The SEC Nation bus rolled into Starkville on Wednesday afternoon — one of several early signs for a big weekend on tap for the city.
Mississippi State University’s Student Association will host Bulldog Bash on Friday, and the Bulldogs’ football team will host the University of Florida Gators — led by former MSU head football coach Dan Mullen — on Saturday. Either event on its own would be a big draw for visitors to the town.
With both together, university and city officials are expecting a massive weekend for Starkville.
Mayor Lynn Spruill said the city will be deploying its new downtown bollards to close for Bulldog Bash.
“We will be making sure our sanitation department is keeping the litter and our trash cans cleaned up,” Spruill said. “We’ll be landscaping and making sure everything is trimmed up. We’ve got visitors coming to town and we want them to see us with our best foot forward. The police will be out, the fire department will be out — all of those folks who are so critical to the success of an event — and a huge event, I might add — will be on duty to make sure it’s a safe and fun place to be all weekend.”
Putting Starkville on display
Jennifer Prather, interim CEO for The Partnership, said the organization is supporting the planning for Bulldog Bash and communicating with downtown merchants about the event.
“We’re keeping them informed of the way that the changes for the day will impact them and also trying to prepare them for the crowds,” Prather. “Additionally, our job is to help get the message out that downtown is not closed. We want commerce to continue to thrive during the event.”
Prather said last year’s Bulldog Bash drew an estimated 40,000 people. This year, she said, planners are expecting a crowd just as large or larger.
Spruill said the big crowds are a chance to put Starkville on display. While she said the city should always be prepared to impress, it will be especially so for this weekend.
“There’s always an opportunity for us to do that, as far as I’m concerned, for one visitor or 40,000 visitors,” she said. “We want them to have the best impression they can of Starkville.
“But yes, obviously, this one is a high-profile,” she continued, “and we’re highly focused on making sure it’s safe, fun and makes everybody wants to come back.”
City street closures
Street closures will roll into effect throughout Friday for a portion of downtown Starkville between Washington Street and just on Main Street past the Jackson Street intersection. The earliest street closures, according to the MSU Student Association, will take effect at 2 a.m. Friday along Jackson Street and a part of Main Street near the main stage.
Main Street, between Lafayette and Jackson streets, and a portion of Jackson Street south of the Main Street intersection will close at 9 a.m. A single lane of one-way traffic will remain open in the affected part of Main Street until noon.
Main Street, from Washington to Lafayette streets, as well as Lafayette Street, will close at 1 p.m.
University preparations
MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter said the university is well aware of the weekend’s potential to draw tens of thousands of people and is making its own preparations.
“Other than perhaps the Auburn game in 2014, this is the hardest of hard sellouts because of the Florida game this weekend and the return of Coach Mullen with the Gators,” Salter said. “At the same time, we have these student-driven town and gown events like Bulldog Bash. Bulldog Bash has grown to the point that it’s even featured in SEC Network promotional advertising because of the flavor of the community it brings and how it points out the town and gown relationship.”
SEC Nation, the SEC Network’s live morning show, will broadcast live from the Junction at MSU on Saturday. Because of that, the university has announced several road closures, the first of which took effect Wednesday evening.
Access to Creelman Street from Stone Boulevard is now closed, in anticipation of work to set up the SEC Nation stage. Access to Creelman Street from Tracy Drive is also closed.
University personnel who wish to access Creelman Street near McCarthy Gym and the Lloyd Ricks Watson parking lot can do so from President’s Circle.
Today and Friday, from 4-6 p.m., George Perry Street, between the YMCA Building and Chapel of Memories, will be open for northbound exit traffic only.
Salter also encouraged fans to arrive as early as possible for Saturday’s football game with MSU’s new security measures, which include metal detectors, in place. Davis Wade Stadium’s gates will open at 2:45 p.m.
Weekends like the approaching one are a chance for MSU to work together with the city and county, Salter said, and it’s proud of opportunities to do so.
“MSU continues to value its relationship with the city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County,” Salter said. “We’re glad that we can bring activity to the community that makes the cash registers jingle and the sales taxes accumulate.”
Bulldog Bash schedule
■ Maroon Market 3-6 p.m.
■ Local Stage 3-5:45 p.m.
■ Food Vendors 3 p.m.-1 a.m.
■ Main Stage 6-10:50 p.m.
Main Stage schedule
■ Bedon 6-6:30 p.m.
■ Ric Wilson 7-7:45 p.m.
■ The Mowgli’s 8:15-9 p.m.
■ The All-American Rejects 9:30-10:45 p.m.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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