Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium
Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi opened as the home field for the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 1914 under the name New Athletic Field. It's currently the second-oldest stadium in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and the fourth-oldest in all of college football. While the 60,311-capacity Davis Wade is not the largest stadium in the Southeastern Conference, it is among the loudest due to its cowbell tradition. Mississippi State fans bring their personal cowbells into the stadium to create a wall of noise and amplify home field advantage for their Bulldogs.
Mississippi State plays in the SEC West, one of the most competitive divisions in all of college football. As a result, Bulldogs fans are routinely treated to home games every season against traditional powerhouses like the Alabama Crimson Tide, the LSU Tigers, the Texas A&M Aggies, and the Auburn Tigers.
Beginning in 2024, the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners will join the SEC, and fans will have an opportunity to greet them with adequate competitive spirit. Davis Wade Stadium has undergone renovations amounting to a combined $100 million since 2002 to upgrade the video display, increase capacity and add new concessions and restrooms to improve the fan experience.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Football History
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football team played their first season in Starkville in 1895, and were known then as the Mississippi A&M Aggies. While the Bulldogs have constantly battled in football's most competitive division, they experienced their longest sustained period of success under former head coach Dan Mullen from 2009-2017. Mullen, who was best known for coaching several star quarterbacks, including Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, accumulated a combined record of 69-46 over nine seasons.
The Bulldogs' best year came in 2014 with future Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott at the reins. Mississippi State won their first nine games that season, beating No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 2 Auburn at Davis Wade Stadium in back-to-back weeks, hitting No. 1 in the AP and CFP polls. They finished that season in the Orange Bowl against No. 12 Georgia Tech on New Year's Eve. Mississippi State's biggest rivals are the Ole Miss Rebels, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers.
