The University of Mississippi continues to grow rapidly, with the 2025–26 academic year opening to a record-setting enrollment across all campuses. As the student population expands, campus infrastructure has been pushed to its limits, prompting new demands for parking, traffic relief, and construction space. Among the most significant changes is the planned demolition of the Tad Smith Coliseum, the “Tad Pad,” a long-standing landmark of Ole Miss athletics. University officials indicated that the 2026 demolition timeline remains tentative, but the site will transition into surface parking while long-term plans continue to be evaluated.
For those who practiced inside the building daily, the announcement stirred deep emotion. Former Rebelette Natalie Grace Decker said her first memory of the Tad Pad is rooted in team connection.
“The first thing that comes to mind is my teammates and I getting to the Tad Pad 45 minutes early for practice so we can talk and hangout with each other,” Decker said.
The building shaped Decker’s collegiate identity from the very beginning.
“From the first time I stepped foot in the Tad Pad in 2020 when I came to my first recruitment clinic, I thought the Tad Pad was so cool,” Decker said. “It was awesome how the spirit squads have their own space to practice and it was always a safe space for us.”
When Decker heard the building would be demolished, the news hit hard because of the profound history the site carries beyond basketball, but it was understandable as to why the university needs to tear it down.
“I was extremely sad but I do understand why it has to happen,” Decker said. “Chucky Mullins had his funeral ceremony inside the Tad Pad. The memories are endless and although the building is getting torn down, the memories inside will always be remembered.”
The loss of the Tad Pad feels symbolic to many.
“I guess the end of an era is a way to put it but I think that pertains more to Ole Miss Basketball,” Decker said. “For the spirit squads, our era is just beginning.”
Many students never realized the Tad Pad was a daily workspace for spirit squads.
“People just assume it’s an abandoned building on campus,” Decker said. “It is the space we were able to call our own.”
Even the building’s flaws became part of team culture.
“Dancing through the air conditioning not working during the hot summers and the heat not working in December definitely made us stronger,” Decker said.
The annual Throwback Game amplified the building’s cultural significance.
“It was always so fun to do the throwback games every year and wear uniforms that Rebelettes wore 10 or 15 years ago,” Decker said. “Whenever I drive through campus, I am reminded of the special moments that flood through my head when I pass by the Tad Pad. I hope Ole Miss will find a way for the Tad Pad to be remembered forever.”
