Mississippi State announces historic gift for Jeff Lebby's football program
In preparation for what is likely next in college athletics, Mississippi State and its fanbase are pushing towards the future.
The University announced on Thursday that an anonymous gift of $8 million came through for athletics for the State Excellence Fund. The gift is the second-largest, non-facility donation in the school’s history for athletics and is pledged to the Bulldog football program.
“This thoughtful and generous investment in our program is critical to what we are building here in Starkville in this new era of college athletics,” Director of Athletics Zac Selmon said in a release. “To be an elite-level program, it takes elite-level resources. A gift of this magnitude shows the unwavering drive to establish Mississippi State Football as a premier college football destination for many years to come. I could not be more grateful for the commitment to championing our programs and players.”
Departments across the country are preparing for revenue sharing and the Bulldogs aren’t any different. Selmon has been prepping his own staff for this possibility over the last year or so and has made hires within the department with a background within NIL, Brand Identities and more.
Terry Prentice was among the most important hires for State’s NIL efforts moving forward. Prentice was brought to MSU from Arkansas where he was one of the high ranking athletic department staff members and worked with Brand Development and NIL for the Razorbacks. Selmon also hired former Kansas State Senior Associate Athletics Director Josh McCowan after years of fundraising success with the Wildcats and he is serving as the University’s Deputy Athletic Director for Athletics Advancement.
Along with the new hires, the University continues to work hand-in-hand with the Bulldog Initiative to create opportunities for student athletes and that relationship will continue when revenue sharing is officially passed in college athletics.
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The news comes on the heels of the Bulldogs having a tough two weeks within the football program. State dropped back-to-back ball games to Arizona State and Toledo and has an important SEC opener this weekend against Florida.
Through the tough times, positive developments have come through for Jeff Lebby and his program in the last 24 hours. The Bulldogs picked up two commitments from four-star prospects in former Alabama safety Tony Mitchell of East Mississippi Community College and linebacker Tyler Lockhart of Winona.
The recruiting efforts this week along with the financial gift give the Bulldogs some much-needed juice in what could shape up to be a difficult year one for Lebby. State and Lebby are prepping for bigger things in the future.
“This investment in our program shows that State fans are ‘all-in’ when it comes to helping provide the resources it takes to compete in the toughest conference in the country,” MSU head football coach Jeff Lebby said. “Having their support and belief in what we’re building is crucial for us as we continue to move forward. There are truly no words that can describe how thankful I am for the commitment to the program I am blessed to lead.”
