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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Softball Stadium Becomes Alisa and Mark Bourne Stadium
5/1/2026 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss athletics and the Ole Miss softball program have announced a stadium naming gift for the Ole Miss Softball Stadium, officially becoming the Alisa and Mark Bourne Stadium.
Through a generous gift from donors Alisa and Mark Bourne, the lifelong Ole Miss fans will have their family name etched on the brand-new Ole Miss Softball Stadium, that completed construction ahead of the 2025 regular season.
“Alisa and Mark are exceptional leaders in the Ole Miss family, and we are deeply grateful for their unwavering commitment to our athletics success,” said Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter. “We are proud to honor their passion and dedication with the placing of their name on the softball stadium. Their generosity will have a lasting impact on our student-athletes and serve as a catalyst to help our teams compete for and win championships.”
“Today is a landmark moment for our program, for our university and for everyone who has poured into building this team into what it is today’’ head coach Jamie Trachsel said. “On behalf of our players, staff and the entire Ole Miss softball family, I want to say how grateful we are to be celebrating this incredible milestone.”
Longtime supporters of Ole Miss, who found their way to the university in the early 2000s, the Bourne’s became supporters after receiving tickets to the Egg Bowl from the late Bill Seawright, a former Ole Miss football player.
The experience helped inspire a fandom that has lasted over 20 years and led to the couple’s involvement in donation opportunities with Ole Miss Athletics.
Mark Bourne found his love for the softball program through a chance to travel to see the Rebels play in the 2025 NCAA Regional at Arizona.
“We went out there and watched the game in Arizona,” Bourne said. “We then flew out to Carlsbad and came back to watch the doubleheader when they eliminated Arizona. That’s when I really started getting interested in it. It was fun to watch.”
Bourne felt the magic in what became a historic run to the program’s first ever Women’s College World Series that weekend in Tucson.
“There were several plays that I thought were really amazing,” Bourne said. “The one where Ashton [Landsell] caught the line drive going foul and had the presence of mind to drag her foot across third base to get the double play. That right there and then the one where Lexie Brady stole home. Those things really got me fired up seeing them. I loved seeing the girl’s excitement and the way they are so into the game. It was fun to watch.”
Originally born in Metairie, Louisiana, Mark Bourne is a financial adviser with Edward Jones Investments, who graduated from Texas A&M University. Alisa Bourne is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, who attended Mississippi University for Women, before attending the University of Southern Mississippi, where she earned a bachelor’s degree. Alisa followed that by pursuing a master’s degree at William Carey University.
For Bourne, it marks another investment into an athletic program that has come to mean so much to his family.
“It solidifies, for me and my wife, our support of Ole Miss athletics,” Bourne said. “Neither one of us went to school at Ole Miss. Our son went to Ole Miss and got a degree, but neither one of us had gone to Ole Miss. To me it solidifies our support and for what Ole Miss means to us.”
The couple has one son, Christian Malley, who graduated from Ole Miss in 2009. Christian and his wife Ashley have two daughters, Harper and Harlow.
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
