Humphrey Coliseum
Encyclopedia
Humphrey Coliseum is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena
in Starkville, Mississippi
, that opened for the 1975-76 basketball season. Nicknamed The Hump, it is home to the Mississippi State University
Bulldogs men's and women's basketball
teams
. It is the largest on-campus basketball arena in the state of Mississippi. The building is the equivalent of seven stories high and is in the shape of an oval 318' long by 268' wide. The outside is marked by regular concrete columns and Mississippi red brick siding, and the school seal adorns the front of the building. In 2004, a center hung scoreboard was provided by the Henry Mize Foundation. The scoreboard features four sides, each with a video screen. In addition to basketball, the arena is a popular venue for concerts, graduation ceremonies, and other events.
"The Hump" features a large "Mississippi State" wordmark adorning the middle of the court. The court is rimmed in maroon with "The Hump" written at each corner. The lanes under the goals have the letters "SEC" spelled out in maroon. The building contains two tiers. Though the seating at Humphrey Coliseum is 10,500, the crowd has surpassed capacity 3 times (10,735 vs Mississippi 2/7/04, 10,645 vs Mississippi 2-23-02, 10,541 vs Florida 1/7/03). In 2000, a catwalk was completed which connects Humphrey Coliseum to Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium
, the Bulldogs' baseball stadium.
It was named for George Duke Humphrey, former president of Mississippi State. It replaced McCarthy Gymnasium
, which was built in 1950 and has since been converted to an indoor tennis center.
as well as the nation. A quote from an article on Gainsville.com expresses this thought.
"(Florida basketball players Joakim) Noah
, Al Horford
and (Corey) Brewer
had all named Humphrey Coliseum as the most difficult road arena they played in when they filled out questionnaires as top 50 preseason finalists for the John R. Wooden Award.
'It gets loud,' Brewer said. 'I don't know why. It's a different kind of loud. So loud that you can't think.'"
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Starkville, Mississippi
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
, that opened for the 1975-76 basketball season. Nicknamed The Hump, it is home to the Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
Bulldogs men's and women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams
TEAMS
Teams is the plural form of team.TEAMS may also refer to:*TEAMS , a competition sponsored by JETS*TEAMS , an Kenyan initiative to link the country to the rest of the world through a submarine fibre optic cable....
. It is the largest on-campus basketball arena in the state of Mississippi. The building is the equivalent of seven stories high and is in the shape of an oval 318' long by 268' wide. The outside is marked by regular concrete columns and Mississippi red brick siding, and the school seal adorns the front of the building. In 2004, a center hung scoreboard was provided by the Henry Mize Foundation. The scoreboard features four sides, each with a video screen. In addition to basketball, the arena is a popular venue for concerts, graduation ceremonies, and other events.
"The Hump" features a large "Mississippi State" wordmark adorning the middle of the court. The court is rimmed in maroon with "The Hump" written at each corner. The lanes under the goals have the letters "SEC" spelled out in maroon. The building contains two tiers. Though the seating at Humphrey Coliseum is 10,500, the crowd has surpassed capacity 3 times (10,735 vs Mississippi 2/7/04, 10,645 vs Mississippi 2-23-02, 10,541 vs Florida 1/7/03). In 2000, a catwalk was completed which connects Humphrey Coliseum to Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium
Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium
Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium, is a baseball facility on the campus of Mississippi State University and is the home of the Bulldogs Baseball Team...
, the Bulldogs' baseball stadium.
It was named for George Duke Humphrey, former president of Mississippi State. It replaced McCarthy Gymnasium
McCarthy Gymnasium
McCarthy Gymnasium is a 3,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Starkville, Mississippi. It opened in 1950. It was home to the Mississippi State University Bulldogs basketball teams until the Humphrey Coliseum opened in 1975. It is currently home to the tennis teams. When it opened, the facility held...
, which was built in 1950 and has since been converted to an indoor tennis center.
Quotes
The Hump is one of the hardest places for an opponent to play in the Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
as well as the nation. A quote from an article on Gainsville.com expresses this thought.
"(Florida basketball players Joakim) Noah
Joakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noah is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship...
, Al Horford
Al Horford
Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso is a Dominican professional basketball player who is a center and power forward for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association...
and (Corey) Brewer
Corey Brewer
Corey Wayne Brewer is an American professional basketball player who is a small forward and shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for for the University of Florida, where he starred on the Florida Gators teams that won...
had all named Humphrey Coliseum as the most difficult road arena they played in when they filled out questionnaires as top 50 preseason finalists for the John R. Wooden Award.
'It gets loud,' Brewer said. 'I don't know why. It's a different kind of loud. So loud that you can't think.'"