Maroon and White Nation
Fansided

Mississippi State football receives massive pledge to help usher in new era

The Bulldogs are getting serious about winning in the modern era of college football.

By Andrew Miller

Aug 31, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs players react with fans after defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Aug 31, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs players react with fans after defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images
facebooktwitterreddit

Last Saturday was about as bad as it could get for Mississippi State football fans. The Bulldogs lost 41-17 to the Toledo Rockets in Starkville, suffering arguably their worst loss of the modern era and one of the worst losses in program history.

It was the type of display that left even the most optimistic of Bulldog fans with doubts about the future of the program. But now just a few days later, things are looking up, as Mississippi State announced some incredible news for the football program that signals they're ready to compete in this new era of college athletics.

Mississippi State football receives $8 million pledge

On Thursday, Mississippi State announced a one-time pledge of $8 million from an anonymous family of donors for the Bulldog football program. This gift, which is the second-largest given directly to MSU athletics in school history, will help launch the State Excellence Fund, a new athletics fund dedicated to providing resources and benefits to student athletes in Starkville.

The NCAA is currently going through the process of approving a settlement that would allow universities to directly share upwards of $20 million of revenue annually with student athletes. This donation is setting up Mississippi State to be ready for when that time comes.

Mississippi State doing everything it can to stay competitive in the modern era of college sports

The college athletics universe keeps changing. With NIL, the transfer portal, and the cloud of conference realignment hanging over top of everything, it has never been more imperative to show that your university is committed to embracing this modern era. Like it or not, the programs that want to win are the ones investing in this manner, so if you want to be competitive, you have the follow suit or, ideally, get ahead of the curve.

And according to the founder of MSU's Bulldog Initiative NIL collective, Charlie Winfield, this is a move that will absolutely make MSU competitive.

You either adapt or get left behind today in college athletics, and Mississippi State has no interest in being left behind.

feed

Home/Mississippi State Football