Southern Miss has finalized a 10-year agreement with Renasant Bank to rename its football stadium as Renasant Stadium. The deal, approved by the Institutions of Higher Learning Board, is expected to generate nearly $14 million in revenue for the university’s athletic program.
The stadium, originally known as M.M. Roberts Stadium since its dedication in 1976, will retain the nickname The Rock but will carry the new official name under the deal. Renasant Bank will pay annual fees starting at $500,000 in Year 1, with amounts increasing each year through Year 10 to more than $1.6 million.
According to IHL records, the total sum paid over the life of the agreement will be approximately $13.7 million. The initial stadium opened on October 29, 1932, when Southern Miss was known as the State Teachers College. It was then called Faulkner Field, honoring local businessman L.E. Faulkner, who helped fund the original facility.
The stadium has since been named after a former Golden Eagles player and IHL Board of Trustees member, M.M. Roberts. The new naming rights agreement marks a significant commercial partnership for the university’s athletic programs.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
