Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field is one of the oldest football venues in America — opened in 1914, it’s the second-oldest stadium in the FBS — and on a big-game Saturday in Starkville, it ranks among the loudest, most electric atmospheres in all of college football. Forty thousand cowbells ringing in unison will rattle something loose inside you the first time you hear it, and “Don’t Stop Believin'” swaying through a packed house between the third and fourth quarters is a moment you genuinely don’t forget.
One thing to keep in mind, Starkville is a small college town, and hotels sell out months in advance for marquee matchups — plan accordingly. With 60,311 seats spread across a traditional double-deck bowl and a modern north end zone expansion, here’s where to sit.
Best Seats at Davis Wade Stadium
Davis Wade Stadium runs north-south, with the MSU home sideline on the west and the visitor sideline on the east. The north end zone is home to the student section and the premium north expansion clubs; The Junction tailgating area sits just south of the south end zone. The biggest decision you’ll make is east vs. west — not just for allegiance, but for sun and shade, which matters enormously in the Mississippi heat of early-season SEC football.
Best Non-Premium Seats
West Sideline — Sections 03–05 (Lower Bowl): These are the best non-premium seats in the building. You’re on the MSU home sideline, the action is directly in front of you, and rows 25–32 in particular put you at a great elevation with unobstructed sightlines to both end zones. The tradeoff is afternoon sun — if kickoff is before 3:30 p.m. and you’re in a September heat game, bring sunscreen and hydrate early. Being close to the tunnel makes concession runs fast without missing much.
West Sideline — Section 04 (Home Bench Side): The MSU team bench sits directly in front of this section. If you want to be as close to the coaches, players warming up, and postgame celebrations as general admission gets, this is your row. It’s the priciest non-club real estate on the west side — section contribution prices reflect the demand — but no obstructions and pure sideline football.
200 Level — West Side: The press-level seating on the west side is criminally underrated. You’re elevated enough to read the entire field, you’re shaded earlier in the afternoon than the lower bowl, and fans consistently rave about the sightlines. These sections are tucked between the lower bowl and the upper deck, which also cuts wind on cold late-season nights.
Best Value Seats
East Sideline — Sections 18–23 (Lower Bowl): The east side is where visiting fans sit (sections 24–25 are the official visitor sections), but the surrounding sections are perfectly good football seats at a noticeably lower price point than the west. You’re in shade by mid-afternoon, which is a real asset in September and October. The tradeoff is you’ll be surrounded by away fans on rivalry day.
Budget Option
Upper Deck — Sections 310–317 (North End Zone): These sections sit above the student section in the north end zone expansion and are typically among the cheapest tickets on the secondary market. The view is looking down the field rather than across it, but the atmosphere directly below — students ringing cowbells, the video board, the sound system — is tremendous. This is legitimately one of the loudest spots in the stadium for the price.
Our Pick: Rows 25–30 in Section 04 or 05 on the west sideline. You’re on the home bench side, midfield-elevated, with a view of the entire field — and when the Famous Maroon Band takes the field at halftime, you’ll be watching from exactly the right angle. For the money and the experience, this is the seat you hand to a first-time visitor.
Weather & Shade Reality
Davis Wade runs north-south, meaning the west sideline gets hammered by afternoon sun on early-season games. September and early October in Starkville means heat indices in the 90s are realistic — MSU has been known to bring extra water and cooling stations on brutal kickoff days. The east sideline sits in shade from mid-afternoon onward. If you’re buying tickets for a noon or 3:30 p.m. kickoff in September, the east side is the sunscreen-optional choice. By November games, this becomes irrelevant — the nights get cold fast in northeast Mississippi.
What to Avoid
South End Zone — Lower Sections: The south end zone puts you farthest from the student section energy, farthest from the video board, and in the least atmospheric part of the stadium. For marquee games, you’re also the last section to fill and the first to empty out. The view is a head-on end zone look rather than a sideline perspective. Not a bad seat if it’s all that’s available — just know what you’re getting.
East Upper Deck — Visitor End Sections 338–340: These are the overflow visitor sections and the most remote seats in the building. The sightlines aren’t terrible, but the trek up is significant and the atmosphere is completely isolated from the home crowd energy below. Budget accordingly.
Worth It Once — The Student Section (Sections 8–17, North End Zone): If you’re a student or can get a student ticket, go at least once. You’ll stand the entire game — no exceptions, per the unspoken stadium code — but the atmosphere in this end zone is the closest thing to what opposing teams describe as physically intimidating. The cowbells are louder here than anywhere else in the stadium.
Premium Seating & Clubs
Davis Wade has a solid premium tier that was built out significantly during the 2014 north end zone expansion. Most options are tied to season ticket packages and Bulldog Club giving levels, but single-game access exists through resale and via direct inquiry with MSU Athletics for certain clubs.
Best Club — Floyd Wade Jr. Club (East Sideline): This is the flagship premium experience at Davis Wade, completed in 2001 and fully renovated in 2018. The 1,880 seats sit on the east side with clean midfield views, and members access 17,000 square feet of climate-controlled lounge space with all-inclusive buffet and beverages. On a brutal September afternoon, this air-conditioned escape is worth its premium alone. Access is reserved for members and their guests — check with MSU Athletics or the secondary market for single-game club access.
Best Value Club — Scoreboard Club (North End Zone, Upper Level): The Scoreboard Club was specifically designed as a lower-cost entry into premium seating, positioned along the top of the north end zone expansion. The pricing is more accessible than the Floyd Wade Club, and you’re sitting inside the loudest end of the stadium. It’s the right call if you want premium amenities without a massive seat contribution.
Other Notable Premium Options:
- State Level Loge (North End Zone): Part of the 2014 expansion, this loge-style seating puts you in the heart of the north end zone with a view down the field. The “toes on the turf” concept means you’re close to the action, and it occupies the midpoint between the Scoreboard Club and the field-level Gridiron experience.
- TraxPlus Gridiron Club (North End Zone, Field Level): The most immersive premium option — field-level access with a dedicated club space. If being as close to the field as possible is the priority, this is it.
- South Loge: A smaller loge option on the south end, accessible to Bulldog Club members. Quieter than the north end zone premium options but a legitimate upgrade over general seating.
Suites & Group Options: Davis Wade has 50 skyboxes on the east side, with capacity generally running 15–20 guests. Groups typically see per-suite pricing vary significantly by opponent — contact MSU Athletics directly at bulldogsuites.com for single-game suite rentals. Budget $75–$125 per guest for catering on top of suite costs.
Davis Wade Stadium Seating Chart
Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field holds just over 60k fans ( across a traditional double-deck bowl that runs north-south. The west sideline houses the home sections (01–07 at field level, 101–113 chairback, 200-level press tier, and 300-level upper deck), while the east sideline mirrors the layout with sections 16–25 in the lower bowl, the Floyd Wade Jr. Club level above that, and sections 332–340 in the east upper deck.
The north end zone is the 2014 expansion — student sections 8–17 at lower level, premium clubs (State Level, Scoreboard Club, Gridiron) stacked above — and The Junction tailgating area sits just outside the south end zone. Visiting fans are officially assigned to sections 24–25, 301–304, and 338–340 on the east side. Here is the Davis Wade Stadium Seating Chart.
Getting the Best Tickets
Mississippi State is a mid-tier SEC program in terms of consistent wins, which actually works in buyers’ favor — secondary market prices are reasonable compared to Alabama, Georgia, or Tennessee, unless the Bulldogs are ranked and playing a marquee opponent.
The Egg Bowl against Ole Miss is always the most expensive home ticket of the year regardless of records, typically running $150–$300+ on the secondary market near game day. Early-season non-conference games (Louisiana Monroe, Tennessee Tech types) regularly drop below face value the week of the game.
Your best windows for secondary market deals are Tuesday–Thursday before the game. For SEC home openers or ranked opponents, buy at least 3–4 weeks out — prices spike sharply the week of. The secondary market platforms like TickPick are worth checking alongside with our partner Vivid Seats.
Davis Wade Stadium Bag Policy
Clear bags only — plastic, vinyl, or PVC not exceeding 12″x6″x12″, or a one-gallon clear Ziploc-style bag. One per person. A small clutch purse no larger than 4.5″x6.5″ is also permitted without needing to be clear. No tinted bags, no backpacks, no drawstring bags. Medically necessary items get an exception with inspection at Gates F and I. Every person entering the stadium, including infants, must have a valid ticket.
Key Policies to Know
No re-entry: Once you leave Davis Wade Stadium, your ticket is void. There are no passouts. If you leave, you’re buying a new ticket. This is a hard policy that catches visiting fans off guard constantly — plan your concourse trips accordingly.
Cowbells are regulated: Cowbells are permitted, but the SEC institutional sound policy restricts ringing to designated moments: pregame, quarter breaks, halftime, timeouts, and after a Mississippi State score. Watch the videoboards for the official in-game cues. This sounds complicated but becomes second nature after one drive.
All children require tickets: Every person regardless of age — including infants and toddlers — must have a ticketed seat. No lap seating.
One water bottle permitted: One clear, colorless water bottle (full or empty) per person is allowed in. Non-clear, tinted, or stainless steel containers are not permitted. Refilling stations are located at the northeast and northwest corners of the ground level concourse, the east side ground level, and the west side 300-level concourse.
Cashless or Cash? Public parking lots are fully cashless — debit, credit, and mobile payments only. Stadium concessions and merchandise have moved heavily toward cashless operations as well. Leave cash in the car or be ready to use card. The venue also has a dedicated gameday page (HailState.com/Gameday) with current maps and concession info.
Accessibility ADA seating is available on the west side (Sections 1, 6, and 7) and east side (Sections 24 and 25). Two elevator towers on the west side main concourse provide upper-level access, added during the recent west side renovation. ADA transit service runs from the North Campus lot on 100 Research Boulevard and the South Campus Animal and Dairy Science lot to stadium access points, starting four hours before kickoff. Contact the MSU ticket office directly for specific accommodation requests.
Full policy details: hailstate.com
Mississippi State Insider Tips & Hacks
Gameday in Starkville is genuinely one of the best experiences in college football — not because of the national brand, but because Starkville essentially ceases to be a small town and transforms into the third-largest city in Mississippi on football Saturdays. The cowbells, the Junction, the Dawg Walk, the Famous Maroon Band — this is a full-day cultural experience, not just a football game. First-timers are consistently surprised by how good it is. Here’s how to do it right.
Arrival & Tailgating
Get to The Junction by 10 a.m. for noon kickoffs. The Junction — the tailgating area just south of the stadium — fills up with maroon and white tents hours before kickoff. It’s a car-free, pedestrian tailgate space (named after the old railroad junction that used to run through campus), which makes it uniquely accessible and social. Thousands of fans pack in with grills, TVs, and cornhole. This is where you spend your morning before the Dawg Walk.
Catch the Dawg Walk. Before kickoff, the team walks through The Junction toward the stadium flanked by fans, Bully the bulldog mascot, and the Famous Maroon Band. This is the pregame moment that fires up the entire crowd — position yourself in or near The Junction before the walk starts. The cowbells start ringing, the band is playing, and the players are right there.
Gates open three hours before kickoff. The ticket office in the north end zone lower level also opens three hours before game time.
Food & Drinks Inside
Know your concession options. Davis Wade has improved its food concepts significantly. Inside the stadium: Junction BBQ for brisket and pulled pork nachos, Stark Tacos for chicken tinga and beef barbacoa, Drill Field for chicken tenders and waffle fries, and Hail State Eats for hot dogs and Bavarian pretzels. The new Beverage Express grab-and-go stands on both the west and east main concourses are the fastest option if you just need a drink — especially the west location, which has AI-powered checkout.
Hit concessions before halftime. Lines get long at halftime — everybody moves at once. Either go during a television timeout in the second quarter or wait until the third quarter starts.
Traditions & Culture
“Don’t Stop Believin'” between the third and fourth quarters is not a joke. Head coach Dan Mullen started this tradition in 2014, and it became one of the most memorable atmosphere moments in SEC stadiums. The entire crowd sways and rings cowbells in sync during the song. If you’re new, just follow everyone around you. You’ll get it immediately.
Buy or borrow a cowbell. You can bring one from home or find them everywhere in Starkville on game weekend. The experience of ringing a cowbell in unison with 40,000+ people after a touchdown is one of those “you have to be there” things. Don’t skip it.
Bully is buried under the 50. The original Bully the Bulldog (died 1939, struck by a campus bus) is buried right there under the players’ bench at the 50-yard line. The current mascot — Bully XXII, known as Dak — still roams the sidelines on game days. It’s a unique piece of college football history.
Instagrammable Spots & Photo Ops
The best exterior photo is from The Junction looking north at the stadium. The south end of the stadium frames perfectly with the maroon and white tent city in the foreground — this is your Instagram moment. Get there early before the crowds pack in too tightly.
The view from the 200-level concourse looking down the field is exceptional for photos. The entire bowl is visible and the cowbell crowd makes for a great wide shot.
Venue App & Mobile Tickets
Use HailState.com/Gameday. MSU launched a revamped gameday hub with interactive stadium maps, concession locations, parking information, and directions. Pull this up on your phone before you arrive — it’s genuinely useful for navigating the campus layout, which confuses first-timers. Mobile tickets are standard; have them downloaded before you hit campus because cell service gets strained on big game days.
Chairback rentals are available. If you want a cushioned seat with back support, individual game rentals are offered at three locations inside the stadium. Season rentals are also available at BulldogCushions.com.
Merch & Team Store
The main Bulldog fan shop is on campus. Gear is also everywhere in Starkville ahead of game day — along the Cotton District and downtown Main Street you’ll find plenty of maroon options. If you want to shop without the in-stadium crowds, hit downtown Starkville before the game.
Leaving the Stadium
Leave at the two-minute warning if you drove. Post-game traffic on and around the MSU campus is notoriously gridlocked. If your team has the game in hand or you parked far from campus, leaving slightly early saves 45–90 minutes of sitting. MSU publishes a postgame traffic egress plan at HailState.com — look it up before you go and plan your exit route in advance.
Visiting Fans
Visiting fans sit in Sections 24–25, 301–304, and 338–340 on the east side. Away fans are treated well by the Bulldog fanbase — MSU fans have a strong reputation for hospitality, and multiple visitors’ guides confirm this. That said, you’ll want to bring ear protection if cowbells bother you — they’re relentless on big-game days.
Families & Kids
Davis Wade’s layout is reasonably family-friendly, though the crowd density on big games can be intense in the lower sections. Accessible sections 1, 6, and 7 on the west side and 24–25 on the east are good family-friendly spots with ADA accommodations. Every child requires a ticket regardless of age, so plan your budget accordingly. Kid inflatables are set up across from The Junction’s west entrance on game days, giving younger fans something to do before the game. The heat on early-season September games is a genuine concern for kids — bring hats, sunscreen, and extra water.
Autographs & Player Access
The Dawg Walk is your best bet. As the team processes through The Junction to the stadium before kickoff, fans are close enough to see and interact with players and coaches. This is the primary player access moment at Davis Wade. Post-game on the field is limited to credentialed media and specific guest passes. For autographs, arrive at The Junction early and position yourself along the walkway route.
Getting to Davis Wade Stadium
Davis Wade Stadium sits on the Mississippi State campus in Starkville, about 125 miles north of Jackson and 160 miles from Memphis. The stadium address for your GPS is 90 B.S. Hood Road, Starkville, MS 39762.
Driving & Parking: Campus parking for general public fans is available, though prime lots near the stadium are reserved for Bulldog Club members. Lot 36 is the closest publicly available paid lot. The Mississippi Horse Park off Highway 182 offers RV parking with advance reservation and a dedicated shuttle service to campus.
All public parking lots are cashless — debit, credit, or mobile payment only. Arrive at least 90 minutes before kickoff to avoid the worst congestion; two or more hours is better for marquee games. Plan your exit using the MSU Football Gameday Postgame Traffic Egress Plan here.
Free SMART Bus: Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit runs free gameday bus service from multiple locations throughout Starkville and the MSU campus to the stadium area, beginning four hours before kickoff and running until two hours after the game ends. Routes serve the Walmart on the Avenue of Patriots, Downtown Starkville, the Wise Center on South Campus, and the Research Park on North Campus. A bus tracking map is available via the TransLoc app — search for Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit. This is genuinely the best way to avoid the post-game traffic nightmare.
Rideshare: Uber and Lyft both serve Starkville on game days, but surge pricing before and after games can be aggressive — budget $20–$40+ from downtown Starkville depending on demand. Designate a rideshare pickup meeting point before you get separated in the post-game crowd.
Hotels in Starkville, MS For Gameday
Starkville is a college town of roughly 25,000 people that essentially triples in size on football Saturdays. Hotel inventory is genuinely limited, and for SEC marquee matchups (Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia), rooms book out months in advance. Book as early as you can — spring if possible for fall games. If Starkville is fully sold out, Columbus, MS is about 30 minutes east and typically has inventory when Starkville doesn’t.
Best Areas to Stay
On Campus / Near Campus: The closer to the stadium and The Junction, the better — you can walk to everything and skip the traffic nightmare entirely. The Cotton District is about a 10-minute walk from the stadium and puts you right in the middle of the pregame and postgame bar scene.
Downtown Starkville / Main Street: Walkable to the Cotton District and a reasonable walk or short rideshare to campus. Good access to restaurants and bars before the game without being stuck in the campus parking grid.
Columbus, MS (Budget Fallback): About 30 miles east on Highway 82. Not ideal — you’ll need to drive in and deal with parking — but it’s a reliable backup when Starkville is sold out, which it often is for big games.
Hotel Recommendations
Courtyard by Marriott at The Mill Conference Center — The closest full-service hotel to campus; within a mile of the stadium. Mid-range pricing, solid amenities, fills up first. Book months out for big games.
Hilton Garden Inn Starkville — Good mid-range option with consistent quality. A reasonable drive or rideshare to campus.
Hampton Inn Starkville — Reliable and mid-range, popular with visiting families.
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Starkville at MSU — Solid value mid-range, free breakfast, consistently rated well by visiting fans.
The Montgomery B&B — If you want something with more character than a chain hotel, this historic B&B gets strong reviews and provides a very different experience from the standard options.
Budget Options
Red Roof Inn Starkville – University and Quality Inn Starkville are the budget chains closest to campus. You get the standard budget motel experience — functional, cheap, no frills — but you’re still walking distance or a short rideshare from the action.
Columbus, MS (Hampton Inn & Suites or La Quinta): 30 miles away but often available when Starkville is gone, at significantly lower rates.
Starkville Gameday Scene
The Cotton District is the beating heart of Starkville’s bar and nightlife scene, and on game day it transforms completely. It’s walkable from campus — within about 10 minutes of the stadium — and the architecture is genuinely unique, with buildings modeled after New Orleans and European styles. This is where the night ends after the game regardless of the result.
Fun Pregame Bars
Bin 612 — The Cotton District’s most iconic late-night spot. Famous for cheese fries after the bars close at 1 a.m., with a line stretching the whole block on game nights. Good for postgame; not ideal for a quiet pregame sit-down.
The Cotton District (general area) — The District functions as a collective scene rather than one destination. Multiple bars and restaurants cluster together, all within a short walk of each other.
The Guest Room — Cotton District staple for postgame drinks, whether you’re celebrating or commiserating.
Solid Restaurant Bets
Restaurant Tyler — One of Starkville’s standout dining spots on Main Street. Good for a proper pregame meal away from the game-day chaos.
Central Station Grill — Classic Starkville spot on Main Street. Casual, dependable, a local institution.
Georgia Blue — Popular for Southern comfort food with a nice gameday vibe on Main Street.
Two Brothers Smoked Meats — Cotton District. Great smoked wings and their signature white BBQ sauce is worth the trip. Sports bar atmosphere, gameday friendly.
Bulldog Burger — Cotton District. Huge selection of different burgers, a reliable gameday staple.
Starkville Cafe — The classic Starkville breakfast and lunch diner. If you’re doing a morning tailgate buildup, this is your first stop.
Why You Should Go
Davis Wade Stadium on a big game day is one of the most underrated experiences in SEC football. The cowbells alone put it in a category no other stadium can match, and the intimate college-town setting — where the entire Starkville population multiplies overnight and the campus becomes the center of the universe — creates an atmosphere that fan-friendly mega-stadiums simply can’t replicate. If you’ve never stood in The Junction while 40,000 people ring cowbells in unison as the team walks in, it belongs on the college football bucket list.
Don’t forget to check out all of our College Football Guides, as well as these Bulldog SEC rivals for road trips:
Written by Brad Richards, Founder of Gameday Guides. This guide includes insights from personal visits as well as updated info from team sources, fan forums, and stadium policies. We aim to help you plan with confidence — enjoy your gameday.