Deion Sanders, Jackson State football can play in 3 NFL stadiums in 2022. Here's why that matters
When Bethune Cookman announced last week that it had moved its home game against Jackson State football from its 9,601 seat-stadium in Daytona Beach 90 miles north to TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, it illustrated just how far Deion Sanders has taken the Tigers' brand in two years.
Jackson State now has the opportunity to play in three NFL stadiums this season, which is a rare opportunity for any non-Power-5 school.
The Tigers will open the season against Florida A&M at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins), take on Bethune Cookman on Oct. 15 in Jacksonville (Jacksonville Jaguars), and could close out the season with trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Falcons) if they makes the Celebration Bowl.
Jackson State held the FCS single-season football attendance record before Sanders was hired in 2020. The old mark was 38,873 set in 1997.
However, Sanders took JSU's already strong fan support and amplified it, eclipsing the old record by nearly 10%, bringing the number to 42,293 per game. That's nearly 17,000 more than Montana, which finished second in FCS with 24,584.
With so many games either at NFL stadiums or neutral site locations, this season could demonstrate how big of a draw Jackson State can be on the road.
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It could also show how well the fans travel, and how far the intrigue in the team stretches outside of Jackson. Those could be important factors as the team looks to recruit even more talent from across the country.
Jackson State football recruiting advantage
Jackson State had more than double the average attendance of any other SWAC school last year.
The experience of playing in front of large crowds at home and on the road can be a recruiting advantage. Sanders said the 53,578 fans who attended Jackson State homecoming helped create an atmosphere that wowed five-star cornerback Travis Hunter on his visit to JSU.
"He came to homecoming, That was 70% of it, we just couldn’t mess up the other 30%," Sanders said in on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast.
Jackson State had the highest-ranked recruiting class in FCS last season and finished 74th nationally, which was ahead of several FBS schools, including NC State, Wake Forest and Coastal Carolina.
Deion Sanders in Year 3
The attendance numbers and recruiting success show that Sanders has renewed a level of interest in Jackson State that hasn't been there in decades.
As he enters his third season as coach, he knows JSU has to continue to build its infrastructure to sustain momentum for the long-term.
"What's troubling me now is I'm tired of just being the lightning rod to attract you, because there has to be more," Sanders said last month in a YouTube interview with comedian Desi Banks. "Because now we all have to play team ball and I have to satisfy you. Because now kids are going to Jackson, FAMU, Bethune, Southern, Alcorn, they're going to all these places because now we have a light of attraction, but when they get there I want to make sure we're satisfying their needs academically, housing, all the different facets of the needs desired for these kids."
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State football schedule 2022: Deion Sanders in 3 NFL stadiums?
