Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson State University

Construction on the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium began in 1949, and the facility opened in 1950 with a seating capacity of 21,000. In 1953, the capacity was temporarily increased to 25,000, and in 1961 the stadium was expanded to hold 46,000 people. Veterans Memorial is the former home to Mississippi's three major football programs for many years (University of Mississippi, Mississippi State, and Southern Mississippi). It has also been the home of HBCU Jackson State University since 1970. In 1981 the stadium underwent another expansion that brought the total capacity to around 60,492.

In 1960 the Mississippi State Legislature took control of the stadium, and it remained under the State's control until 2011. In 2011 the Legislature transferred operations and managing power to Jackson State University, ending what many had thought was an unfair arrangement where the State took a large percentage of revenue from their football games.

The stadium also hosted the annual Capital City Classic between Jackson State's in-state rival and fellow SWAC conference member, Alcorn State University. The game was held exclusively at Veterans Memorial Stadium from 1993 to 2010. Starting in 2011, the game began to alternate between Veterans Memorial Stadium and Alcorn State's home field. The stadium also held the Mississippi High School Activities Associations (MHSAA) high school state championship football games from 1992 to 2013.

Because of more recent modifications, particularly the facility's horseshoe-shaped bleacher seats, it now accommodates 44,215 fans and is ideally suited for concerts and events that are held at the stadium.

Welcome to Jackson State University / Veterans Memorial Stadium, MS Veterans Memorial Stadium. Accessed April 13th 2020. http://www.ms-veteransstadium.com/stadium-facts.

Sutton, Justin. Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium – Jackson State Tigers, Stadium Journey. October 10th 2013. Accessed April 13th 2020. https://stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/mississippi-veterans-memorial-stadium-s1730.

A History of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium , Mississippi Sports Magazine. Accessed November 10th 2020. http://www.mssportsmagazine.com/msm-features/a-history-of-mississippi-veterans-memorial-stadium.