STARKVILLE — Mississippi State Student Association president Ellie Herndon had barely been on the job in May when she was approached by athletic director Zac Selmon and his team with an idea for improving student-fan experiences at the Humphrey Coliseum.
Herndon, who was elected in February, was all ears. She loved going to basketball games. Other students did, too. So, when MSU wanted to move the student section closer to the court, Herndon thought of two groups of people: incoming freshman and banana-suit wearers.
“We have our standard crowd that always shows up at the game,” Herndon told The Dispatch in a recent phone interview. “ One of the examples that Zac and I talked about is we have these three students that always show up in banana costumes. Thinking about them being courtside, (with) other people that are at every single game cheering on the Bulldogs is exciting. I think it will draw in new students to come, but also give a special privilege for students who have showed up to every game and give them that opportunity to be courtside.”
It’s no coincidence that MSU’s athletic department was finally ready to make this move.
In a year where both MSU’s men’s and women’s teams returned to the NCAA Tournament, attendance jumped by nearly 1,000 spectators for each team, with men’s games averaging 7,674 fans compared to 6,830 in 2022 and the women’s averaging 5,096, up from 4,691, according to The Clarion Ledger.
With second-year head coaches Chris Jans and Sam Purcell expected to build off of that success by retaining players and adding high-level talent from the transfer portal, fan excitement this offseason has been even higher.
“(Moving the student section) was a big push from their team,” Herndon said of MSU’s athletic department. “They were excited about that, and facilitating that idea to me. I completely agreed that it was something that students would be excited for. Obviously we have really great turnouts at a good portion of our athletic events and are always looking for ways to increase that in any capacity.”
The Dispatch made multiple attempts to contact members of MSU’s athletic and fan engagement departments.
They didn’t need to reiterate what can be read between the lines; that there is an opportunity this year to turn The Hump into a death-trap for visiting opponents, both in men’s and women’s basketball.
Many of college basketball’s best student atmospheres are what they are because of where they are, like Duke’s Cameron Crazies, running along the entire sideline of the court, in arm’s reach of players.
“The Jungle” at Auburn does the same thing. As do many other student sections across the sport.
It’s noise. Intimidation. Energy.
It’s a move that recognizes that five 2023 Men’s NCAA Tournament teams will visit Humphrey Coliseum this year. A move that recognizes that LSU, last year’s women’s national champions, are scheduled for a visit there, too.
Most significantly, it’s a move that rewards students who show up for basketball games and appeals to prospective students, as well.
“This is something that a lot of students are really excited for,” Herndon said. “And this is just the beginning of improving the student experience with athletics.”
Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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