Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field has been the home of Mississippi State Bulldogs football since 1914, when it opened as New Athletic Field. Only Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium has hosted FBS football longer, giving this Starkville landmark more than a century of gridiron history.
Renamed in 2001 to honor major donor Floyd Davis Wade Sr. while keeping the historic Scott Field name for the playing surface, the stadium has grown through renovations in 1928, 1936, 1948, 1982, 1986, 2002, and a $75 million 2014 expansion. Today it seats over 60,000 fans who are famous for ringing cowbells, a tradition unique among Division I programs.
Stats at a Glance
- Team: Mississippi State Bulldogs (NCAA)
- Location: Starkville, Mississippi
- Opened: 1914 (renamed Davis Wade Stadium in 2001)
- Capacity: about 60,311 (as of 2022)
- Attendance record: about 62,945 (Oct. 11, 2014 vs. Auburn)
- Notable fact: Mississippi State is the only Division I school where fans can bring artificial noisemakers like cowbells
A Century of Growth
What began as a modest college field in 1914 has expanded through eight documented rounds of construction, including a 1986 upgrade worth $7.2 million and a 2002 project that added 50 skyboxes for $21 million. The most recent transformation, a $75 million expansion completed in 2014, added premium seating and a climate-controlled concourse beneath the East Upper Deck, reshaping the stadium’s capacity in the years since.
The Cowbell Tradition
No feature defines Davis Wade Stadium more than its cowbells. Legend traces the custom to a stray cow that wandered onto the field during a 1930s game against Ole Miss, and Mississippi State fans have rung cowbells ever since as a rallying symbol. The tradition is loud enough that Davis Wade Stadium set a Guinness World Record in 2015 when thousands of fans rang cowbells simultaneously during a pep rally, cementing its reputation as one of the most disruptive road environments in the SEC.
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Davis Wade Stadium FAQs
How old is Davis Wade Stadium?
It opened in 1914 as New Athletic Field, making it the second-oldest stadium currently used in the Football Bowl Subdivision, behind only Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Why is it called Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field?
The playing surface was named Scott Field in 1920, and the stadium itself was renamed Davis Wade Stadium in 2001 to honor major donor Floyd Davis Wade Sr., so both names are used together.
What is the stadium’s capacity?
As of 2022, Davis Wade Stadium seats about 60,311 fans following renovations that adjusted seating from the previous 61,337 capacity used from 2014 to 2021.
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Photo: Nateb2003 / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.