Despite the narrative that the Mississippi State Bulldogs couldn’t compete in NIL funds, things seem to be turning around and improving fast in Starkville.
There’s a fair bit of NIL momentum building in Starkville right now and plenty of folks are talking about it. While the Mississippi State football team searches for a new head coach, the MSU Bulldogs are gaining NIL momentum as the season comes to an end.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are making moves on the NIL front as MSU works to become simply more than competitive in recruiting and retaining top talent in the midst of this new era of college athletics.
Remarkably talented wide receiver Zavion Thomas just inked a huge NIL deal with the always impressive Google, according to the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy. I have no clue exactly what the details are here, but it’s not a bad thing for Thomas to be linked to a big deal with one of the largest companies on the face of this planet.
Mississippi State standout WR Zavion Thomas inked a national NIL deal w/Google, @ActionNetworkHQ has learned. NIL momentum appears to be building in Starkville. The school’s official collective (@BulldogNIL) announced earlier today a group of donors committed to match next $1…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 17, 2023
But big things are happening outside of that.
Mississippi State Bulldogs NIL initiatives building momentum in Starkville
The official MSU NIL collective, known as the Bulldog Initiative, just announced a new campaign to ramp things up in a hurry.
Good things are happening. https://t.co/hDM2HSvIYA
— Charlie Winfield (@charliewinfield) November 17, 2023
According to the Bulldog Initiative, a group of donors have come together to put money together to guide the Bulldogs forward. This group has apparently committed to matching the next $1 million in contributions to the collective’s “Winning Drive” campaign.
That’s a lot of money and is big news for MSU, a school that has been seen as unserious in the NIL space.
🚨 Commit to the Winning Drive! 🚨
— The Bulldog Initiative (@BulldogNIL) November 16, 2023
This week, a small group of Bulldog Initiative donors committed to match our next $1 million in contributions to kickstart our Winning Drive campaign.
Join us through December 1 to help unlock the match and show MSU’s commitment to winning.… pic.twitter.com/VREuXsdlZF
That doesn’t seem to be the case any longer. Mississippi State boosters are getting behind this momentum to get the Bulldogs to be even more competitive in this space. And that will unlock more opportunities and resources for MSU athletics.
Competition will only continue to heat up in the NIL space. Schools are constantly trying to ensure they have the right opportunities for their players.
And it’s great to see Mississippi State right there in the midst of that.
More information for the Bulldog Initiative and its Winning Drive campaign is available on the initiative’s website.