Mississippi State’s newest idea for seating at Davis Wade Stadium proved popular in informal conversations within the school’s athletic department.

“When we first started sharing this around with our staff, every time we showed it to a group, we’d have two or three people saying, ‘I want one of those,’” said Mike Richey, executive senior associate athletic director for the Bulldog Club and ticket operations.

Richey and MSU are hoping interest from Bulldogs fans will work the same way.

On Wednesday, the school unveiled its “Balconies at Davis Wade Stadium,” a new seating concept that replaces seats on the west side of the upper deck with tiered open-air boxes.

The new plan bears a similarity to the Left Field Lounge at MSU baseball’s Dudy Noble Field but was not intended to be a copy, Richey said.

“It’s the idea of the social aspect of an event like this and being able to move around and not being tied to a fixed seat,” he said. “It wasn’t something where we said, ‘Let’s do the Lounge at football.”

Sections 301, 302, 312 and 313 and parts of Sections 303 and 311 will all be converted from bleacher seats into the new boxes, costing MSU nearly 2,000 seats overall. The project, which costs $2.5 million, is in conjunction with LPK Architects of Meridian and the Kansas City-based firm Populous. Codaray Construction of Ridgeland is building it.

Richey said Mississippi State has been working on the design since late in the 2021 season. The balconies will be completed by mid-August and in operation by the Sept. 3 season opener against Memphis.

“This is something we’re excited about,” Richey said. “We loved the concept when we first saw it.” Who gets in

Bulldog Club members will get first priority for the new balconies, which require a minimum $2,700 donation to the athletic department as well as at least eight season tickets (priced at $225 each).

Selections will be made based on Bulldog Club priority numbers beginning July 1. On July 5, whatever balconies remain will be offered to the general public.

“It’s just another premium offering to add to the mix of our stadium,” Richey said.

Much like in softball Super Regionals, MSU’s booster club is likely to snap up all of the balconies. Only 11 of the spaces will be available on each side of the upper deck.

The two top balconies are the biggest, capable of holding 25 people — all of whom must hold a ticket for the space. Two balconies hold 10, 12, 18, 20, and 22 fans, while 10 of them hold 15.

The concept mirrors what Mississippi State has already done with the Scoreboard Club in the north end zone, a terrace area offering fans a chance to walk around.

Richey said it will offer Bulldogs fans with small children and those hoping to stretch their legs or socialize midgame a chance to do so without leaving the seating area.

“This was the concept that we thought kind of hit the right buttons for what we needed to offer from what we were hearing from our fans, in particular the younger fans,” he said. How it works

Those selected for the balconies will be able to “service” their spaces the Friday before every home game, setting up for the action to come.

But things won’t look too much like the Left Field Lounge across campus. Customization with lights and other adornments will be limited because of the low number of home games. Grills and other cooking devices won’t be permitted; neither will tents or umbrellas. (Each balcony has a shade structure in the back, and the stadium’s west side is in natural shade for games kicking off after 11 a.m.)

Each box-holder will receive two bags of ice per home game, but Richey suggested fans take advantage of the electric outlets in each space to bring a minifridge or small freezer. Small fans and most chairs are also allowed.

Only the bottom balcony on each side of the upper deck is wheelchair accessible, as the rest require stairs. One of the 12 spaces on each side is reserved for foot traffic and will be designated as a service area, leaving 11 balconies on each side. Eleven “balconies” will be situated on either side of the west side upper deck at Davis Wade Stadium. They will occupy Sections 301-303 and 311-313. Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics

The balconies are each 9 feet, 6 inches deep (the top ones are 12 feet deep) and each comes with a drink rail at the front.

The rail is part of the reason Richey said MSU expects no safety issues with the new seating area. He said the athletic department checked with the school’s legal counsel and risk management departments before moving ahead.

“In some ways, it’s probably even a little safer than just being on the bleachers,” said Eric George, executive senior associate athletic director and CFO. “You’ve got a 42-inch rail that’s right there to protect anything. You don’t have that when you’re in the main seating area.” The process

At 4 a.m. Wednesday, a second crane descended on Davis Wade Stadium.

The first was already there to help replace the scoreboard and add three new ribbon boards in the north end zone. The new machine began installation on the balconies — a surprisingly simple process.

The prefabricated deck walls sat ready in Fulton prior to their use. Once they’re in place, the decking will be installed on top.

“The way it’s built, it’s very easy to come back and do more,” Richey said.

Should the balconies prove a success, Mississippi State might keep things rolling — despite an initial loss of some 1,900 seats that will push the stadium’s capacity below 60,000.

But those upper-deck corner seats, George said, don’t typically sell all that well. MSU officials acknowledged they won’t make up the cost of the diminished capacity in balcony purchases alone this season, but drawing fans into the world of premium seating can make it a “long-term investment” for the school.

“If you’re getting someone into a spot, they’re getting used to that, and now their next step is into a suite, into the club,” George said. “There’s the initial financial piece of them buying tickets and all that, but then there’s the longer-term approach of getting them in that system.”

MSU isn’t the only school to implement a plan like the balconies. Colorado State, South Alabama and other Group of Five programs have similar seating areas already in place.

Now, the Bulldogs are part of that club. They hope their expenditure pays off.

“We really felt like doing something different on the west side upper deck, and they gave us an opportunity to present a new option for fans, for how they want to come and enjoy the games,” Richey said.

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.

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