Jackson State, who currently plays at Veterans Memorial Stadium (pictured above) plans to build a state-of-the-art domed stadium.
Jackson State University announced plans to build a $200 million state-of-the art domed football stadium. The new domed stadium will seat 50,000 fans, well over the 24,000 fans the Tigers have been averaging in attendance as of late.
Funding for the project will come from public and private donors in addition to anticipated revenue (such as selling the naming rights). Head coach Rick Comegy is excited about the new stadium and believes the dome will give him a recruiting boost in the SWAC. In response to the announcement, Comegy stated that a domed stadium is “going to make a great impact on our program when kids come up and visit and see the modern stadium and the technology that hopefully will be in there.”
The impetus to unveil the plan now is Jackson State may have to leave Veterans Memorial Stadium. Developers want to turn the entire area, where the stadium currently sits, into a health-care corridor. Jackson State has yet to identify where it plans to build the domed stadium, but the university has multiple options on or near campus.
The dome will also be used for basketball games, concerts, and other events as needed. The hope is to keep the doors open for at least 200 days per year.
