All Activity

I remember that Horn Lake game. And I believe that was chalked up as more of a socioeconomic thing than a fan interest thing.

I saw first hand the Louisville and Poplarville fan base at usm two yrs ago and the Columbia fan base at MS State last season. There are some fan bases at smaller schools that will outnumber some big schools. I remember the year Horn Lake came and played at USM and they hardly brought anyone.

Fans get tired of a going to away games for a month in a row. So they pick only a couple instead of attending them all

Right - which is why I said 2 games on Saturday (anytime). And I have a hard time seeing any 4A fan base outnumbering Gulfport, Tupelo, Starkville, Brandon, Oxford… There’s a reason those schools are 7A. Higher student population = higher attendance at championship games

Ref calls and no-calls, combined with sideline interference (that was also no-called)

Long as Coach HC Thigpen still there they will be competitor.

Might want to get some caffeine coming out of hibernation, but what about the home and home that West Jones and Jackson Prep had in ‘23 and ‘24? West Jones won 21-6 at home in ‘23 and Jackson Prep won 42-7 at home in ‘24. As long as teams are fairly evenly matched, MHSAA and MAIS schools can compete with one another. You can’t use the Coronavirus as an excuse for this example either.

What were the questionable tactics?

why is that?

There are quite a few good places in Starkville. Harvey steakhouse Walkons 44 Prime Buffalo wildwings and Applebees

How many restaurants not fast food in Starkville should I want to stop at Applebee's for example after or before the game. Food at the stadium is not of my choice.

Have you ever seen the fan bases of Columbia Poplarville or Louisville? Those are 4a schools who in the past when they have been in the title game brought more fans than the 5a 6a and 7a teams. And the volume of people is small when you are playing in a 60,000 seat stadium. Things were very smooth in Starkville last season. I am sure 5a 6a or 7a teams would not mind playing a noon game on a Saturday. I will use Hattiesburg as an example. Fans can leave around 7 or 8am for the 2.5 or 3hr drive. Game is played at 12 over by 3. Get out of the stadium by 330 and back on the road fans are home by 630pm no later than 8pmif you decide to stop and eat somewhere. So to me the 12pm Saturday game is best fan wise.

Fan engagement?

Clarion ledger has an article regarding Mississippi latest Census Data. There is a shift in population towards the suburbs and the coast.

GC beat OG during Covid when they had recruits from 3 districts all converge for 1 season… didn’t have to contact trace like the public schools did and even still they had to use some questionable tactics to beat OG. That 1 example is not a great one if you’re trying to show that private schools “can compete” with public schools on a regular basis

A month in a row of no home games is suckish. Long stints of every weekend at home followed by long stints of away does very little for fan engagement

5, 6, 7 A should always be: one on Friday night and 2 on Saturday (anytime) simply to help with the volume of people in and out of the venue. Then let the other 4 classes rotate in the other open spots on Thursday/Friday/Saturday. Planning this way - with fans travel in mind & making the experience the best it can be for the largest volume of people should be a priority. Not to mention the fact that the host town will do better economically when large fan bases come and stay.

Another big portal add this evening with Allen from LA Tech. Probably the best arm they’ve added this portal cycle. We’re along way away from the 2027 season but feels like you can probably count on State being in the preseason Top 5 or so. Gotta say it’s refreshing to see what Oak has done in the portal after years of Lemonis being not very good at it for the most part.

Look for 7a to play on Thursday next season. It was on Saturday last season and on Friday this season. 4a 6a was on Friday last season and Thursday this season. So look for it to be on Saturday next season

I have no issues with it. I knew it was coming eventually. Those other classes do deserve that 7pm Friday night and Saturday night spot. And i kinda like the idea of playing at 12 noon on a Saturday if Hattiesburg made it and the 6a title game was scheduled for that day

issues?

Gonna hate the year when 7A rotates to Thursday.

Ricky Black had to be #1

But even when we were up 7 I did not feel comfortable. Georgia just had our number this year. Simple as that. We were also down a nickel in game two and fought our way back into it. Georgia used up all their energy and good karma to beat us and I think it definitely affected their performance in Omaha.