Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes is adding new urgency to the long-running debate over the future of Jackson State football’s home. He’s tying it directly to the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s plans for a major cancer expansion.
In comments circulating online this week, Stokes called on state leaders to help fund a new stadium for the HBCU. He argued that the project would clear the way for UMMC’s proposed Cancer Center and Research Institute in the same area where Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium currently sits.
“Governor do your job. Give Jackson State this new stadium so we can have the cancer center built right,” Stokes said. “It will be built right now where the stadium sits… We do not need to shortcut this cancer center. People are getting sick every day.” He also urged university officials to push publicly for the project: “Jackson State: ask for your new stadium. Stand up. And let’s do it together and build a new Jackson, Mississippi.
Lawmaker has Jackson State stadium plan
The comments land as momentum has already been building at the Capitol. Mississippi Rep. Robert Johnson reintroduced House Bill 117. It seeks $40 million in state “seed money” for planning, design and early construction stages of a new Jackson State stadium. The appropriation set to take effect July 1, 2026 if approved.
While the stadium conversation has often centered on tradition and game-day atmosphere at “Thee Vet,” Stokes’ framing shifts the discussion toward broader public priorities. Specifically, UMMC’s ability to expand without cutting corners. UMMC has publicly been raising money toward a new, roughly $250 million cancer facility. It is described as a major step in improving outcomes in a state that faces some of the nation’s toughest cancer metrics.
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1950, is owned and operated by Jackson State. It has long been a landmark for Tiger football. But competing needs around the surrounding property have repeatedly surfaced in stadium discussions, including past interest from UMMC in redevelopment options.
A sense of urgency
Rep. Johnson has estimated a new stadium project could total about $250 million. That means any state investment would likely be only the first piece of a larger funding puzzle that includes private dollars and potential corporate sponsorship.
For now, Stokes’ message amplifies the pressure on elected officials and university leadership alike: move the stadium conversation from idea to action — or risk stalling both a football future and a major health-care build.