Yeah man.. DEdog gave me a lesson on business and all that. Lol. I've learned not to use my thought process in business form while talking about football. Lol
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If the money situation is as dire as being said here, then our only choice will be to do the triple option or something. If you don't have the funds that other teams have, you can't try to run similar offenses as them.
It's insane to me that these teams cost this much when the product is steadily declining every year.
Drink made a comment either in pre-game or post game about the NIL situation at Mizzou. He basically praised how far they've come - but then said "We have to get our Fortune 500 companies in this state to buy in. Not a one of them even advertises in this stadium." There are 8 F500's HQ'd in MO - best known by name are Edward Jones and O'Reilly Auto Parts. MS has none. Look at the schools with big NILs and almost to a T they have big corporate support. We have the auto dealer in DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE!!!!
We aren't playing in the same world.
Well the thing is, that starts at the statewide level. The state of MS has to start attracting more businesses. I do know this for a fact, if OM loses Kiffin, it will cause some state lawmakers to start pushing for that. Because that is something Florida is pushing right now.
Also, the fact that Dutch McCool literally founded Holiday Inn and we can't get a corporate sponsorship from them for our field is ludicrous.
Well, IHG is HQ'd in England, and their US regional HQ is in Atlanta. Once they sold out from the original owners in the 1990s, they could give a rats ass about MS.
But, yes, this is where Mississippi being so far behind hinders MSU (and will start to hinder OM - they are on borrowed time). You are seeing the same impacts on UK and USC - they are falling behind just like we are for pretty much the same reasons.
Keep in mind USC has a very devoted fanbase and UK has their ties to Kroger - and they aren't keeping up. A lot of that falls back to corporate dollars because fanbase is tapped (USC) or focused on their historic strongest sport (UK).
We haven't even asked if they'd be interested. I don't see their logo on anyone else's field. That's my point with some of it. I mean we're not even asking. We're not even trying to tap additional funds. I mean the easiest thing to do is just call Farm Bureau. They'll do it. Hell, half their higher ups are at the game anyways. But we haven't even broached the subject. And the thing is Farm Bureau doesn't have to worry about remaining impartial because OM stuck AFLAC's logo on their field. Farm Bureau has an out to say, "Well they didn't even ask us."
A guy like D Scruggs at OM can probably just give the interest off his net worth of over a billion and never miss it. We need to give all we can, when we can, but this portal, NIL world, is not being funded by normal, middle-class fans. This is out of control, and the Pandora's Box will never be reclosed. It is no longer student athletes (and never really was for years under the table). They are paid semi-professionals with many getting generational change type $, if they can handle it (Many NFL and NBA players don't). I think the only thing that can level the playing field for schools like us are contracts for at least two years and salary caps ike the NFL.
Uneducated football fans typically blame the QB and/or the HC/OC, which is sometimes well placed. However, a majority of the time it's the Jack's and Joe's, not the X's and O's.
And, no, I'm not saying all the criticisms of Lebby are misplaced. He has to improve.
You want to win in the NIL world? Buy the best players. It's a pretty simple truth.
But that's the thing. It can be. We have, give or take, 150K living alumni. I will take that 35-50K don't actively support Mississippi State. So that leaves us with 100K living alumni. Now take out probably 2-5K that can give considerably more. That leaves you with around 95K. Now that 30K of that 95K that are against NIL. That is more than most fanbases but I think it's probably accurate for us. Now if you can get those 65K to give JUST $50/month, and that's not much. That's $12.50 a week. That's 3.25 million a month and 39 million a year. Now I understand all those 65K can't give $50/month. Some people truly budget every dollar and live paycheck to paycheck. So what about 40K. If we could get 40K people giving $50/month. That's 2 million a month and 24 million a year. You can build a championship roster with $50/month donations, but it takes everyone ON THE SAME PAGE AND ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. And you have to be ok with knowing that the $50/month doesn't get you, singularly, crap. But everyone doing it will make Saturdays really enjoyable.
My late father was a very successful FB agent and guys like him really helped the organization, especially in Mississippi to become the organization it is today. Many of those agents died much too young from the stress of that career and he was only 59.
The majority of these guys in those days were hardcore MSU supporters. Dad said in the early 70s a group of them went to buy a prospect a new car here in North Mississippi. He picked out a new LTD coupe. One agent punched another and said "Are you going to let him have that car?" He replied, "Shut up, they are unloading a new gold Thunderbird in the back and he didn't see it!"
Yes, even poor little MSU also cheated during recruiting decades ago. We weren't caught on this one, but eventually got unfairly put on probation and had to forfeit 19 games over a 10% discount clothing that all students received (I was a student at this time).
We have never been good at cheating or the Big Boys have always wanted to keep us "in our place" when we achieved success on the field. I think that the statute of limitations is out on this story with the constantly corrupt NCAA. Hail State, Let's Win Something Today!
We've already shown we have the Jimmy's and Joes to compete with some of the best; what we don't have is game coaching to finish the deal. UT, UF, UT. 38-21 lead on TX and dominating and we lose. If it is just players then fire the coaches and spend the money on players and get a HC coach and pay him 400K a year.
Yes, and all too often our cowardly administration has not fought the NCAA in situations like this as other colleges have done. Our motto during the Jackie and Mullen accusations seem to be, "Thank you Sir, may we have another?"
We however made a serious error in getting a local judge to approve an adjunction allowing Larry Gillard and Richard Blackmore to continue playing during the Tyler NCAA investigation. This was of course overturned by an OM-dominated Mississippi Supreme Court. The rules have changed and there are no longer forfeits in this type of situation, just vacated wins.
Is there a way to appeal these 19 forfeits today, they really make our overall record of wins and losses look even worse. Hail State!
There are many ways to build it. But you are correct. Even at $10 per month, at 50K fans, that is $500K per month. 6 Million per year, and that is a massive help.
The there is the old saying, it take money to make money. Pair that with another old saying, "Your money should be your hardest working employee". Start building a portfolio that pays out every year. Take 50% and reinvest that, and 50% towards football. It will compound quickly.
10 Million into a simple stock like Ford will pay out $500K per year. A little more risk like MPLX. 10 million will return 2.5 Million in dividends per year starting year 5. If it continued the growth it has over the past 5 years, the dividend is 6.5 Million.
The NIL was the dumbest decision in the history of sports but it's here and here to stay. Give you life's worth so we can win 2 more games.
Those places know they have the money for NIL. You could not get Kiffin to sniff coming to State because of NIL.
He literally went for it on 4th on his own 20 playing on the road this year at OU. He did not get it. But he had the players to over come that. A few years ago, he did not have the players to over come that and it cost him the Bama game. Go look at his portal ranking from 2022 on. They rank like this... #2, #2, #1, and #4. 2021... #49.
That is the difference. They decided to go all in in buying playing in the portal in 2022 to keep Kiffin because he was shopping.
- we punt directly in the middle of the field to TX, to a dangerous returner, with a lead in the final minutes.
- we have questionable 4th down calls and decisions.
- not kicking at florida, or at least run instead of throw.
- Against TX our FG defense did what looked like a coached chop block.
- GA toyed with us before half with fake punt then run out on the field....forcing the TO....but with everyone predicting they will do it again, we bit on it.
How much is $$ on players v. some improved coaching .
It's certainly possible that for enough money, we could build a roster that's good to win in spite of Lebby, and have 7, 8, or 9 wins that way.
It would be cheaper and more sustainable to replace Lebby with a more competent coach who would have 7, 8, or 9 wins with the level of funding we have now.
No. We've shown we have the people to compete for 3/4 to 4/5 (OT) of a game with the big guys. That's the whole point so many are refusing to see. We have some starters. Even 2 deep in some places. But you still need high quality 2s and 3s especially on the lines. Do you really believe that Jayvin James allows us to compete? I never call out players - and he was absolutely terrible Saturday. He's SEC quality?? No way. Jimothy Lewis? Almost as bad. And those are two multi-game starters. Let alone our backups like Luke (Doesn't) Work.
We are in the talent acquisition game now. You need high quality coaches. Top analysts. Huge staffs (even by 2014 standards). And a deep bench of talent. And all of that costs money. Way more money then we care to commit as a fanbase and institution. You cheap out on coaches or staff - and you will get what you pay for. Can't pay for talent on the field - you will get what you pay for. There is no "diamond in the rough" solution to the game today.
We have gotten what we paid for. We are bottom of the SEC in coaching compensation. We are bottom of the SEC in staff size. We are bottom of the SEC (UK may be lower) in player compensation. And we got almost bottom of the league results.
There is a reason we were picked last in the SEC. There is a reason Vegas had our over/under at 3.5. The people who know talent knew.