‘To The Top’ in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI — Tailgating before a college football game in the South is an experience of which few can compare.

At the University of Southern Mississippi, it’s music of all genres blared from tent to tent. It’s the sound of grilling and the smell of various meats no matter where you turn with those in front of the smoke showcasing their skills. All around are tents of various sizes and shapes, but predominantly in the school colors of yellow and black.

Some of the bigger tents have spreads that are set to feed dozens as well as big screen televisions as the mid-afternoon kickoffs go into the second half. It’s boosters and families mostly, with one section devoted to fraternities and sororities stacked next to each other with red cups the accessory of choice. Some are dressed in their Sunday best while others are dressed for a summer family BBQ.

Throughout all the noise, two hours before the scheduled kickoff, a cannon explodes. That is the signal for the start of Eagle Walk as The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band goes in formation toward the stadium gates, followed by cheerleaders and Seymour the mascot, then the football team and staff. Hundreds line the street whether they be fans, boosters, friends and family or local youths wanting the chance to high-five a player.

This was Saturday afternoon as the clock dragged into the evening in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, ahead of the Southern Miss home opener against Southeastern Louisiana. Competing in the Sun Belt — known by college football fans as the “Fun Belt” ­— the Golden Eagles are the most well-known athletic program in a city that offers a sports scene that caters to a diverse range of interests.

Beyond College Football

Hattiesburg, which sits less than two hours from the Gulf of Mexico, is different than some other locations in the state. Football, which matters a great deal as it does anywhere in this region of the country, is not the only thing in the city.

Opened in 1965, the 8,095-seat Reed Green Coliseum is home for basketball and volleyball. Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field has been the home of Southern Miss baseball since 1984, holding nearly 3,500 fans each game as the Eagles hosted NCAA Super Regionals in 2022 and 2023. The campus also includes an esports arena in the Student Union, which hosts the USM competition teams and is across the hall from a casual gaming area open to all students.

Tatum Park Sportsplex is a multi-sport complex that hosts tens of thousands of visitors and locals each year with 18 soccer fields, four softball fields, five baseball fields, 10 tennis courts and more. Cameron Field, the home of Dixie Boys Baseball for generations, was recently relocated to Jaycee Park and features one baseball field and a softball field that can flex into a second baseball field during the summer.

With no metro airport in the city — SportsTravel flew into Jackson and drove to town in a little under two hours. Hattiesburg’s sports offerings beyond Southern Miss are mostly concentrated on the drive market, such as the Dixie Youth World Series in summer 2023. That in mind, the focus of Visit Hattiesburg has been on attracting sports events that would bring a family to town for a few days with activities for a mix of young and old.

Food offerings range from not only southern BBQ but Asian Fusion at Big Trouble or an old-time record store and sandwich shop vibe at T-Bones. The area also boasts one of the most eclectic spots you may find anywhere in the country, let alone the state, at Lucky Rabbit. The establishment features dozens of vendors and everything from signs of stores from decades past, trading packs of sports cards from the 1990s for sale and experiences such as the current Beetlejuice exhibit that replicates scenes from the movie.

That all said, there is still nothing quite like a college football game. Especially for the 22,000 who on this night settled into “The Rock.”

To The Top

Its official name is Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium, a 36,000-capacity stadium tucked securely into campus in a way that few college football stadiums are. For those in Hattiesburg, it’s affectionately known as “The Rock at Southern Miss.”

Southern Miss football has more than just a little history on the gridiron. From 1980 through 2011, it had only four losing seasons with famous wins at Alabama in 1982 and 1990, a win at Florida State in 1989 and wins in both 1990 and 1991 at Auburn. The Eagles won eight conference titles from a variety of affiliations over the decades, Conference USA (USM won three titles in a four-year stretch from 1996 through 1999, plus titles in 2011 and 2013).

While it was highly successful for a long stretch of time — making 10 bowl games in an 11-year stretch at one point — Southern Miss has struggled of late, not being seen in the national rankings since 2011. Coming off a season-opening loss at Kentucky, the Golden Eagles tried to recapture on this night a little bit of its old glory, wearing the 1980s era Diamond “USM” helmets for the first time since 2019 and welcoming back alumni from all of its teams from the 1970s.

Helmets cannot win games, but they can sometimes inspire. After a slow start that led to a few boos, and the frustration of two missed field goals, Southern Miss lumbered into halftime up 14–10. Then, the mood improved — up 21–10 in the fourth quarter, a 67-yard interception return by Dylan Lawrence drew genuine celebration on all sides of the stadium. Celebration turned to jubilation when Kenyon Clay added a 70-yard scoring run with 1:44 left secured a 35–10 win and set off touchdown fireworks for the fifth time.

Throughout the game, one of the loudest moments aside from touchdowns was whenever Southern Miss got a first down — as tradition, after the PA announcer said, “First Down Southern Miss,” the crowd yelled in response “To The Top!” Leaving with a smile and looking forward to the next home game against South Florida, fans and students emptied out of The Rock and into the night as the P.A. announcer once more repeated “Southern Miss — To The Top!”

For this night at least, the Golden Eagles were indeed on top.