📍 Starkville, Mississippi
🏀 Home of Mississippi State Bulldogs basketball

Nicknamed “The Hump”, Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum has been the heart and soul of hoops in the Magnolia State for over 50 years. This 9,000-seat arena has hosted countless memorable moments for the Bulldogs basketball programs, cultivating a reputation as one of the toughest environments in the Southeastern Conference. The school’s diehard fanbase and the party-like atmosphere they bring on game days to the town of Starkville makes it easy to see why State has earned the title “Starkvegas”.

Opened in 1975, the arena was named for George Duke Humphrey, a former president of Mississippi State during the Great Depression and World War II era. Since its opening, The Hump has undergone several renovations to keep it looking fresh, the latest of which wrapped up in 2023. The oval, red-brick building is now cloaked in sleek glass entryways and features more modern amenities. Some high tech lasers, spotlights and indoor fireworks from behind the basket are also now part of the pre-game ceremonies. Smoke seeps out from underneath the scoreboard and projections of logos and graphics also dance all around the court, making for what is certainly one of the better presentations in the SEC.

Another thing that makes The Hump stand out amongst its peers is the fact that players make their way to the court by trekking across the main concourse and heading down through the student section. The students themselves also have a unique standing room area across from the benches which runs the length of the court and puts some of the most passionate fans right on top of the action.

Don’t let its unassuming facade and drab concourses fool you – Humphrey Coliseum is a highly underrated venue with an amazing atmosphere, thrilling gameday production and loyal and respectful fans.

Mississippi State boasts more than a dozen NCAA Tournament appearances, including a hot streak in the last few years. The squad’s best run came in 1996, advancing to the Final Four but succumbing to Syracuse, the national runner-up. The team has also won 3 conference tournament championships, a notable feat in the stacked SEC, since joining the circuit in 1932. State turned down opportunities to play in many tournaments prior to 1963 due to racist Mississippi officials prohibiting their schools from competing against teams with African-American players. The Bulldogs, however, famously ushered in the desegregation of the sport when they snuck out of Starkville in the middle of the night to play integrated Loyola at a neutral site in Michigan in 1963, an event called the “Game of Change”.

Some of the program’s timeless greats, such as Bailey Howell and Jarvis Varnado, have all graced the hardwood at Humphrey Coliseum at one point. The current squad competes on the very same floor as those legends and continue to build on the rich tradition they laid, aiming to return Mississippi State to the NCAA Tournament and compete once more for ultimate glory.