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Mississippi State Football makes major future announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeff Hauser | Last updated May 20, 2025 7:29 PM ET

Mississippi State announced plans to build a $60 million indoor practice facility for football. The expected opening is scheduled for the summer of 2028.

Architecture firms CDFL and HOK and facility planners are in the design phase, and groundbreaking is anticipated in two year from now. The building will include a 110,000 square-foot indoor training facility as well as areas dedicated to injury prevention and recovery. There also will be renovations inside the adjacent Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.

Howard Industries of Laurel provided the lead naming gift to MSU. The facility will be named in honor of Billy Howard Sr., pending approval of the state's Institutions of Higher Learning. Howard, who graduated in 1946, excelled in football, basketball and track and earned the nickname "Iron Man" for playing nearly every minute of every football game.

"Words cannot truly express how incredibly grateful we are to Howard Industries and the entire Howard family for making this vision a reality," coach Jeff Lebby said in a statement. "This new indoor facility will allow us to train more effectively as we compete against the best in the country week in and week out."

Mississippi State opens the 2028 football season at home vs North Alabama.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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