BOONEVILLE, Miss. - The long time home of the Northeast Mississippi Community College football program is undergoing its first significant changes in over a decade.
Northeast is investing approximately $1.5 million in renovations to Tiger Stadium ahead of the upcoming 2025 season. Among the highlights are a refurbished playing surface and a state-of-the-art video board.
"I think we're doing a lot of things to enhance not only the playing surface, but the surroundings," Northeast athletic director Kent Farris said. "The fans are going to enjoy the new look. We're just excited about all the new things that are going on."
Northeast partnered with video board manufacturer ACE Sports for the crown jewel of this venture. The towering LED structure will be located along the northwest corner in front of the field house.
The board will stand at 20 feet high by 39 feet wide and include a brand-new sound system at the top. The speakers will be hidden by decorative lettering that spells "Northeast" with the "NE" logo featured on both sides.
The board will include multiple sponsorship spots, a prominent space for video content plus the game clock and scoring information all on one display. The Northeast Development Foundation assisted with this portion of the project through its "Jump On Board" campaign.
"The improvements that Dr. Ford, the administration and the board have done to help this program is a game changer," said Tigers head coach Greg Davis. "The face lift is much needed. It's going to blow some people's socks off. It's going to change the level of our recruiting."
The playing surface was another major part of Tiger Stadium's revitalization process. Crews tore out the old grass, brought in additional dirt to level the field and laid fresh sod that was brought in from Arkansas.
Tahoma 31 Bermuda was selected as the new grass for the Tigers' venue. It is a popular choice for sports complexes because of its exceptional winter hardiness, early spring green-up and wear tolerance.
A modernized irrigation system featuring Hunter Industries products was installed to keep the grass in pristine condition. There are four sprinkler rotor heads down each sideline that disperse water across the field.
Underneath the turf lies a six-inch Hydraway drainage system to help shed excess water quickly. The same infrastructure is in place at Auburn (Ala.) University's Jordan-Hare Stadium and at other Southeastern Conference (SEC) facilities.
"You can't get a better surface than what we're going to play on," Davis said. "It's top of the line. I'm fired up about it. It's going to be magnificent once it's all completed."
A gray block facade will adorn three locations, including at the bottom of both sets of bleachers. It will also separate the south end of the facility from the ticket booth and concession stand.
Northeast plans to boost the environment behind the south end zone with the purchase of six high-top tables, stools and umbrellas for fans to gather around on game nights. It will be a similar setup to what is available between the baseball and softball fields at The Plex.
New fluorescent yellow goal posts, which meet the NCAA specifications of the uprights rising 20 feet above the crossbar, are included in this makeover. Select areas will receive upgraded fencing as well.
The inaugural event at Tiger Stadium following its revamp is Northeast's division opener against Mississippi Delta Community College on Thursday, September 11. The first of four home contests for the Tigers this fall is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.