SENATOBIA – One of the most tradition-rich football venues in the MACJC will soon become one of the premier community college stadiums in the nation, as Northwest Mississippi Community College has begun work on a multi-million dollar renovation project of Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field.

Northwest has joined with Hernando-based architects AERC, PLLC and Oxford-based engineers Elliot & Britt to design a two-phase plan that will see Bobby Franklin Field revamped with artificial turf, track and a new, widescreen video scoreboard. Those Phase One upgrades will be in place for the 2019 season, while Phase Two will include a new stadium entrance, new ticket booth, new multi-level press box, new visitor bleachers and amenities, satellite bookstore location, LED field lighting, brick and iron fencing and expanded home bleachers with further ADA accessibility.

Additionally, Northwest has also partnered with consultants Athletic Services Plus (Memphis) and contractors Legacy Construction Services (Collierville, Tenn.) on the project.

"We are pleased that this stadium project has come to fruition," Northwest President Dr. Michael J. Heindl said. "I look forward to much greater event opportunities and use of this new field for our football team, as well as our other sports teams, students, band and those in the community."

"We are excited about this project to modernize Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field," Northwest athletic director Brian Oakes said. "We want to enhance the gameday experience for all Ranger fans and with this project, we will be able to provide the best family-friendly gameday experience in the MACJC."

Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field has seen its fair share of history over the years. Named for the legendary and all-time winningest Ranger football coach in 2005, Bobby Franklin Field has played host to three national championship programs (1982, 1992, 2015) and numerous MACJC North Division teams. The stadium has witnessed the birth of several prominent student-athletes and their playing careers, including NFL Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy, CFL Hall of Famer Henry "Gizmo" Williams and pro football veterans John Avery, Bryant Mix, Colston Weatherington, Daniel Thomas, Eldra Buckley, Myles White, Donald Hawkins and recent NFL Draft picks Treston DeCoud and Gardner Minshew, just to name a few.

In more recent years, new attendance records have been set and shattered at Bobby Franklin Field, with six of the Top 10 all-time crowds coming within the last five seasons. The largest recorded all-time crowd came on October 12, 2017 when Northwest upset top-ranked East Mississippi 61-38 in front of 3,143 fans. The only other all-time crowd of 3,000 or more came later that year, when 3,089 fans witnessed the Rangers and EMCC square off again in the 2017 MACJC Championship game.

Home field advantage has certainly been on the Rangers' side over the last few seasons. Since 2005, Northwest has posted a 43-23 overall record at Bobby Franklin Field but have finished 19-2 at home since the 2015 season, good for an impressive .905 winning percentage. From the start of the 2015 season to Nov. 11, 2017, the Rangers held an impressive 16-game winning streak at home.

"It's going to be extremely nice for us," Northwest head football coach Benjy Parker said. "It's also going to be something for the entire Northwest family to enjoy and be proud of. We are thankful to our administration and board for this project and we cannot wait to see the finished product."

The project comes after the renovation of the home concession stand and restrooms in 2013 and the construction of the Ranger Football Complex, which was completed in time for the 2017 season.