After record-breaking homecoming, could Jackson State finally get a new stadium?

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Jackson State recently experienced its largest homecoming crowd in program history. It revived talks of building a new stadium.

Earlier this year, JSU received money from the state to get the ball rolling to make it happen.

53,578 fans packed Veterans Memorial Stadium to watch the Jackson State Tigers win over Alabama State. The history-making moment, and having Coach Prime at the helm, have reignited the desire to build a state-of-the-art stadium.

“It is time. Now it is time for Jackson State University to have its own stadium,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson said.

Veterans Memorial Stadium is exclusively operated and maintained by JSU. The stadium was built in 1950 and seats nearly 60-thousand people. Earlier this year. Jackson State received a quarter of a million dollars from the state to study the possibility of getting a new home for the Tigers.

Vice President and Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson says the pandemic pushed back the start date on the study. Now the plan is to begin the feasibility study before the end of the year.

“We’re working on it starting on that feasibility study. That study will entail all the details of the stadium. We are talking about locations, capacity, suites, locker rooms, parking. It would a whole story of a new stadium, so we can have a plan in place to show the legislators, to show the alumni, will come off the leadership of President Hudson.”

Back in 2013, JSU unveiled plans to build a multi-million-dollar dome, but that push wasn’t successful and died.

Robinson says an on-campus stadium or one close to the university would be ideal, but it will take a lot of planning, more funding and support.

“We are talking about the stadium between $80 and $120 million as a cost range for a nice stadium for Jackson State University.”

Robinson says once the feasibility study is finished in March, JSU will start raising funds for the new multi-million-dollar facility.

“We are looking to have a new stadium in the next two to three years, if not, at least by the next five years we want to have a new stadium. This is not my first process of building a stadium, but it is a process to get everything that you need, but we want a stadium that best fits Jackson State University. We want a stadium that fits our alumni and supporters, and we want a stadium to make sure our fans have a great time.”

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