I want to understand.

[Maverick91]

This is truly a knowledge desiring post. I understand State's history of winning is below subpar... we have a losing record. I get that we don't have any national championships in football and reality outside of a blimp during the 30s and 40s and laterish 90's we haven't been good since Mullen got here in 09.

I get all of that! What I don't understand is the idea that we cannot be seen as a destination for a coach to come in here and build a lasting legacy. I feel like we are ripe for the taking, I believe we have the money to get whatever a coach wants here or needs, I believe we have the fan base that actually wants it to happen, we are in the right conference, plush recruiting area, I don't understand the facility talk, we got updated facilities over the past ten years. What more needs to be updated? Like how many saunas and player lounges do players need to feel like its a cool place to be? Our campus is beautiful, we are relevant in other sports, really good in baseball, have been for awhile. I keep hearing that Starkville is not a fun town to be in as a collage kid, like really? Is every other collage town in America so much better than Starkville? I mean seriously? I mean do we need a bunch of night clubs to be added to the scene?

The above is what I don't understand, along with it, the talk that its hard to get high caliber players hear, I feel like that is a bunch of ole miss (BS). If that was the case baseball wouldn't recruit like they do, WB wouldn't have been doing what they were doing a few years ago. Why do we think we cannot get the players hear?

It is just hard for me to buy into the "facts" that State is so far set up for failure that we cannot succeed at a highly sustained level, if the effort is put in.

Is this truly reality or is this a bunch of we are stuck in the 70s-80s talk?

[Dawgology]

It’s because our football program and boosters that support it are not organized. It’s that simple. Too many people competing for pull and politics.

[WinningIsRelentless]

Starkville isn?t a great college town. We need more night life for the colleges kids. We also need a few nice restaurants and shops to make it where families want to come spend the wkend even during the off-season. It would really help if all of this was centrally located as well.

[Dawgology]

Starkville isn?t a great college town. We need more night life for the colleges kids. We also need a few nice restaurants and shops to make it where families want to come spend the wkend even during the off-season. It would really help if all of this was centrally located as well.

There is plenty to do in Starkville. That’s an old line of nothing to do, etc. Starkville nightlife in the district is legit and there are tons of places to eat and drink throughout the town. Nothing like Starkville 20 years ago. I’m telling you our football boosters and recruiters are on completely separate pages, we have a compliance department that makes things too complicated and hard for us to compete and our marketing team needs a complete overhaul. Fix that and we compete.

[deltadawg63]

In an absolute world you are correct and as a fan maybe that only, regularly sees Starkville and MSU's campus, you are logical but reality is, in football specifically, that prospective coach sees competing against Alabama, LSU, Auburn and TAMU as really big challenges and more and more kids, I'm afraid, desire a more urban & city environment. I loved Starkville's size as I was from a small town and did not need or want the big city culture but many of today's highly recruited football players want the more urban lifestyle and want to be showered by media and entertainment.

Most if not all established head coaches, even G5, are not going to take the risks of playing in the SEC WEST as a HC at State. Our best strategy, I believe, is the Dan Mullen strategy of identifying a young, smart, energetic P5 coordinator wanting to prove himself as a head coach and Moorhead was that but we could not see his lack of player/program management skills (obviously a great co-ordinator though). To me, Leach, was a gut reaction in the opposite direction of Moorhead due to Moorhead's program management failures and our leadership wanted the opposite of that.

We are not going to win the NIL and recruiting war outside of Mississippi going forward. Mississippi high profile recruits are even going to be harder to recruit than the recent past due to this. Need a strong talent developer, smart teachers and strong local recruiting ability. I know Dan grew tired of our school but his method is the correct prescription. Strong team unity, good discipline and mostly, schemes that accentuate your talent strengths and mask your weaknesses...ie. Relf, Dak, Fitz. Rarely asked them to over emphasize their weaknesses and focused on their strengths and the teams as a whole.

[Maroonthirteen]

There is plenty to do in Starkville. That?s an old line of nothing to do, etc. Starkville nightlife in the district is legit and there are tons of places to eat and drink throughout the town. Nothing like Starkville 20 years ago. I

Man, ain't that right! I have a great time in Starkville.

I have kids college age. The college kids are having a great time in Starkville.

[Jack Lambert]

Starkville isn?t a great college town. We need more night life for the colleges kids. We also need a few nice restaurants and shops to make it where families want to come spend the wkend even during the off-season. It would really help if all of this was centrally located as well.

When is the last time you been to the Cotton District? Walk through there after a night game. Old men like has whiplash neck when I get to the car. Starkville is 1000 time better today than it was when I was in school. Saying Starkville is not a fun town back in the 80's was a legit argument. Not today.

[Coach34]

I'm not understanding the question. We havent had trouble hiring a coach since the 1980's.

1990- We hired Jackie Sherrill
2002- We hired Sylvester Croom over Jimbo Fisher
2008- We hired the top OC in the country- Dan Mullen
2017- We hired one of the top OC's in the country- Joe Moorhead
2020- We hired Mike Leach

In that timeframe- 1 coach left us for a blueblood school. Any coach we hire is going to leave us for a chance to coach a blueblood. Thats just the way it is. Other than that- we will be firing the HC rather than them leave us.

[R2Dawg]

There is plenty to do in Starkville. That’s an old line of nothing to do, etc. Starkville nightlife in the district is legit and there are tons of places to eat and drink throughout the town. Nothing like Starkville 20 years ago. I’m telling you our football boosters and recruiters are on completely separate pages, we have a compliance department that makes things too complicated and hard for us to compete and our marketing team needs a complete overhaul. Fix that and we compete.

That is an old line and our fans keep repeating. We are a state University in the rural South. Starkville is a great college town and I know plenty of college kids there and that is the reason they are there.
They don't want a big city town. Plus our students have plenty of huntin, fishin, etc. which is where many come from.

Why do people think the big city is so great? More shopping? You can do that online. More eating places? Starkville has some of the best places to eat anywhere. Party scenes? Students will make their own party whenever you gather 20K plus in one area. So what is the allure?

[R2Dawg]

I'm not understanding the question. We havent had trouble hiring a coach since the 1980's.

1990- We hired Jackie Sherrill
2002- We hired Sylvester Croom over Jimbo Fisher
2008- We hired the top OC in the country- Dan Mullen
2017- We hired one of the top OC's in the country- Joe Moorhead
2020- We hired Mike Leach

In that timeframe- 1 coach left us for a blueblood school. Any coach we hire is going to leave us for a chance to coach a blueblood. Thats just the way it is. Other than that- we will be firing the HC rather than them leave us.

You are correct. That is 30 years of facts.

[R2Dawg]

Man, ain't that right! I have a great time in Starkville.

I have kids college age. The college kids are having a great time in Starkville.

I do as well and they love Starkville. It was great when I was there decades ago too.

[SteelCurtain74]

Starkville isn?t a great college town. We need more night life for the colleges kids. We also need a few nice restaurants and shops to make it where families want to come spend the wkend even during the off-season. It would really help if all of this was centrally located as well.

I would suggest you visit Gainesville. What a shithole. I would take Starkville every day of the week and twice on Sunday over that place. Campus is nice but the town sucks.

[RiverCityDawg]

1) We haven't competed with the top teams in our division consistently over the history of our program. 2) Despite now having more money than ever, we still have less money and fewer resources than anyone in our division and are WAY behind Alabama, LSU, Auburn and A&M. 3) Starkville is viewed by many/most to be an undesirable place to live.

These are all facts.

Highly sought after coaches have multiple opportunities. It is difficult to convince some/many highly sought after coaches with other opportunities to come to State in light of the facts above. This all applies to recruits as well, and coaches know it, which could be point #4.

This isn't poor ol State, this is just reality.

[Dawgfan77]

Starkville isn?t a great college town. We need more night life for the colleges kids. We also need a few nice restaurants and shops to make it where families want to come spend the wkend even during the off-season. It would really help if all of this was centrally located as well.

Pretty obvious you haven't been to Starkville in a while. You can walk from campus to the district and plenty of bars and restaurants there.

[MoreCowbell]

There is plenty to do in Starkville. That’s an old line of nothing to do, etc. Starkville nightlife in the district is legit and there are tons of places to eat and drink throughout the town. Nothing like Starkville 20 years ago. I’m telling you our football boosters and recruiters are on completely separate pages, we have a compliance department that makes things too complicated and hard for us to compete and our marketing team needs a complete overhaul. Fix that and we compete.

Yeah there is stuff to do but in comparison to other college towns it is lacking. That is just the truth of it. Does not mean we cant field a constantly good football team

[MoreCowbell]

It all comes down to money and recruiting. Yes we have money but our conference does have way more.

[OLJWales]

Unfortunately I have been to no home games since my move 20 yrs ago. What I recall in the90's was traveling to Knoxville and Tuscaloosa twice and was blown away by their game day atmosphere. Tons of food and spirits all along festive walkways. I felt jealous of them.

[Maverick91]

I'm not understanding the question. We havent had trouble hiring a coach since the 1980's.

1990- We hired Jackie Sherrill
2002- We hired Sylvester Croom over Jimbo Fisher
2008- We hired the top OC in the country- Dan Mullen
2017- We hired one of the top OC's in the country- Joe Moorhead
2020- We hired Mike Leach

In that timeframe- 1 coach left us for a blueblood school. Any coach we hire is going to leave us for a chance to coach a blueblood. Thats just the way it is. Other than that- we will be firing the HC rather than them leave us.

time and time again on here and honestly with media personalities. State is made out to be a place that isn't a "top tier" place to be. I tend to disagree, I just don't see why State cannot be seen as a top tier program for someone to come in a be our Bobby Bowden, Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler... Dawgology made some good points. Do we just need to over hall our admin? If so, freaking do it.

[Maverick91]

1) We haven't competed with the top teams in our division consistently over the history of our program. 2) Despite now having more money than ever, we still have less money and fewer resources than anyone in our division and are WAY behind Alabama, LSU, Auburn and A&M. 3) Starkville is viewed by many/most to be an undesirable place to live.

These are all facts.

Highly sought after coaches have multiple opportunities. It is difficult to convince some/many highly sought after coaches with other opportunities to come to State in light of the facts above. This all applies to recruits as well, and coaches know it, which could be point #4.

This isn't poor ol State, this is just reality.

Alright! I get it. How do we change that? I believe we have the money to change that. It is just as simple as " hey, open the piggy bank?"

[BrunswickDawg]

Yeah there is stuff to do but in comparison to other college towns it is lacking. That is just the truth of it. Does not mean we cant field a constantly good football team

What kind of "stuff"? There are bars. There is live music. There are restaurants. There are parties. College kids don't require much more than that. Other SEC towns really don't have anything else that students do. There may be more options depending on the size of town. You may have a Target and a Walmart. Oxford, Auburn/Opelika, & Starkville are all pretty much the same town. Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Columbia, Fayetteville area all bigger, but essentially the same as Starkville with a Target. Knoxville, Baton Rouge, Columbia MO, aren't really college towns. And while Athens gets a lot of attention and love - other than the music scene - there is nothing there but traffic congestion. And the music scene isn't what it was - not near as many venues as it was 20-30 years ago and the music is much more cover oriented. And in all those towns, half of campus or more goes home every non-football weekend (just like Starkville). So what's missing? A theme park? Casinos? I'm having a hard time understanding what I'm missing.

[Commercecomet24]

What kind of "stuff"? There are bars. There is live music. There are restaurants. There are parties. College kids don't require much more than that. Other SEC towns really don't have anything else that students do. There may be more options depending on the size of town. You may have a Target and a Walmart. Oxford, Auburn/Opelika, & Starkville are all pretty much the same town. Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Columbia, Fayetteville area all bigger, but essentially the same as Starkville with a Target. Knoxville, Baton Rouge, Columbia MO, aren't really college towns. And while Athens gets a lot of attention and love - other than the music scene - there is nothing there but traffic congestion. And the music scene isn't what it was - not near as many venues as it was 20-30 years ago and the music is much more cover oriented. And in all those towns, half of campus or more goes home every non-football weekend (just like Starkville). So what's missing? A theme park? Casinos? I'm having a hard time understanding what I'm missing.

This. As you just said pretty much every college town in the South is pretty much the same, with some being bigger and some being smaller but very similar. Also some of these college towns the cities around them are just dumps.

[wrapit]

This is truly a knowledge desiring post. I understand State's history of winning is below subpar... we have a losing record. I get that we don't have any national championships in football and reality outside of a blimp during the 30s and 40s and laterish 90's we haven't been good since Mullen got here in 09.

I get all of that! What I don't understand is the idea that we cannot be seen as a destination for a coach to come in here and build a lasting legacy. I feel like we are ripe for the taking, I believe we have the money to get whatever a coach wants here or needs, I believe we have the fan base that actually wants it to happen, we are in the right conference, plush recruiting area, I don't understand the facility talk, we got updated facilities over the past ten years. What more needs to be updated? Like how many saunas and player lounges do players need to feel like its a cool place to be? Our campus is beautiful, we are relevant in other sports, really good in baseball, have been for awhile. I keep hearing that Starkville is not a fun town to be in as a collage kid, like really? Is every other collage town in America so much better than Starkville? I mean seriously? I mean do we need a bunch of night clubs to be added to the scene?

The above is what I don't understand, along with it, the talk that its hard to get high caliber players hear, I feel like that is a bunch of ole miss (BS). If that was the case baseball wouldn't recruit like they do, WB wouldn't have been doing what they were doing a few years ago. Why do we think we cannot get the players hear?

It is just hard for me to buy into the "facts" that State is so far set up for failure that we cannot succeed at a highly sustained level, if the effort is put in.

Is this truly reality or is this a bunch of we are stuck in the 70s-80s talk?

nm

[Maverick91]

This. As you just said pretty much every college town in the South is pretty much the same, with some being bigger and some being smaller but very similar. Also some of these college towns the cities around them are just dumps.

So, is it our marketing needs to ramp up? Do we need to spend some money on selling the town and the atmosphere of Starkville? You are either growing or you are dying, under loafers I honestly felt like we were growing. Since then, It feels like we are just standing still, which means we are dying, ole miss that crap!

[Commercecomet24]

So, is it our marketing needs to ramp up? Do we need to spend some money on selling the town and the atmosphere of Starkville? You are either growing or you are dying, under loafers I honestly felt like we were growing. Since then, It feels like we are just standing still, which means we are dying, ole miss that crap!

We could definitely ramp up our marketing and branding. It needs to be way more agressive and visible. We've got quite an opportunity with our National Championship in baseball to really push it but those windows close rapidly, can't let a single minute go by in this day and age. Need to spend some of that SEC money.

I have a lot of friends out west who have come to Starkville for regionals, football games(byu),etc. and have just absolutely loved the town and the environment.

[SaintDawg]

If it really boiled down to the city the school is in, then Vanderbilt should be winning National Titles in almost every sport every year. Only school that has a NFL team in its backyard. Its admin, boosters and recruiting that are holding us back. Fix that and you'll fix State football.

[WinningIsRelentless]

Pretty obvious you haven't been to Starkville in a while. You can walk from campus to the district and plenty of bars and restaurants there.

I was just in Starkville last week. Everyone saying it?s plenty are properly older than 30 and don?t have a clue what kids want kids these days want.

[Commercecomet24]

If it really boiled down to the city the school is in, then Vanderbilt should be winning National Titles in almost every sport every year. Only school that has a NFL team in its backyard. Its admin, boosters and recruiting that are holding us back. Fix that and you'll fix State football.

I was thinking the same thing. I go to Nashville every 6 months or so on business and it is probably the most well rounded as far as things to do/activities/atmosphere etc in the SEC. I think the academic entrance requirements tend to hamper them a bit in recruiting though.

[dawgman15]

I was just in Starkville last week. Everyone saying it?s plenty are properly older than 30 and don?t have a clue what kids want kids these days want.

The district bars aren't big enough. That is a fact. You could fit all of the bars in the district into the library or sky bar

[Dawgfan77]

What we need is a new AD with a great track record of being at other schools with success
In 5 years as AD at MSU I can honestly say we have take steps backwards in all facets other than baseball.... and he was r he baseball coach and played here. Like him or not SS had a resume and had a track record. We had an upward trajectory in all sports. Look at the mess USCE is in now... why cause t her promoted a baseball coach to AD.

[Maverick91]

We could definitely ramp up our marketing and branding. It needs to be way more agressive and visible. We've got quite an opportunity with our National Championship in baseball to really push it but those windows close rapidly, can't let a single minute go by in this day and age. Need to spend some of that SEC money.

I have a lot of friends out west who have come to Starkville for regionals, football games(byu),etc. and have just absolutely loved the town and the environment.

Yeah, whoever is in-charge of that mess needs to jump on it.

[Maroonthirteen]

I was just in Starkville last week. Everyone saying it?s plenty are properly older than 30 and don?t have a clue what kids want kids these days want.

I know this. I am about an hour from Oxford. 2.5 to Starkville. Kids here, 2 out of 3 are going to State. There are kids moving to Starkville and attending EMCC-GTR just to be in Starkville for the experience. It doesn't have squat to do with why football players choose where they do but....

[Dawg2003]

I don't think Starkville has much to do with it. I'm not saying Starkville is the greatest place, but it's not the reason we have trouble in football. People in the know say our boosters don't support football the way we need to. It's also really hard to win end recruit as a bottom feeder in this conference. We're usually competing with Ole Miss and Arkansas to see who is the worst.

[Dawgfan77]

I don't think Starkville has much to do with it. I'm not saying Starkville is the greatest place, but it's not the reason we have trouble in football. People in the know say our boosters don't support football the way we need to. It's also really hard to win end recruit as a bottom feeder in this conference. We're usually competing with Ole Miss and Arkansas to see who is the worst.
Not sure where your getting that info. We have a lot of $$$ folks all in on football after the Mullen run.
Cohen was just not a good hire

[CaptainObvious]

The favorite son Athletics Director hire was a failure. It will always be a failure because they have tunnel vision and cannot see the big picture. The Keenum (another favorite son ) hire was also a huge failure. The same cigar boys pushed his hire because he was a huge football supporter. Academics be damned, we are going to pack 24000 on a campus and a city with half that amount for decent housing and what decent housing we have is over priced by double for the Student we attract so momma and daddy go in deep dept of the kid graduates with $75,000 in debt. Not sustainable economically.

[Bothrops]

Starkville isn?t a great college town. We need more night life for the colleges kids. We also need a few nice restaurants and shops to make it where families want to come spend the wkend even during the off-season. It would really help if all of this was centrally located as well.

You're talking 20-25 years ago

[MoreCowbell]

What kind of "stuff"? There are bars. There is live music. There are restaurants. There are parties. College kids don't require much more than that. Other SEC towns really don't have anything else that students do. There may be more options depending on the size of town. You may have a Target and a Walmart. Oxford, Auburn/Opelika, & Starkville are all pretty much the same town. Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Columbia, Fayetteville area all bigger, but essentially the same as Starkville with a Target. Knoxville, Baton Rouge, Columbia MO, aren't really college towns. And while Athens gets a lot of attention and love - other than the music scene - there is nothing there but traffic congestion. And the music scene isn't what it was - not near as many venues as it was 20-30 years ago and the music is much more cover oriented. And in all those towns, half of campus or more goes home every non-football weekend (just like Starkville). So what's missing? A theme park? Casinos? I'm having a hard time understanding what I'm missing.

The atmosphere/types of entertainment. Until Covid I worked in the bar/club scene in college towns, just a different vibe. Nothing wrong with it at all but there is a huge difference. It is what it is

[BrunswickDawg]

The atmosphere/types of entertainment. Until Covid I worked in the bar/club scene in college towns, just a different vibe. Nothing wrong with it at all but there is a huge difference. It is what it is

I kind of get what you mean about vibe. I think that just has to do with the type atmosphere of the school and town in general. Places like Oxford and Athens do create a certain "party" atmosphere and promote themselves that way. It kind of builds on itself. But just because the student body like to "never lose a party" doesn't mean that they actually offer anything that different. Just means you have more people out drinking and creating mayhem. Georgia Southern is known as a major party school and the students follow thru (see their OL on top of a bus catching a brew Stone Cold Steve Austin style). But it doesn't make Statesboro any less of a shithole town - it just means there is lots of coke to go around. I don't see MSU ever attracting a student population that "never lose a party".

[IMissJack]

Money is the issue pure and simple. Until about 70% of our fanbase gets off their butts, forget it.

[WinningIsRelentless]

The atmosphere/types of entertainment. Until Covid I worked in the bar/club scene in college towns, just a different vibe. Nothing wrong with it at all but there is a huge difference. It is what it is

It?s no good place to go dance and cut up and have a good relaxed time.

[parabrave]

Pretty obvious you haven't been to Starkville in a while. You can walk from campus to the district and plenty of bars and restaurants there.

Nothing like the good ole days of driving to Columbus or the Crossroads.

[Bothrops]

Starkville isn?t a great college town. We need more night life for the colleges kids. We also need a few nice restaurants and shops to make it where families want to come spend the wkend even during the off-season. It would really help if all of this was centrally located as well.

What not many realize is that Starkville has enormous potential with the revitalization and expanding of the Cotton District. In another decade that area is really going to be an SEC attraction. It will be better than Oxford's Square much sooner than that too.

[OLJWales]

What not many realize is that Starkville has enormous potential with the revitalization and expanding of the Cotton District. In another decade that area is really going to be an SEC attraction. It will be better than Oxford's Square much sooner than that too.

Will you run for Mayor?

[Dawgfan77]

What not many realize is that Starkville has enormous potential with the revitalization and expanding of the Cotton District. In another decade that area is really going to be an SEC attraction. It will be better than Oxford's Square much sooner than that too.

Once the new hotel bar restaurant is built and open it's going add a lot to the cotton district.

[Maverick91]

Once the new hotel bar restaurant is built and open it's going add a lot to the cotton district.

I hate to even ask this, but, should the "cotton" district go ahead and be renamed before certain entities make a very reaching correlation from that name and what the original founders of ole miss liked to do?

I am all for telling people to go kick rocks, but, I am afraid in a not so distant future this could come back to bite us. And if you are right with how up and coming that area is, I just would hate for negative press.

[WinningIsRelentless]

The atmosphere/types of entertainment. Until Covid I worked in the bar/club scene in college towns, just a different vibe. Nothing wrong with it at all but there is a huge difference. It is what it is


Once the new hotel bar restaurant is built and open it's going add a lot to the cotton district.

For old folks not college athletes.

[CaptainObvious]

Got to have a Target!

I know of 3 freshmen coeds, who the second weekend at State, drove to Tuscaloosa just to go to Target.

The above actually did happen, but not having a Target is obviously not the only problem. Starkville needs something like the Renaissance in Ridgeland or The Shopping they have out on 25. For starters. I could give a list of things that need to happen.

[Maroonthirteen]

Once the new hotel bar restaurant is built and open it's going add a lot to the cotton district.

Can you expound on this? I just curious what exactly is going to built on that corner.

[BB30]

Guys it is simple. Starkville isn't the problem. The problem is we have the smallest recruiting budget in the SEC and we have one of the smallest football budgets in the SEC. Yall keep expecting champagne results on a light beer budget.

Just like everything else in life you get what you pay for. College football is no different and unless we find some more big money boosters or our fanbase as a whole starts to give a little bit more money you can consistently expect us to finish in the middle to bottom tier with outlier years here and there.

It is a much easier argument to make that we have actually overachieved over the last 10-12 years compared to what we spend on football.

So I'm an up and coming coach that decides I want to make my career at State where I have to play Bama, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia etc. and compete with them while only having about half the budget they have and about half the fanbase.

I don't think any of yall would intentionally take a knife to a gunfight everyday for the rest of your lives when you could go next door and just get a bigger gun.

[TALL DAWG]

Starkville isn?t a great college town. We need more night life for the colleges kids. We also need a few nice restaurants and shops to make it where families want to come spend the wkend even during the off-season. It would really help if all of this was centrally located as well.

When is the last time you have been in Starkville, stayed overnight and checked out the town? I?m guessing it has been awhile.

[confucius say]

The Sunday brunch and browse after football games has been nice. We've done it twice this year after home games. Good food, pretty good shopping for the wife (try LA Green for the wife), music, ice cream and whatnot for the kids. I'd recommend it.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Man, ain't that right! I have a great time in Starkville.

I have kids college age. The college kids are having a great time in Starkville.

As much fun as they could have in Oxford, Tuscaloosa, Nashville, Knoxville, or Baton Rouge?

[Lord McBuckethead]

Guys it is simple. Starkville isn't the problem. The problem is we have the smallest recruiting budget in the SEC and we have one of the smallest football budgets in the SEC. Yall keep expecting champagne results on a light beer budget.

Just like everything else in life you get what you pay for. College football is no different and unless we find some more big money boosters or our fanbase as a whole starts to give a little bit more money you can consistently expect us to finish in the middle to bottom tier with outlier years here and there.

It is a much easier argument to make that we have actually overachieved over the last 10-12 years compared to what we spend on football.

So I'm an up and coming coach that decides I want to make my career at State where I have to play Bama, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia etc. and compete with them while only having about half the budget they have and about half the fanbase.

I don't think any of yall would intentionally take a knife to a gunfight everyday for the rest of your lives when you could go next door and just get a bigger gun.

The recruiting budget needs to be equal to our coaches budget, every single year.

[WinningIsRelentless]

When is the last time you have been in Starkville, stayed overnight and checked out the town? I?m guessing it has been awhile.

About 10 days ago! When was the last time you were in college? Stop looking at it from out of college grown adult view and look at it from a high school senior wanting to party with good bands/concert point of view.

[confucius say]

State has had record enrollment growth every year since 2015. 6 straight years. No other school in this state can say the same, so starkville must be doing smn right. In fact, the University of Mississippi has decreased enrollment every year since 2017.

State has 3k more undergraduate students than Mississippi.

[parabrave]

When is the last time you have been in Starkville, stayed overnight and checked out the town? I?m guessing it has been awhile.

Go to Clemson. Its been 25 years since I've been there but there is still only one small street with bars. It will remind you of 1990 Starkville. You have to go 20 miles to Anderson or Greenville for any eating places. But it does have a beautiful lake.