Hattiesburg- the forgotten college town? (West: apartments, transfer, purchasing)

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Why should football decide what college has more money than another?

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

Why should football decide what college has more money than another?

It doesn't, at least not totally. What decides which business has more money than another?

Answer: The Market.

Not sure where you were going with that comment, but I answered it anyway.

[kgpremed13]

Originally Posted by Mississippi Alabama Line

If you are trying to tell me USM is more diverse than MSU, you've lost your mind.

https://www.collegefactual.com/colle...ife/diversity/

https://www.collegefactual.com/colle...ife/diversity/

Ole Miss? Maybe, I didn't go there, I can't vouch for them.

The facts say you are wrong. I realize this is a message board and the truth is lost on most, but geez, man, at least try to keep it within the yellow lines.

The funny thing is, the graphs you posted show that USM is more diverse than MSU in almost every way so what are you talking about????

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by kgpremed13

The funny thing is, the graphs you posted show that USM is more diverse than MSU in almost every way so what are you talking about????

Uhh, no? Can you not see the overall score?

Again, that 'truth' thing. Elusive.

[viverlibre]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

Why should football decide what college has more money than another?

Because that's what many southerners (with money) want, football. They want to attend games, watch games on TV, buy gear with their team's mascot, bet on it, stay the weekend, tailgate, etc. College football generates huge money in Mississippi, and we're a nobody state with nobody teams, I can only imagine the revenue generated in Alabama and Florida.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

Why should football decide what college has more money than another?

It doesn't, but it's certainly something that attracts students, and therefore they get a bigger budget. Otherwise, how can you explain how Alabama's student enrollment has doubled since 2000? It's not that it's a great, storied academic institution ... not bad, but not UVa either. I'll bet their national championships in football have attracted more students, particularly out of state ones, than any other one factor.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

When I went to USM in the 1990s, they closed on Mardi Gras.

[Jardine8]

Originally Posted by viverlibre

Because that's what many southerners (with money) want, football. They want to attend games, watch games on TV, buy gear with their team's mascot, bet on it, stay the weekend, tailgate, etc. College football generates huge money in Mississippi, and we're a nobody state with nobody teams, I can only imagine the revenue generated in Alabama and Florida.

It's a sad reality but the truth is that, once a person graduates from their particular college, typically the closest connection (and sometimes only connection) that they have with their old school is via college athletics, with football being at the forefront by a large margin.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by Jardine8

It's a sad reality but the truth is that, once a person graduates from their particular college, typically the closest connection (and sometimes only connection) that they have with their old school is via college athletics, with football being at the forefront by a large margin.

Why is it so sad?

I see people say this all the time, but they fail to adequately explain WHY this is so bad. People need recreation and entertainment, those aren't bad things, especially if you can afford to do them. I don't see why it's a bad thing for people to feel a connection with a university or its programs, whether academic or athletic.

Plus, regardless of what many will say, college athletics does FAR more good than bad. It gives many underprivileged kids a platform, to either go to college or go play pro sports, or simply make relationships to get into coaching or whatever. It's overall a great thing.

Sports brings people together, over racial and other lines, like nothing I've ever seen before.

[Sharif662]

Originally Posted by Jardine8

It has had competitive football teams but there is no doubt that it's conference affiliation hurts USM, whereas Ole Miss and Mississippi State's conference affiliation is a huge boon for those two schools.


Probably the biggest thing hurting Hattiesburg, though, is that it appears that it's population has been fairly stagnant for years. By contrast, Oxford and Starkville have steadily grown over the last few decades.


Here is Hattiesburg's, historical population, if Wikipedia can be trusted:


1890: 1,172
1900: 4,175
1910: 11,733
1920: 13,270
1930: 18,601
1940: 21,026
1950: 29,474
1960: 34,989
1970: 39,648
1980: 40,829
1990: 41,882
2000: 44,779
2010: 45,989
2017 (est.): 46,377




So, if those numbers can be trusted, Hattiesburg has seen only about a 17 percent increase in it's population since 1970. It is Mississippi's biggest true college town (I don't really consider Jackson to be a college town), so it has that claim to fame but it does seem like the population growth has been pretty flat for decades.

Being a former resident of Hattiesburg area, I will say this despite the recent slow growth it's still a major city of the state. Oxford & Starkville growth is fairly recent along with proposed annexation for Starkville. Many people don't realize that Hattiesburg have been the 4th largest city for decades.