Mississippi State Football: Davis-Wade Stadium Expansion Proves Strong SEC Roots

As far as the rest of the country is concerned, the Southeastern Conference is an "elitist" group of powerhouse football programs with the few controlling the many. Other leagues such as the Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC and Big 12 all attempt to point out the lack of "depth" within the SEC due to the fact that teams such as Alabama, Florida, LSU and Georgia seemingly dominate every season.

To some extent, they have a point. It's not likely that any SEC fan of the this generation will live to see to the day Vanderbilt takes home the conference championship, much less actually competes for it. No offense to the Commodores, but the odds aren't exactly in their favor.

However, the conference isn't considered to be the best in college football just for kicks. This illusion of lack of depth is a mirage that has fooled even the most observant of outsiders.

To prove my point, I present Mississippi State, a mid-level SEC program which is, essentially, on the rise. Following the hiring of former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen as their head coach back in 2009, the Bulldogs have steadily begun to build a reputation on the gridiron.

After finishing 5-7 in his first season, Mullen has since boasted a 16-10 overall record with two huge bowl victories over Michigan and Wake Forest. This kind of consistent success is unlike what MSU fans have seen in a long time, leading to a record 16 straight sellout home crowds.

To accommodate for the sudden increase in attendance, including two record-breaking crowds in 2009, the university has acquired permission to begin construction on an $82 million expansion of Davis-Wade Stadium, effectively jumping its meager 55,000 seating up to just around 61,000.

The beautiful renderings of the expansion plans have many an SEC fan talking. MSU Athletic Director Scott Stricklin even had meetings with the world-renowned stadium architecture firm Populous in order to start brainstorming how Davis-Wade could eventually reach upwards of 75,000 plus seating.

While this kind of expansion may seem somewhat insignificant when compared to overpowering structures such as Alabama's Bryant-Denny, LSU's Death Valley, Florida's "The Swamp," and Georgia's Between the Hedges, it represents the kind of depth the SEC has established within its middle-tiered programs.

Following just over a year of selling out at home, Mississippi State put this huge expansion in the works. Such a quick reaction to what could turn out to be a few short years of success proves how even these smaller SEC universities are just as fanatical as their big brothers, despite the lack of attention they receive on a national scale.

Like many things in this world, success on the gridiron is cyclical. Some remain on top for decades while others just for a year or two, but the main point is that the roots of the SEC run deep in the fertile southern soil no matter how good a team is. This kind of unwavering loyalty through both the good and bad times is a trait unmatched by other conferences.

With a few exceptions that include some of the most historically relevant programs (i.e. Michigan, Ohio State, USC and Texas), you won't see many other universities outside the SEC throw down that kind of cash for an expansion on their stadium after just a year-and-a-half of "real" success on the field.

Mississippi State fans aren't the fair-weather type either. A program that, historically, is used to finishing just around .500, you'll never hear one brag about their upcoming season just because they have never been able to count on consistent results.

However, SEC fanatics know a winner when they see one and Mullen has revamped this stagnant program and taken it to new heights in a very short period of time.

Many universities would have waited a few more years to see if this kind of on-the-field success was repeatable before writing checks for just over $80 million, but the Bulldogs' front office jumped on the opportunity like a rabid animal, seeking a greater influence within their own state with hope of retaining some success once it begins to dwindle as it always eventually does.

This kind of behavior is certainly what most analysts would expect out of Alabama or Florida if their stadiums were a bit too full for years on end, but Mississippi State? It proves that the fanaticism of the SEC isn't just limited to the powerhouses sitting up on their ivory towers. The smaller universities are just as dedicated, loyal and intense about their own programs as the big boys from around the conference.  

And don't expect that to change any time soon.