Case Study: University of Mississippi achieves stadium-wide high-speed fan Wi‑Fi and enhanced game-day connectivity with Riverbed

University of Mississippi - Customer Case Study

The University of Mississippi’s Vaught‑Hemingway Stadium — home to more than 60,000 passionate SEC fans and famed tailgating traditions — faced growing complaints about poor mobile connectivity identified in fan-experience research. An existing neutral-host DAS delivered uneven carrier service, so the athletic department sought a more reliable way to meet modern expectations for voice, email and social sharing during games.

Working with regional provider C Spire and Xirrus, Ole Miss deployed a state‑of‑the‑art “Rebel Wi‑Fi” system in 2014 using 820 access points mounted under the stands, supporting tens of thousands of concurrent users and delivering noticeable spikes in photo and video sharing after kickoff. C Spire customers connect for free (non‑customers pay $25 season or $4.99 day passes); the result has been markedly improved game‑day connectivity and a better overall fan experience.

University of Mississippi

Michael Thompson

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications and Marketing