Have most of you given up on football ?

[Coach34]

Lame Kitten doesnt really bother me. He is doing a very good job there but most of my angst is about the rest of the SEC getting tougher and tougher. Bama/Georgia have been the dominant but Tenn is up as well. Add OU and Texas now. Freezus will make Auburn solid. A&M likely stays solid. SC likely stays solid. Mizzou is playing good ball.

It's getting harder and harder to stay in the middle

[R2Dawg]

To OP, nope but not hearing much from spring.

Be something to talk about after spring game but even then only tempered. Question will be, boy O looked great or are we concerned about D or boy the D is gonna be better than we thought or is it O is learning a new system, etc. But I look more at personnel in spring vs O or D output. You can't hide individual talent but O and D statistics can be mileading.

[Saltydog]

I'm not sure if it's giving up but I just don't have the vested interest in it like I used to. NIL, etc. has just transformed the game into a product that a lot of people are just kinda getting fed up with and it's not just me, I hear this sentiment a lot.

[Goldendawg]

There has been almost zero discussion about spring practices. Have the expectations gone down so low that the sport is a non-entity around here.

Hail No! Win or lose, not until they remove my 45 year old cowbell that my late SuperDawg Dad had made for me from my cold, stiff hand to put in my maroon and white casket with me! BTW, read Lebby is keeping details from Spring practice close to the vest and I'm good with that. He has noted Spring Game will be 1's on 2's & 2's on 1's with special scoring systems. Sounds good to me.

[CaptainObvious]

Lame Kitten doesnt really bother me. He is doing a very good job there but most of my angst is about the rest of the SEC getting tougher and tougher. Bama/Georgia have been the dominant but Tenn is up as well. Add OU and Texas now. Freezus will make Auburn solid. A&M likely stays solid. SC likely stays solid. Mizzou is playing good ball.

It's getting harder and harder to stay in the middle

Do you suggest we focus more on Basketball and Baseball with our meager funding program because we don't have the funds to keep up in football. Just let football be a nice social event for fans to gather on game day and accept that 5-7 and 6-6 will be the norm going forward with an occasional bowl trip?

Or wait for one of our supporters to win the $Billion lottery and donate half to MSU athletics?

[R2Dawg]

I'm not sure if it's giving up but I just don't have the vested interest in it like I used to. NIL, etc. has just transformed the game into a product that a lot of people are just kinda getting fed up with and it's not just me, I hear this sentiment a lot.

Agree with this. It has affected my interest and care but I'm True Maroon and will always support my school.

[R2Dawg]

Hail No! Win or lose, not until they remove my 45 year old cowbell that my late SuperDawg Dad had made for me from my cold, stiff hand to put in my maroon and white casket with me! BTW, read Lebby is keeping details from Spring practice close to the vest and I'm good with that. He has noted Spring Game will be 1's on 2's & 2's on 1's with special scoring systems. Sounds good to me.

Same here gold.....

[Coach34]

Do you suggest we focus more on Basketball and Baseball with our meager funding program because we don't have the funds to keep up in football. Just let football be a nice social event for fans to gather on game day and accept that 5-7 and 6-6 will be the norm going forward with an occasional bowl trip?

Or wait for one of our supporters to win the $Billion lottery and donate half to MSU athletics?

I really dont know the answer. We have to keep trying in football because inevitably football is what pays alot of the bills. But its going to get tougher and tougher. With the talk yesterday of a new 80 team "Superconference"- we have to work to make sure we stay part of that. That's where the money will be. I like the 80 team Superconference idea and then hopefully NIL will transition into something that isnt gouging us- the everyday fan

[confucius say]

Do you suggest we focus more on Basketball and Baseball with our meager funding program because we don't have the funds to keep up in football. Just let football be a nice social event for fans to gather on game day and accept that 5-7 and 6-6 will be the norm going forward with an occasional bowl trip?

Or wait for one of our supporters to win the $Billion lottery and donate half to MSU athletics?

No. You get a really good offensive coach who can get really good QB play. Any competent recruiting staff here can get enough athletes on defense to keep you competitive if you get the QB position right and a good offensive coach.

[Todd4State]

Fans typically aren't going to be fired up about "rebuilding" seasons coming off of a bad season.

Even if odds are we will be better.

[viverlibre]

I really dont know the answer. We have to keep trying in football because inevitably football is what pays alot of the bills. But its going to get tougher and tougher. With the talk yesterday of a new 80 team "Superconference"- we have to work to make sure we stay part of that. That's where the money will be. I like the 80 team Superconference idea and then hopefully NIL will transition into something that isnt gouging us- the everyday fan

The 80 team super conference stuff is just clickbait. It doesn't take much brain power to understand that the SEC and Big 10 run CFB. Neither are giving up any power. These two conferences will stay intact (and maybe add a highly derisible team or two like UNC or FSU). Other divisions/conferences will be part of it, but second tier. ND will likely stay independent, but have a voice at the table, they will likely continue to negotiate their own football media deal(s). Lower tier teams in the ACC/Big 12 should be concerned.

[CaptainObvious]

I really dont know the answer. We have to keep trying in football because inevitably football is what pays alot of the bills. But its going to get tougher and tougher. With the talk yesterday of a new 80 team "Superconference"- we have to work to make sure we stay part of that. That's where the money will be. I like the 80 team Superconference idea and then hopefully NIL will transition into something that isnt gouging us- the everyday fan

Yes. I'm with you on that. We need to stay in the Top group. I just don't want us to always be the whipping boy "Tied To The Whipping Post!" It just isn't fun to me to go watch us get pounded in to submission by the big boys even when we do win enough to make a small bowl. I will continue to travel to those bowls as long as state makes them because it is like a second vacation trip at Christmas time for us. But Competitive is not enough if State is still losing. I want to go watch State beat Arkansas, Missouri, Vandy, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, A&M, Kentucky, USCe, ole miss and Florida and occasionally Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Georgia!

[Coach34]

The 80 team super conference stuff is just clickbait. It doesn't take much brain power to understand that the SEC and Big 10 run CFB. Neither are giving up any power. These two conferences will stay intact (and maybe add a highly derisible team or two like UNC or FSU). Other divisions/conferences will be part of it, but second tier. ND will likely stay independent, but have a voice at the table, they will likely continue to negotiate their own football media deal(s). Lower tier teams in the ACC/Big 12 should be concerned.

I disagree. Some type of change is coming sooner rather than later. What's going on now is not sustainable

[TaleofTwoDogs]

There has been almost zero discussion about spring practices. Have the expectations gone down so low that the sport is a non-entity around here.

Why bother? It's always wash, rinse & repeat. There was a time when I couldn't wait for the latest buzz from the board's insiders, but not so much now as apathy has set in, especially in today's college football world. 2014 was our only and greatest hope but we botched that one. Even if we had won a natty in 2014, we probably would have gone 4-8 or 3-9 the next couple of years after, that's the State way.

[viverlibre]

I disagree. Some type of change is coming sooner rather than later. What's going on now is not sustainable

I don't understand this augment, CFB is more popular than ever. 2023 was likely the best season in history and 2024 will be even better. The 12 team playoff will be huge. CFB will get even more popular. The money will even out, eventually dollar figures will be assigned to positions, but like draft picks, small market teams will have to play money ball. We're not going to win a natty anyway but that doesn't mean we can't go 7-5/8-4 most years and challenge for a playoff berth periodically. There may not be 100+ teams trying to play big team football and there never should have been that many. It'll settle out at 60ish teams, the same teams that won in the past will continue to win. In person attendance will continue to trend down, but TV viewership will remain strong and increase.

I'm sure during integration folks were screaming, "CFB is dead!" There was an adjustment period, but the product was much better in the long run. Change comes to everything, it doesn't mean doom.

[Todd4State]

I don't understand this augment, CFB is more popular than ever. 2023 was likely the best season in history and 2024 will be even better. The 12 team playoff will be huge. CFB will get even more popular. The money will even out, eventually dollar figures will be assigned to positions, but like draft picks, small market teams will have to play money ball. We're not going to win a natty anyway but that doesn't mean we can't go 7-5/8-4 most years and challenge for a playoff berth periodically. There may not be 100+ teams trying to play big team football and there never should have been that many. It'll settle out at 60ish teams, the same teams that won in the past will continue to win. In person attendance will continue to trend down, but TV viewership will remain strong and increase.

I'm sure during integration folks were screaming, "CFB is dead!" There was an adjustment period, but the product was much better in the long run. Change comes to everything, it doesn't mean doom.

2023 was the best ever? What? I'm not saying change is all bad or good but that's a stretch.

[Todd4State]

I disagree. Some type of change is coming sooner rather than later. What's going on now is not sustainable

Eventually players are going to be paid by booster clubs through university's instead of by fans through collectives.

That's what our future Bulldog Club is going to be if I had to guess. Probably with Charlie Winfield managing it.

[Coach34]

2023 was the best ever? What? I'm not saying change is all bad or good but that's a stretch.

yeah not sure where that comes from. Attendance is down and other factors affecting it as well.

Here is what I am talking about:

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/...l-super-league

When Presidents start supporting something- change is coming

[viverlibre]

yeah not sure where that comes from. Attendance is down and other factors affecting it as well.

Here is what I am talking about:

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/...l-super-league

When Presidents start supporting something- change is coming

Attendance means little, it's been trending down for a long time in many sports and will continue. Look at viewership it is up and will increase.

https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-r...d-season-ever/

I didn't see anyone from the SEC/Big 10 quoted, when powerbrokers from the Big 2 start chiming in, you'll know something is coming.

There are more and more entertainment options competing for our eyeballs, that CFB ratings remain strong is huge.

[Thick]

Attendance means little? Not sure that is correct. What kids want to play in empty stadiums?