Featured Photo by Brett Walker
Story by Christian Skelton
OXFORD, Miss.- Middle Tennessee football traveled to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday to take on the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels. It was a huge opportunity for the team to test themselves against one of the nation’s best, but it was also an opportunity for MTSU students and fans alike to experience a Blue Raider gameday in an SEC environment. With it being just over a four-hour drive, many students made the trek to Oxford.
“Oxford was electric in the first half before everyone left due to the scoreboard, but it’s definitely underrated in terms of SEC stadiums,” MTSU junior Connor Nute said.
Nute made the trip to Oxford with a group of friends that all attend MTSU. The MTSU junior felt that Vaught-Hemingway is an underrated SEC stadium. However, it is still probably the 10th or 11th best stadium in a conference with the likes of Neyland Stadium (Tennessee), Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama), Tiger Stadium (LSU) and Sanford Stadium (Georgia), Nute said. This is to be expected with Vaught-Hemingway having a capacity of just 64,308 people, whereas the aforementioned stadiums hold anywhere between 90-100 thousand people.
“One thing I thought that was nice about it being smaller than I expected was that the concessions were ran a lot smoother and with many more options than in a bigger stadium like Neyland,” MTSU junior and Knoxville native Jace Vincent said.
Aside from normal specialty concession stands like barbeque and pizza, there were plenty of side tables set up with concession classic like soda, candy, hot dogs and popcorn. Being able to get food fast and get back to your seat quickly immensely improves the fan experience.
“We were treated very well overall aside from a mix-up in tickets. Most of the staff were very hospitable and the fans were very friendly,” said Nute.
Overall, Oxford was a welcoming host for Blue Raider students and fans alike. The Rebels on the field were not so welcoming as Ole Miss won the game by a score of 52-3. The next time Middle Tennessee will travel to a power four conference school will be on Sept. 6, 2025, when the Raiders travel to Madison, WI to take on the Wisconsin Badgers.
Christian Skelton is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines
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