Mississippi State AD John Cohen took to Twitter to "apologize to fans for problems with concessions at Davis Wade Stadium" for the football home opener against Southern Miss, and he was "still biting his tongue Monday" during an appearance with the Starkville Rotary Club, according to Slim Smith of the Columbus COMMERCIAL DISPATCH. MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter said that three of the stadium's 17 concessions stands "were unstaffed" for Saturday's game. Those that were open "featured long lines that moved very slowly." Speaking to the Rotary Club, Cohen said, "Saturday was not what we wanted it to be in terms of concessions. We had some very, very lengthy, good, frank discussions about concessions this past week, and I think you're going to see drastic improvements in that." He added, "People in our administration threw off their coats and ties and started serving people. I mean, it's something that we need to get fixed." Smith notes Aramark has "had the contract for providing concessions" at MSU events since '10, but company officials "did not respond to questions about game day concessions." Salter said for the first eight years of the Aramark contract, the school "received a guaranteed payment." Since then, the school and concessionaire "share profits/losses with MSU paying Aramark a management fee." Salter said the concessions contract "expires next June" (Columbus COMMERCIAL DISPATCH, 9/11).
