We’re at 111 Donors to the Bulldog Initiative

[Bulldog Bruce]

and Reagan was President

 

[yazoolegend]

17em. If no one is watching will anyone care

Don't let the door hit ya where the Lord spilt ya LOSER. Again, all you naysayers keep your *** at home when NIL money reloads our baseball roster and we are back in Omaha.

 

[dawgstudent]

My only request is for people who are giving above their seat license fees to the Bulldog Club is to direct that $$$ to the NIL.

Outside of that - it's a want to give thing for you and your family.

 

[Dawgtruc]

I agree with you. Ultimately, I do not think a program like this works unless people with significant funds contribute, and the good news is that we have been getting those type of contributions. Without a doubt, those contributions will be the largest part of our revenue for this year. Over the past few months, though, more and more people have told me that I was missing the need for a broad outreach, so we rolled up our sleeves and created the web site. In hindsight, I think both matter and are necessary. We need the big money or this won’t work. The numbers just aren’t there. On the other hand, because a number of those who have signed up (good news - that number has gone up since lunch) have gone well beyond the minimum, this part is also going to matter and has the potential to really help.

It’s easy to get discouraged - Lord knows, I often do, but I think things are trending better than that number might indicate. That being said, if it all falls apart and the inevitable “we should have never trusted a 17 monotone announcer” comments make their way back again, I will at least have the clear conscience of knowing I have done every 17 think I could to try to make it work.

As I said before - I hold *zero* frustration with somebody who does not like this and does not want to participate, and I know many are tired of hearing me talk about it. One last plug for participation, though, if somebody’s objection is that they already get enough - Consider doing something for baseball. On average, our players get 42% of a scholarship. I would at least like to see us get enough to even us up with Vanderbilt and make the part about free school true for them.

I will be a giver to the initiative. Haven't determined what amount yet. I am going to complete my BC donation for the year and then decide. There has been some changes to my work situation and some unexpected expenses, but budget I will do and donations I will make, because my wish is that MSU will compete in all sports. It is a worthy sacrifice.

 

[Dawgtruc]

I’m afraid that we’ll have to lose a good player on our team for people to wake up on this.

We may already have. I have nightmares about Malik Heath getting it together and stabbing us right in the heart on Thanksgiving night.

 

[Go Budaw]

I’m afraid that we’ll have to lose a good player on our team for people to wake up on this.

All losing a really good player is going to prove is how broken this whole 17ing system is, and is only going to drive even more people away and make them even less likely to pay….and rightfully so.

I mean….we just had a starting WR - on a team that throws the ball 60-65 times a game, mind you - transfer to our in-state rival in the offseason. We have two starting QB’s in the SEC West transferring to other SEC West schools to start for those teams. Another starting QB in the SEC West just packed up and decided to go to Oregon. Who seriously wants to support this 17ing joke of a product and “college” sport anymore?

 

[dawgystyle.sixpack]

All losing a really good player is going to prove is how broken this whole 17ing system is, and is only going to drive even more people away and make them even less likely to pay….and rightfully so.

I mean….we just had a starting WR - on a team that throws the ball 60-65 times a game, mind you - transfer to our in-state rival in the offseason. We have two starting QB’s in the SEC West transferring to other SEC West schools to start for those teams. Another starting QB in the SEC West just packed up and decided to go to Oregon. Who seriously wants to support this 17ing joke of a product and “college” sport anymore?

I'm out on the current mercenary model of college athletics .. I have always been for the players getting a bigger piece of the pie but the current model is not the way ... I cannot get behind what we currently have

 

[CochiseCowbell]

IPTAY

Cochise Sr got one of these expensive stickers when my older sister went off to Clemson. Even then, 19988), the amount had surpassed the TEN part of the acronym.

Was IPTAY exclusively a Clemson thing? That's the only place I've seen it

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

I'm out on the current mercenary model of college athletics .. I have always been for the players getting a bigger piece of the pie but the current model is not the way ... I cannot get behind what we currently have

I think I am with you as well, but might give it a little more time to shake out. It feels like we are entering this really weird world of crowdfunding second tier professional sports leagues. If you pay players directly for participation, they are true professionals in my mind. Yet +95% will never sniff the NFL, NBA, or MLB because they just are not good enough.

It feels like it's going to become a bad professional sports league with less talent than the legacy pro leagues and no draft. No salary cap is one thing, but no draft in MLB or the NFL would mean the Cowboys and Yankees will win every year. For teams to get better, they will have to pay the top talent more and more and my guess is roster sizes will shrink substantially for schools with less money. Schools like Mississippi State become JV teams for bigger money schools where talented freshman transfer to get a bigger paycheck from Ohio State or Georgia.

Maybe the super conference thing works out to where the leagues (SEC and Big10) set up rules to allow for some semblance of competitive balance. If that happens we could have something, but without that... This is going to become an absolute travesty.

I'm giving it a little more time to shake out, but it feels like the end of everything we loved about college athletics and the start of something else.

ETA. Add in professional sports leagues that only allow for 1 year contracts. No draft, no salary cap, and a 1 year contract. That'd be a **** show that would lead to an absolute collapse of the leagues in MLB, NFL, and NBA.

 

[patdog]

Well said. I agree 100%. I'm done with college sports, except Mississippi State. And to be honest, I care a lot less about that than I did even 5 years ago.

 

[Smoked Toag]

It feels like it's going to become a bad professional sports league with less talent than the legacy pro leagues and no draft. No salary cap is one thing, but no draft in MLB or the NFL would mean the Cowboys and Yankees will win every year. For teams to get better, they will have to pay the top talent more and more and my guess is roster sizes will shrink substantially for schools with less money. Schools like Mississippi State become JV teams for bigger money schools where talented freshman transfer to get a bigger paycheck from Ohio State or Georgia.

It literally can't get any worse as far as competitive imbalance, than the last decade. It's not possible. I think NIL will balance it out a little. Until now, it's all about a combination of how football culture + coaching + money = recruiting better players. Now money is more of a factor, and allows some of the mid-level teams, who maybe didn't have the best coaching or culture, to pull even. I don't see how it affects us at all.

Not only that, but we've also been paying players since the 1980s. So again, what is really changing except additional tax revenue?

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

It literally can't get any worse as far as competitive imbalance, than the last decade. It's not possible. I think NIL will balance it out a little. Until now, it's all about a combination of how football culture + coaching + money = recruiting better players. Now money is more of a factor, and allows some of the mid-level teams, who maybe didn't have the best coaching or culture, to pull even. I don't see how it affects us at all.

Not only that, but we've also been paying players since the 1980s. So again, what is really changing except additional tax revenue?

It is now in the open and completely "legal" and encouraged to pay players. Sure it has happened forever, at various levels by school and decade under the table. But 99% of most schools fans/alumni would never consider paying players when it could lead to punishment. Now the kimono is open. It's absolutely going to change the paradigm.

In the past players were getting a car note taken care of or a house note for the family, but it was all contingent on the player stating loyal to the school, because it was illegal for everyone involved. If said player tried to transfer, the whistle would be blown.

We are now talking about NIL collectives paying potential 6-7 figure annual deals to players on top of the table. Texas A&M just landed the highest rated recruiting class ever, strictly based on NIL. The proverbial gap is about to widen, my hope is, much like other professional leagues, the SEC establishes some rules to create competitive balance... (Like you said, this hasn't existed and that could be the great potential outcome of a this.)

NIL is injecting jet fuel into the fire that was already burning. Add in the transfer rule. There will absolutely be breakout stars transferring from our $30k per year nil deals to go play for one of the blue chip schools for $300k per year.

You are right about one thing for sure, the money will allow for struggling but affluent programs to step it up. I don't think we fit that mold unfortunately.

 

[GhostOfJackie]

Charlie, I think this was an excellent idea and you are doing everything you can to make it work. I'm thankful that we have people who care enough to take on something this difficult, but necessary.

It's a tough time to ask for donations, but this is an absolute must if we want to continue to compete in the world of college athletics.

 

[GhostOfJackie]

The way I see it is, with no rules or any real limitations on transfers, why should I spend my money on a bunch of players who are likely to hold out or transfer out next year for a better deal? Even if we did have a sensible system in place, we couldn't begin to compete with 12 of the other 15 schools in the conference anyway.

This is the LT mentality that we had back in the 90's. We won't be able to complete with the other schools unless we change that frame of thought.

I thought we shed that during the Mullen years, but I see it coming back.

 

[johnson86-1]

You think the current economy is worse than 2008-2009?

Depends on how you want to define it, but in general, recessions are a some people problem, inflation is an everybody problem.

The average savings rate is under 5% in the US. And I think that's actually savings of "disposable income", so it's really worse than that. I don't know how **** hasn't hit the fan yet with prices going up 10% (although I'm not sure who is experiencing 10% inflation; everybody I know that keeps track of their spending enough to tell is seeing between 12 and 20%). .

 

[patdog]

When IPTAY started in 1934, it was $10/year.

 

[Maroonthirteen]

Actually it is still against the rules and (I assume illegal based on the FBIs basketball case), to pay players for their commitment to sign with a school. see Miami

https://www.si.com/.amp/college/2022/06/14/miami-nil-inquiry-ncaa-john-ruiz

 

[Smoked Toag]

It is now in the open and completely "legal" and encouraged to pay players. Sure it has happened forever, at various levels by school and decade under the table. But 99% of most schools fans/alumni would never consider paying players when it could lead to punishment. Now the kimono is open. It's absolutely going to change the paradigm.

In the past players were getting a car note taken care of or a house note for the family, but it was all contingent on the player stating loyal to the school, because it was illegal for everyone involved. If said player tried to transfer, the whistle would be blown.

We are now talking about NIL collectives paying potential 6-7 figure annual deals to players on top of the table. Texas A&M just landed the highest rated recruiting class ever, strictly based on NIL. The proverbial gap is about to widen, my hope is, much like other professional leagues, the SEC establishes some rules to create competitive balance... (Like you said, this hasn't existed and that could be the great potential outcome of a this.)

NIL is injecting jet fuel into the fire that was already burning. Add in the transfer rule. There will absolutely be breakout stars transferring from our $30k per year nil deals to go play for one of the blue chip schools for $300k per year.

You are right about one thing for sure, the money will allow for struggling but affluent programs to step it up. I don't think we fit that mold unfortunately.

The thing to remember is that there is still a finite number of players (generally) that can play at the D1 level. So if a Texas A&M, Arkansas, Miami, Louisville or USC rises, that also means that an Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State or Notre Dame will have to fall. That's why I'm not worried. The shuffling, in my opinion, will occur at the top, for the top players. We will still get our 3 star army with a few 4 stars from Mississippi that we can buy with NIL (the ones we were previously buying under the table, usually defensive studs), along with JUCOs and now transfers from the blue bloods who aren't getting the PT they want.

If they'd just expand the playoff and let teams like us have 'hope' once every 5 years again, I think people's attitude would get better toward it all. The biggest thing to me is we know we'll never make a 4-team playoff (along with 90% of the rest of D1), and that is what's killed morale more than NIL and the portal. The combination of all of it has created even a bigger downer for us because no one wants to donate money for a Liberty Bowl appearance.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

We are actively and openly paying players. We can argue the semantics within the rules framework, but Charlie has busted his *** to create an entity where we can all donate money to pay players for their name, image, and likeness, which is undoubtedly more valuable based on their performance.

What is still crazy to me is we are openly discussing this on a public message board. Just a few years ago we would have our asses in a sling over this... Bracky Brett would have self imposed the death penalty and burned down the entire campus.

The money isn't just to help recruit players, more importantly it's to help keep good players. Not only is paying players no longer illegal, it's required. We can beat around all of the bushes we want, but the bigger the NIL pool, the better talent we can attract and retain.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

The reshuffling at the top of the deck makes sense. I just have hope some of this stuff gets regulated by the leagues. I really have no problem with NIL. The transfer portal is the problem. That combined with NIL is what makes me nervous. All of those 2-3* under the radar Mississippi boys that turn into beasts after a year or two of good meals and workouts will be getting huge money offers to transfer.

The SEC and B1G feel like an AFC/NFC setup. With the lack of teeth from the NCAA now, it feels like an opportunity for those two leagues to create a real competitor for NFL TV revenue.

I always point this out, If I am sitting in the SEC office I don't look at the ACC deal, the Big 12 deal, or even the B1G deal spitting out $60 million per year. I'm looking at the NFL where each team gets +$300 million a year. How can we create a product that is compelling enough to create half of that TV money? Parity, dynamic scheduling, and like you mentioned... An expanded playoff is what allows the NFL to thrive. That and gambling.

 

[Seinfeld]

I’ve been on the fence about this for weeks, and I don’t at all like the current state of NIL or where it’s headed.

I do love State sports, though, and if nothing else… I signed up today as a token of appreciation to Charlie for his efforts. I hate this phrase with a passion since the Croom era has permanently scarred me, but based on everything I’ve read and heard him say, I genuinely feel like Charlie is trying to do all this the right way.

 

[Hot Rock]

The reshuffling at the top of the deck makes sense. I just have hope some of this stuff gets regulated by the leagues. I really have no problem with NIL. The transfer portal is the problem. That combined with NIL is what makes me nervous. All of those 2-3* under the radar Mississippi boys that turn into beasts after a year or two of good meals and workouts will be getting huge money offers to transfer.

The SEC and B1G feel like an AFC/NFC setup. With the lack of teeth from the NCAA now, it feels like an opportunity for those two leagues to create a real competitor for NFL TV revenue.

I always point this out, If I am sitting in the SEC office I don't look at the ACC deal, the Big 12 deal, or even the B1G deal spitting out $60 million per year. I'm looking at the NFL where each team gets +$300 million a year. How can we create a product that is compelling enough to create half of that TV money? Parity, dynamic scheduling, and like you mentioned... An expanded playoff is what allows the NFL to thrive. That and gambling.

That is where our NIL monies come into play, retaining the players we have that we want to keep.

Let's look at like this:

3 star player blows up and by year 3 is playing out of his mind: His choices:

1st choice - Go to NFL and get paid now... This will be any player's option if they are early round picks. NFL has lots more money to offer than any NIL deals a college will offer transfers.

2nd choice - Stay at State and get some NIL monies and have a chance to build his resume' for the NFL

3rd choice - Go elsewhere for better NIL monies but they take a huge risk on things working out with a new team & coaches.

Last option that a player would take = Stay at State with no NIL monies.

If we don't get in the game with NIL monies we will be left behind and become a feeder team for everyone.

 

[Hot Rock]

I listened to T&L interview with Charlie. Do yourself a favor and listen to it.

One thing I found interesting is how long he thought this would last. I hope I get this right but as I remember it: He sees one of two things happening in the next 2-5 years. Either the Feds will step in to set some guidelines or P5 will break away and make their own rules separate from the NCAA.

My thoughts on portal limitations - keep Graduate transfers in place... fine with those. High School signees must stay with a program for a minimum of 3 years. JuCo only transfer after graduating.

Guys that were great would head to the NFL like Charles Cross by year 3. Good players that you want to keep, won't be demanding huge NIL deals but them getting paid something to stick around is fine. The Universities & coaches make millions, I have no problem with players making some too.

 

[Go Budaw]

It literally can't get any worse as far as competitive imbalance, than the last decade. It's not possible. I think NIL will balance it out a little. Until now, it's all about a combination of how football culture + coaching + money = recruiting better players. Now money is more of a factor, and allows some of the mid-level teams, who maybe didn't have the best coaching or culture, to pull even. I don't see how it affects us at all.

Not only that, but we've also been paying players since the 1980s. So again, what is really changing except additional tax revenue?

It can absolutely get worse for schools like MSU in the competitive balance department. We’ve spent the last decade plus being either dead even or ahead of several SEC schools with way, way more resources in football. We’ve done it by making mostly solid HC and assistant hires, and recruiting and keeping overlooked players. South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Florida have all been pretty much even or worse with us since 2013. We now have absolutely no chance of continuing that run or ever consistently beating any of those schools ever again….because even if we can still get those overlooked players, we won’t hang onto many of them for more than 1-2 years.

People keep dumbing this down to a discussion about NIL only, but its really the laissez faire transfer rules that are the big enemy. College football gamesmanship, competitive balance, and integrity could have all been preserved by allowing NIL in its current form, but at the same time being strict as hell about transfers (must sit one year, absolutely no exceptions whatsoever, and must sit 2 years if transferring within the same conference). Or, it could have been preserved by being strict as hell about player compensation, but allowing the current transfer rules. But when you allow both, it just reduces the game to an annual fundraising competition between the Power 5 schools. It’s a joke.

 

[FISHDAWG]

I agree with you. Ultimately, I do not think a program like this works unless people with significant funds contribute, and the good news is that we have been getting those type of contributions. Without a doubt, those contributions will be the largest part of our revenue for this year. Over the past few months, though, more and more people have told me that I was missing the need for a broad outreach, so we rolled up our sleeves and created the web site. In hindsight, I think both matter and are necessary. We need the big money or this won’t work. The numbers just aren’t there. On the other hand, because a number of those who have signed up (good news - that number has gone up since lunch) have gone well beyond the minimum, this part is also going to matter and has the potential to really help.

It’s easy to get discouraged - Lord knows, I often do, but I think things are trending better than that number might indicate. That being said, if it all falls apart and the inevitable “we should have never trusted a 17 monotone announcer” comments make their way back again, I will at least have the clear conscience of knowing I have done every 17 think I could to try to make it work.

As I said before - I hold *zero* frustration with somebody who does not like this and does not want to participate, and I know many are tired of hearing me talk about it. One last plug for participation, though, if somebody’s objection is that they already get enough - Consider doing something for baseball. On average, our players get 42% of a scholarship. I would at least like to see us get enough to even us up with Vanderbilt and make the part about free school true for them.

Just getting the word out there about the website will help and it will probably take some time ... maybe start putting the link to the website on our football programs and whatever else we can think of will get it to start snowballing with the common everyday fanship (those of us that aren't business owners or well to do boosters)