Know Your Stadiums – Hancock Whitney Stadium
This history of Hancock Whitney Stadium begins today.
It is a blank slate.
As a lifelong fan of college football, I have a deep respect for the traditions and the history of each institution.
As historical as the schools and the football programs are the stadiums. Which is why I have written a number of posts in the series of ‘Know Your Stadiums.’ Stadiums like Neyland Stadium, Vaught Hemingway Stadium, Davis Wade Stadium, Carter-Finley Stadium, and the Kibbie Dome each have their own, unique story.
For the previous 10 seasons, that has been Ladd-Peebles Stadium for South Alabama. Opening in 1948, it debuted with the University of Alabama versus the Vanderbilt Commodores (in a 14-14 tie). It’s been home to the Senior Bowl from 1951-2020. It’s been the home of the Mobile Alabama Bowl since 1999.
Last year I wrote “A Long Goodbye To Ladd-Peebles.” Without Ladd-Peebles, the South Alabama football probably wouldn’t be in the same position that it is today. They were able to focus on practice facilities and their field house without having to build a stadium.
But now they have the field house and a grass and field turf practice facility.
They recently added a covered practice facility. Because if you know Mobile, you know it’s propensity to rain and thunderstorms. Now they are no longer relegated to the basketball gym on stormy days.
And beginning today, they have Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Every game will add to the story of HWS Stadium. Every touchdown. Every field goal. Every turnover. Every win and every loss will continue to add that history.
When the stadium was announced, everyone envisioned a packed house to officially open the stadium. A crowd of 25,000 fans clad in red cheering the team at the brand new facility.
Then Covid-19 struck.
Now about 6,000 will be there, spread out around the stadium, to officially introduce the stadium to the world on national TV.
It’s not the grand opening we envisioned. But it’s the hand we’ve been dealt.
The Jags are a 10.5 point underdog to the Tulane Green Wave. What will the first chapter of this story hold for the history of Hancock Whitney Stadium?
If you don’t have tickets to the game, tune in to ESPN2 beginning at 6:30pm CDT and find out.
Go Jags!
A Long Goodbye To Ladd-Peebles Stadium
We haven’t posted any updates about Hancock Whitney Stadium since it they began construction, but we’re changing that today.
Saturday afternoon the Jags held their final season opener at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. A stadium that has had it’s ups and downs over the years.
Many fans are quick to voice their displeasure with Ladd. Yes it’s old, the concessions are basically high school fare, and many are scared to venture into the parking lot because of the surrounding neighborhood.
However, if it wasn’t for Ladd-Peebles Stadium I don’t know if South Alabama football would have began when it did. USA did not have any facilities for football. The club football team played at the track across from the Mitchell Center with bleacher seating for maybe a couple hundred fans. A sunken bowl that could have been turned into a small football stadium along the lines of my high school.
USA was able to start by building a new football field house and a practice facility without having to build a stadium until 10+ years into football.
But now we have Hancock Whitney Stadium taking shape in front of the Jaguars Football Field House where the former intramural fields were placed.
The ‘Cock will be the home of Jaguar football and it’s rising fast. What was once only dream and a goal, is finally coming to fruition. A brand new, state of the art 25,000 seat stadium on the campus of South Alabama.
No more will the neighborhood around Ladd intimidate fans from coming out to a game. No more parking in people’s yards and hoping that nothing happens to your car while you’re cheering on the Jags. No more parking at the mall and taking a shuttle through the same neighborhood and being dropped off near Williamson High School. Also no more poor concessions, poor sound system, rental video boards, metal rattling on big 3rd downs, and lack luster student attendance.
Okay, that last one may still happen. Even Alabama has problems getting students to show up and stay the entire game. Not anything against the students, sometimes its more about the party than the game.
And some may miss the metal rattling underfoot because now the fans will have to make noise by yelling and not by stomping their feet.
Probably the low point of Ladd was when Mississippi State visited on a very hot day with a packed stadium leading to attendees having problems getting water. Some stations ran out completely, some stations did not have cool water. USA took the brunt of the criticism at first but it was the group running concessions at Ladd that failed everyone. After that, USA began allowing attendees to bring in up to two bottles of water per person in a soft-sided cooler.
That was eventually stopped but was in affect for Jackson State and will be allowed once again for the 2:30pm match-up against Memphis on Saturday, September 14.
Lets take a moment to look at the highlights from Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Of course the Jags first ever football game against Hargrave Military Academy and their first ever score when Myles Gibbon hit Courtney “Quick Six” Smith for a 60 yard touchdown down the near sideline. Also the Jags first win over a ranked opponent when they downed San Diego State 42-24.
In 2020, we will welcome The ‘Cock into the family with The Mitch, The Stank, The Cage, and Jaguar Field. We still need a better name for Jaguar Field that falls in line with the others facilities.
The ‘Cock is rising on campus.
Go Jags!