,000-seat venue has had its full share of memorable moments. Initially built to honor Mississippi war veterans, the fabled acreage has hosted breathtaking moments of gridiron action.
In just my college era, I was witness to The Immaculate Deflection – the Bulldogs’ Artie Crosby’s simple field goal that was blown back past him for a Rebel win. There was a 92-yard punt by Ole Miss’ Bill Smith against Southern Miss (we lost 13-10 though). I didn’t get to witness the Bulldogs beating down Bama and the Bear in 1980 with a 6-3 win but that was an instant classic.
Ask anyone, and they’ve got a story. It was on a September night against Arkansas, and I can remember the PA announcer giving us updates on how the late Kathy Manning was doing in the Miss America pageant. The grass there hosted players as Archie Manning, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Ray Guy and thousands more.
Half of Ole Miss and Mississippi State football home games were held there until the ‘90s when bringing them back to campus proved to be more fruitful. But the trip to Jackson from the fraternity house to work for TBS Sports back in the day was an adventure. We spent the $50 we made before we ever put in the work, but working the sidelines and press box are memories I wouldn’t trade for anything.
The venue has been the home field for Jackson State University since 1970 and they took ownership of the stadium in 2011. But the aging memorial has not aged well. I can remember there were problems in the 1980s. I can only imagine that 40-some-odd years later they aren’t much better.
I believe the time has come to bring it all down as it will more than likely take more money to keep patching it than it would be to raze it and build a modern stadium for Jackson State either there or somewhere close by. The property is valuable and wanted by the University of Mississippi Medical Center to expand. I’m sure there is plenty of glory felt each Saturday when teams run out of the coveted tunnel onto the field but there are more empty seats than filled unless it’s a very special occasion. A better suited stadium would provide the Tigers a better football life and would give them a shot in the arm with recruiting.
Much like my Ole Miss Rebel, the glory of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium is in the past and isn’t coming back. According to a Clarion Ledger article, the stadium has been running in the red back to 2019. I don’t know how, but it’s time to let go and move on and up to something new and fresh bringing the memorial with them. Keep the name, build a new one, keep the honor going. The postcard scoreboard should stay for folks to remember, maybe put up that 1983 Egg Bowl score, Ole Miss 24-MS State 23, up there for eternity.
Time to move on and honor our vets in a new stadium.
