Jacket Athletics will begin the 2025-2026 competitive season with new state-of-the-art surfacing at facilities along Victory Lane on the campus of Starkville High School. Resurfacing at Yellow Jacket Stadium as well as SHS Baseball's Carlisle Field and the Jacket Softball Field began in late May and is expected to be completed before each team's respective season begins.
"An investment in our athletic facilities is an investment in student opportunities," said SOCSD Superintendent Dr. Tony McGee. "With nearly 600 students participating in Yellow Jacket athletics, the upgraded facilities will provide not only a safer, but more dynamic experience for many of the 7th through 12th graders who utilize those fields. Plus, we want to create venues that our community can be proud of and high-quality spaces that showcase the excellence we expect from our students and staff on and off the field."
SOCSD has worked locally with architect Thomas Stewart of Architectonics and with Innovative Construction Management (ICM) to develop the project and implement the customized resurfacing. Stewart has worked extensively with the district on previous projects, and ICM has designed and managed the construction and renovation of a number of other high school and collegiate athletic facilities across the state.
"The current turf has been nearing the end of its recommended usage," McGee said. "This construction and installation project for some of our key athletic fields was one of the first projects that Coach Jay Hopson has spearheaded since joining the district as Director of Athletics. We are very excited to share the new resurfaced venues with Yellow Jacket fans."
Hopson, who served in various coaching positions at the collegiate level before joining the district, knows first-hand the importance of high-quality, high-impact facilities when it comes to garnering a fan base –– and in making sure student athletes buy-in to a championship mindset.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to resurface Yellow Jacket Stadium as well as our baseball and softball fields ahead of our 2025-2026 athletic season," Hopson said. "The state-of-the-art turf will provide some additional safety features to protect players, and we believe the lighting and video board we have included in the project will really enhance the black and gold fan experience on gamedays. Our community fan base is a huge part of the Jacket Athletics success in the 7A classification, and we want our facilities to match the work ethic and potential of our student athletes."
The resurfacing of the field and track at Yellow Jacket Stadium, which serves Jacket Football, Soccer and Track, is expected to be completed by July 15 in time for preseason practice ahead of the start of the SHS Football home opener versus Oak Grove on August 29. Minor upgrades, new paint, and the installation of wall graphics in the Yellow Jacket Field House will also be completed in July.
The stadium field installation utilizes Shaw Sports Turf's Legion Pro turf, a synthetic material that is also used at practice facilities at Mississippi State University and LSU. With a high-quality look, color intensity and feel, the turf requires much less maintenance than traditional grass. But, perhaps the greatest assets for safety and playability lie below the surface.
ICM will install GeoFill, a 100% natural infill material that will assist with shock attenuation, providing reduced impact force to player joints, greater protection of the lower body from potential injury, and more ease of movement and balance during play. The material more closely resembles high quality natural grass than other types of turf and also can maintain a temperature of up to 40 degrees less than a traditional synthetic field, offering a better play experience even in the colder weather of playoff season.
An additional safety feature of the stadium project is the Schmitz ProPlay shock pad installed beneath the turf for greater head and joint safety as well as performance.
Yellow Jacket Baseball and Softball fields are expected to be completed in November and ready for use during the 2026 season. Both fields will utilize Shaw Sports Turf B1K TruHop turf system which is designed specifically to replicate the ball-to-surface interaction found in high-quality MLB and Division I collegiate levels of play. The surfacing also features SST's Innovative Game On tufting, which allows for mow patterns, custom logos and branding unique to Starkville High School, ensuring a true black and gold fan and player experience.
Enhancing fan experience is key in the addition of innovative "dancing" stadium lights that can be choreographed to music to celebrate wins, home runs, walk-up songs and more. In addition, Yellow Jacket Stadium will see the installation of a new and larger video scoreboard with the capability to show in-game video, advertising, and player features.
All three field projects include drainage systems which allow for a return to play much more quickly after rain events.
Beyond the logistical advantages and important safety features the resurfacing project will provide to the Victory Lane corridor, there is no doubt that building "pride of place" has become part of the equation for both Hopson and McGee.
"Our coaches do a tremendous job of instilling hard work in our athletes," McGee said. "They make a lasting impression on students on the field and in the accountability they provide in the classroom and in the community. I'm very proud of the work they do each and every day in practice and what they produce on gameday. I want our coaches, teams and student athletes to feel good when they step onto those fields of play and be proud to wear the black and gold."
Hopson echoed the superintendent's commitment to the pride these improvements can create.
"Our community comes out to support our athletes every week of the year –– even sometimes at practices during the off-season," he said. "More than that, our athletes work for something larger than themselves every time they step on a field. I want them to know that we've invested in them and their future, whether that's a goal of playing at the next level, or if we see them with their own children down the line as proud SHS alums and parents."
McGee is always careful to bring any discussion of athletics back to the classroom and helping students succeed.
"Being a student athlete teaches you to be resilient, to have dedication, commitment and perseverance –– all those things that really we ask for our students in the classroom as well," McGee said, and he is quick to point out the "bigger picture."
"It's about taking every opportunity to grow every child," he said. "We see our athletes involved in a bigger picture of school, with a stronger connection to what they experience within those walls. Some days, it gets them here. We see graduation rates go up when students are involved in athletics, and they feel a part of something. Quality facilities that support their health and skills as well as inspire their vision for the future are well worth it."
