MSU to host social before anniversary basketball game in Chicago
Coach Rick Ray and the Mississippi State basketball team will face off against the Loyola University Chicago Ramblers on Dec. 15 in Joseph J. Gentile Arena. The Alumni Association, along with the Bulldog Club and the Office of the President, is planning a social for alumni in the Chicago area to gather before the game.
The pre-game social will take place on Friday night, Dec. 14, at Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse and Bar. Harry Caray’s is located at 33 West Kinzie St. in Chicago. The social will last from 7 to 9 p.m., with heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar available. The cost is $10 per person.
Joining the event will be several representatives from Mississippi State, including Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, Associate Athletic Director Michelle McBride and Alumni Association Executive Director Dr. Jimmy Abraham.
In 1963, MSU’s basketball team was invited to play in the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs, under head coach Babe McCarthy, were slated to play Loyola College, a team that started four black players. At the time, state law prohibited Mississippi teams from playing against integrated athletic teams. The basketball team devised a plan to sneak off campus to play in the tournament anyway.
With their plan successful, the game between the Bulldogs and racially integrated Loyola became a watershed moment for the state of Mississippi and the civil rights movement. The 2012 matchup between the Bulldogs and the Ramblers marks the 50th anniversary of this game.
We invite all Bulldog alumni and fans in Chicago to join our pre-game social.
For more information, please contact Chicago Chapter President Alex Burton at alexburton55@gmail.com.