The Tad Smith Coliseum, nicknamed the Tad Pad, will host its last-ever game on Friday, Nov. 14, when Ole Miss Men’s Basketball faces Cal State Bakersfield. Since the first game was held in the Tad Pad in 1966, memories and magical moments have been created over its 59 years.
Opening and first win (1966)
The Rebels kicked off their journey at the Tad Smith Coliseum on Feb. 21, 1966, when Kentucky won the game 108-65. Just two days later, the Rebels took down the Tulane Green Wave 91-70 for their first-ever win in the Tad Pad.
Coolidge Ball to Ole Miss (1970)
Ole Miss opened its doors to James Meredith, the university’s first African-American student, in 1962, but another eight years passed before Coolidge Ball became the first Black student-athlete at Ole Miss.
Ball, an Indianola, Miss., native, visited Ole Miss on Feb. 7, 1970, when the Rebels took on Kentucky in the Tad Pad. While the Rebels lost 120-85, this game was the beginning of a monumental change in Ole Miss Athletics’ history. Ball’s decision was clear after his recruiting visit when he was greeted with nothing but love from fans, coaches and fellow students.
“My decision was pretty much based on the ovation, the applause and the support I got out there that night when Ole Miss played Kentucky on my recruiting visit,” Ball said. “If you have your coaches, teammates and fans supporting you, I wasn’t worried about anything else.”
Ball went on to score 1,072 points in three years. He served as team captain and led the Rebels to three consecutive winning seasons for the first time in over 30 years. He was also named to the All-SEC Team every season with the Rebels.
First postseason win (1980)
The Rebels hosted Grambling State University at the Tad Pad on March 6, 1980 in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The Rebels won 76-74 — the first postseason win in Ole Miss Men’s Basketball history.
Carlos Clark’s buzzer-beating shot to put the Rebels ahead highlighted the game. This was just the beginning of multiple years of postseason success for the Rebels.
Chris Jackson versus Gerald Glass Shootout (Ole Miss versus LSU 1989)
On March 4, 1989, LSU came to the coliseum to take on the Rebels in a game that would go down as “the greatest one-on-one duel in SEC history.”
Chris Jackson and Gerald Glass, both Mississippi natives, made SEC history as the first two players to score 50 points in the same game. Glass scored 53 points for the Rebels, and Jackson put 55 on the board for the Tigers.
Jackson also broke the NCAA freshman scoring record, which he had also previously held.
Despite Jackson winning the individual scoring battle, Ole Miss won the game in overtime, 113-112. A glass 3-pointer tied the game at 112, and Jackson failed to convert on the other end. Glass’s free throw in the final moments gave Ole Miss the win. LSU’s head coach Dale Brown had never seen any performance similar to this.
“That’s the best I’ve seen two guys play,” Brown said.
Not only did the back-and-forth battle between Glass and Jackson go down in the record books — it was also another core moment which came to define basketball in the coliseum.
Last traditional game at Tad Pad (2015)
The last game in the Tad Pad before the Rebels officially moved to The Sandy and John Black Pavilion was held on Dec. 22, 2015 against Troy University. This marked the 700th game held in the Tad Pad. Ole Miss defeated Troy 83-80 in overtime.
Old traditions of the Tad Pad were honored as the era came to a close. Streamers fell from the ceiling, and the team ran through the crowd before the beginning of the game. The Ole Miss head coach at the time, Andy Kennedy, kept his goodbye to the Tad Pad short and sweet.
“It has been a very good home for Rebel basketball over the years,” Kennedy said in a video shown at halftime of the game.
Throwback Games (2023-25)
In his three seasons as Ole Miss Men’s Basketball head coach, Chris Beard has hosted annual throwback games at the Tad Pad. The first of these “Throwback Games” was held on Nov. 17, 2023. Ole Miss came out victorious, 70-67.
Beard’s team returned on Nov. 12, 2024 to take on the University of South Alabama. The Rebels came out on top, 65-54, with Sean Pedulla scoring 27-points in the game. The guard made a career-best seven 3-pointers.
The team will return to the Tad Pad in 2025 for the annual throwback game. With demolition set for summer 2026, the Rebels will look to defeat California State University, Barksfield and say farewell to Tad Pad’s 59 years with a win.
