M.M. Roberts Stadium is the focal point on Southern Miss' campus during football game days in Hattiesburg, Miss. With all the excitement and atmosphere surrounding the game, there isn't a better place to be.

The stadium, which is affectionately known to the Golden Eagle faithful as "The Rock at Southern Miss," has been home to a number of Southern Miss football standouts, including the likes of Reggie Collier, Brett Favre, Ray Guy, Derrick Nix and Sammy Winder.

Currently, the Southern Miss Department of Athletics is in the early stages of a stadium renovation capital campaign, "Building Dominance." Funding from this campaign will allow the athletic department to implement the major phases of a recently completed renovation and additions study that will include such major projects as luxury suites and club level seating, press box renovation and expansion of the stadium, adding approximately 5,000 seats.

Part of that improvement plan was completed during April of 2004 when a new, artificial playing surface, known as Momentum Turf by Sportexe, was installed and ready for use prior to the annual Black and Gold Spring Game.

As the football team's success continues to build yearly, so does the fan support and season ticket base. Last season, 22,844 season tickets were distributed, marking the largest number in the school's history, breaking the 2003 record high of 22,736. From the 1999 season until the 2004 season, there has been an increase of more than 6,000 season tickets.

An average of 28,964 fans attended five home games in 2004, one of the highest home attendance marks ever and more than 300 more per game over the 2003 average. The all-time home attendance mark was set for the second-consecutive season in 2003, as a record 36,152 fans were in attendance for the Thursday night, nationally-televised contest against then No. 11-ranked Nebraska on Sept. 25, 2003. That mark surpassed the total 35,169 fans set against Jackson State in August of 2002.

With a seating capacity of 33,000, Roberts Stadium has housed games against some of the biggest programs in collegiate football, including California, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Florida State and Auburn.

The stadium was dedicated on September 25, 1976, with Southern Miss hosting intrastate rival Ole Miss. Even though it seems like recent history, the stadium history dates back to October 29, 1932. On that date, State Teachers College defeated Spring Hill College, 12-0, as some 4,000 fans looked on from wooden bleachers. On this homecoming date, the playing field was dedicated as "Faulkner Field" in honor of local businessman L. E. Faulkner, who provided the materials and equipment to build the original facility.

Faulkner, who was chair of the Central Relief Committee, gathered the unemployed men of the Hattiesburg area to do the bulk of the work. The playing field was completed at no cost to the University.

Mrs. Alma Graham Conner, wife of Mississippi Governor Martin Sennett Conner and a member of the institution's first graduating class, was in charge of the dedication. Another important date in Roberts Stadium history was on October 20, 1934, when the first night game was played on the Southern Miss campus. The Hattiesburg squad defeated Louisiana-Lafayette, 12-6.

In 1938, work began on what became known as the "East Stadium Dormitory", which became the first permanent structure at the stadium. It was completed prior to the 1939 season. A loan for its construction was repaid through rental of dorm space to military families during World War II. Funds in the amount of $25,000 were left over to rebuild the football program after the war.

It was during this time that the phrase, "The Rock" gained its origin. In the summer of 1938, several Southern Miss football players were recruited to work with the contractors building the stadium. The players hauled in the concrete used to build the additions, prompting the athletes to begin calling the new stadium "The Rock."

In 1950, a bill was passed appropriating $350,000 for construction of what became known as "West Stadium Dormitory," which also provided 7,500 seats for football. Later, the State Building Commission provided funds totaling $90,000 to provide new lights and an IBM scoreboard. Soon after, enough funds were accumulated, through a stadium tax, to add 2,000 permanent bleacher seats on the west side. Capacity of the stadium then reached approximately 15,000.

Many years later, an effort to acquire funds for a new stadium began. In 1976, The University of Southern Mississippi dedicated its new $6.3 million football stadium in honor of M. M. Roberts, a former member of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Roberts has been given credit for the development of Southern Miss as a comprehensive university.

A native of Jackson County, Dr. Roberts entered Mississippi Normal College in 1914. He was a member of the 1914 and 1915 football teams. Roberts went on to graduate in 1917. He also received a bachelor's degree from Mississippi State in 1921. He received his jurist doctorate in 1928 from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Over the past several years, a number of improvements have been made to the field and stadium. In 1989, the playing field had a new irrigation system installed. The Robert "Ace" Cleveland Press Box and president's box have been renovated, chairback seating has been added to the west side of the stadium, a state-of-the-art Daktronics scoreboard was added prior to the start of the 1998 season, and handicapped seating has been added, along with many other improvements.

Three years ago, the lighting system was upgraded to provide brighter lighting and two new poles were added, one in each end zone, making it possible to televise night games without the expense of portable lights as well as enhancing fans' enjoyment of the game.

The playing field at Roberts Stadium underwent a name change in the 2004 summer when it was renamed Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium in honor of entrepreneur, Southern Miss graduate and Golden Eagle supporter, Gene Carlisle, who has provided outstanding support and contribution to the Athletics Department and the University - much of which went to the installation of the new playing surface - Momentum Turf by Sportexe.