More concerts will be coming to Mississippi State, as part of a new collaboration the university’s athletics department reached with an entertainment company.
Mississippi State Athletics and Peachtree Entertainment, an agency out of Nashville, have announced a multi-year partnership to program live music experiences at Humphrey Coliseum and Davis Wade Stadium, the school’s basketball and football venues.
In an era of revenue sharing, where universities’ athletics departments can deliver up to $20.5 million of their income to student-athletes, some colleges are beginning to get more creative with ways to make money. Though Mississippi State officials did not cite revenue sharing as a driver for the new partnership, it stands to reason that a new source of cash would only help efforts to build and maintain competitive sports teams.
The partnership will also offer more entertainment options, with the potential of landing high-profile artists to take the main stage at the two venues. No stranger to performances, Humphrey Coliseum, colloquially referred to as “the Hump,” has hosted a myriad of big names in the music industry, including Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, the late Jimmy Buffett, Tina Turner, and plenty of others. Davis Wade Stadium hosted country group Sugarland in 2012, with more than 22,000 in attendance.
Aside from a show put on by Natasha Bedingfield and Shaggy at the Hump during this year’s Bulldog Bash — one that only occurred in the basketball stadium because of ongoing construction in downtown Starkville — the venue had been devoid of concerts for nearly a decade. Mississippi State Athletics Director Zac Selmon is looking to flip the script and put the multi-purpose arena to use for more than just action on the hardwood.
“Humphrey Coliseum was synonymous with live music until roughly ten years ago. This is something we’ve been working on for a while, and we identified Nathan [Baugh] and his team at Peachtree as the right partners to bring concerts back to Mississippi State University,” Selmon said.
“It’s important that we do our part in bringing economic impact to the city of Starkville while also providing memorable experiences for our student body,” he continued. “For this to line up with the 50th anniversary of Humphrey Coliseum’s opening is even more special.”
Live entertainment at Humphrey Coliseum is expected to start in spring 2026 with a projected five to six shows annually, including national recording artists, comedy acts, and family entertainment, per Selmon. In a cross-campus collaboration, Peachtree Entertainment will also work with Music Maker Productions, a Mississippi State University non-profit student-run organization, to provide experiences and education within the music industry.
“Mississippi State has an incredible history of bringing world-class entertainment to Starkville, and we’re honored to help write its next chapter,” Peachtree Entertainment CEO Nathan Baugh said. “Our mission is to create unforgettable live experiences that connect communities through music, and we see huge potential in these iconic venues. The spirit of Mississippi State and the passion of its fans make this the perfect home for the next wave of concerts in the region.”
Mississippi State officials added that upcoming concert details should be announced soon, though a specific date for an announcement was not provided.
