For all those who are negative on the focus we put on baseball

[Maroon Eagle]

It’s perfectly fine to enjoy baseball but it’s a zero Rev sport. It does zero for us as it’s not part of the sec Rev TV deal. Schools are slowing down investment in the sport as well. We have far too long invested in non rev sports and not invested in rev sports. I hope our fan base sees this and we can see that baseball is the equivalent of most others Olympic sports.

You have two problems.

1. MSU Football is the Morrissey of the SEC: They don’t show up to play, and fans who want to be entertained don’t want to support that kind of team…

2. I kind of feel for you. You’re even more stubbornly autistic than I am.

You do know what it means to keep on doing something repeatedly, failing, and doing it again?

So what that means is that you have to shift the paradigm.

You need to promote that MSU Football is Fun.

Fun attracts…

 

[ckDOG]

Ultimately the athletic department goes as the football program goes. We have people who love baseball but the FACT is there aren't enough of them to carry the athletic department like football does. Also, baseball counts for literally nothing in the conference realignment and TV sweepstakes. That is basically ALL about football. If we get bumped out of the SEC because of football that is going to take that luxury baseball program down several notches as well because it can't pay its own bills.

I agree that's the case for most, including us. But why do you have to rob baseball when its net isn't going to move the football needle?

Find the AD that can lift the football program's boat without rocking the others. If it's just a matter of a few extra million a year, there are people that can sell that story without crapping on other programs.

 

[Bulldawg77]

All you nimrods keep talking about what other people care about. So sad that you are so caught up in the opinions of others. A lot of Mississippians share that gene, though.

But fact is, many people across the country actually do recognize MSU baseball. To your chagrin, for some reason.

You live in a fantasy world if you think anyone outside of Mississippi recognizes baseball. I was in BR a few weeks ago and no one even mentioned that lsu won the national championship last year. To think anyone could recognize msu baseball is a stretch for sure. But our fans try and buy into a narrative that it’s a national brand. More people know who msu football is than what baseball is.
GOAT you don’t attend games and don’t give a dime to the university but your have some of the worst takes on a free message board that could exist.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

GOAT you don’t attend games and don’t give a dime to the university but your have some of the worst takes on a free message board that could exist.

You and @paindonthurt need to give up this whole genespagish deal trying to insult folks here like you know them in real life. Nobody gives a 17 who you are or who I am or who donates what or does not. We don't know each other and have no idea about what we do or don't do. So give that stupid shlt up, it makes you look like a lamebrain. You can put yourself out there if you want to, I mean we all know who Bruce, Bo and Charlie are, but it literally does not matter who the rest of us are. We're just random freaking people.

The idea here is to discuss ideas. We get it, you have an opinion. So do I and everybody else. But when you pull this douchebaggery about how much you donate, or pain is trying to bet people or whatever, it makes this shlt unreadable. It's worse than trolling.

That's my one and only attempt at leveling with you.

 

[bulldoghair]

The Nebraska volleyball comparison is good. They spent $7 million on volleyball and brought in $3.2 million - they are losing $4 million a year.

You have to have these successful niche sports. Tennessee has women's basketball. Alabama and Georgia have gymnastics. As other have said, if we dropped baseball, and put everything toward football - it would not get us one more SEC win.

The football problem isn't revenue-based, its we have a horrible coaching staff top to bottom. Arnett is the best coach on our staff.

You want Mississippi State to win in football? Its not about spending. Its about getting the right coaching staff. A few of us mentioned Cignetti when we hired Lebby and were laughed off the board. There was a time where flashy hires and flashy offenses mattered - that is gone. Its about managing a roster and the portal now.

And if college football keeps going toward super conferences, none of this is going to matter.

Yes, Nebraska loses on the same similar scale for their volleyball program as we do in our baseball program- But here’s the massive difference- Nebraska doesn’t disproportionately fund it at the expense of their football. Volleyball gets a small slice of their pie- around 5%. Whereas our baseball gets a much higher percentage of NIL/resources relative to football. Their football revenue is over $100M, so they easily cover volleyball loss and funds everything else proportionally- Ours is about half that, so when we lose and overspend funds and NIL on a small passion sport, it hurts our football program way more. Nebraska gets it- Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee get it. We don’t. Football first- Then the rest eat. Not the other way around- that’s why we are below average all the way around.

 

[Darryl Steight]

I shouldn't have to do this, but a 1 minute youtube search will tell you that, yes, people around the nation do recognize baseball at Mississippi State.

MLB likes us:

Portnoy thinks the Dude is nicer than major league parks:

This 500k sub youtube baseball guy thinks we have the best program in the country:

Sports Dissected loves the Dude:

Other SEC players think it's "awesome", "iconic", and the "dopest park" they've ever been to:

Big Donkey thinks it's the best environment in baseball:

This doesn't account for all the recognition from MLB players and coaches, interviews from opposing players and coaches, letters from opposing fans, SECN, ESPN and Sports Illustrated articles over the years, etc.

Anyhoo, it's ridiculous and stupid to claim our school needs to not support baseball.

 

[POTUS]

I can't believe this thread is still going.

@bulldoghair you can throw as many stats as you'd like at them. They love baseball. They don't care. Pearls and swine or whatever.

We've got guys on here wondering why the ESPN app gives them women's basketball updates and not baseball updates, LOL!

Women's semifinals in 2025: 3.9M average over 2 games
Women's championship in 2025: 8.6 over 1 game
CWS Final in 2025: 2.5M average over 2 games
Women's CWS Final: 2.2M average over 3 games

That's the national recognition the sport gets. But again, they do not care. Let them enjoy it.

 

[L4Dawg]

Haha, nice try. That's not what I said.

I said "people across the country actually do recognize MSU baseball". Hell most average folks think we are more like LSU as far as winning, because our spectacle of it is such a big deal. Only knowledgeable baseball fans (and really MSU fans) know that our history is not nearly as good as people think.


We've sucked in football for 100 years and we're still here. SEC isn't going anywhere and neither are we.

This is a non-existent problem. If you fools want a better football program, then talk to Keenum and Selmon and tell them to get their shlt together, and lay out a plan for what we want our football program to be.

Very few people across the country recognize college baseball, much less MSU baseball.

As for the conference stuff....the times have changed. Now is NOT the last 100 years.

 

[L4Dawg]

I shouldn't have to do this, but a 1 minute youtube search will tell you that, yes, people around the nation do recognize baseball at Mississippi State.

MLB likes us:

Portnoy thinks the Dude is nicer than major league parks:

This 500k sub youtube baseball guy thinks we have the best program in the country:

Sports Dissected loves the Dude:

Other SEC players think it's "awesome", "iconic", and the "dopest park" they've ever been to:

Big Donkey thinks it's the best environment in baseball:

This doesn't account for all the recognition from MLB players and coaches, interviews from opposing players and coaches, letters from opposing fans, SECN, ESPN and Sports Illustrated articles over the years, etc.

Anyhoo, it's ridiculous and stupid to claim our school needs to not support baseball.

You can find stuff like that for a lot of niche places, that still doesn't mean anyone other than a few geeks care.

 

[bulldoghair]

I shouldn't have to do this, but a 1 minute youtube search will tell you that, yes, people around the nation do recognize baseball at Mississippi State.

MLB likes us:

Portnoy thinks the Dude is nicer than major league parks:

This 500k sub youtube baseball guy thinks we have the best program in the country:

Sports Dissected loves the Dude:

Other SEC players think it's "awesome", "iconic", and the "dopest park" they've ever been to:

Big Donkey thinks it's the best environment in baseball:

This doesn't account for all the recognition from MLB players and coaches, interviews from opposing players and coaches, letters from opposing fans, SECN, ESPN and Sports Illustrated articles over the years, etc.

Anyhoo, it's ridiculous and stupid to claim our school needs to not support baseball.

You posted videos of five people saying “it’s awesome” lol. I’m sure I could post five servers saying “Sunday church crowds tip 10%.” Doesn’t change the underlying financial reality. And none of the people in your videos are videos of them writing checks to cover the deficit.
The question isn’t “is baseball fun and recognized?” The question is- Should we keep over investing NIL and resources in a sport that loses millions annually while football- the actual revenue engine- gets shortchanged and suffers greatly?

 

[bulldoghair]

I can't believe this thread is still going.

@bulldoghair you can throw as many stats as you'd like at them. They love baseball. They don't care. Pearls and swine or whatever.

We've got guys on here wondering why the ESPN app gives them women's basketball updates and not baseball updates, LOL!

Women's semifinals in 2025: 3.9M average over 2 games
Women's championship in 2025: 8.6 over 1 game
CWS Final in 2025: 2.5M average over 2 games
Women's CWS Final: 2.2M average over 3 games

That's the national recognition the sport gets. But again, they do not care. Let them enjoy it.

Well they certainly have no right to bitchh or complain during football season

 

[Darryl Steight]

More people know who msu football is than what baseball is.

And this is what you want? Other people knowing our football history makes you proud? I'll hand it to you and those other three dopes - you are fully dedicated in your anti-MSU-baseball rhetoric.

Please notice, none of the rest of us are anti-MSU-anything. We want to win at every sport. You 4 are the only ones wanting to kill off MSU sports.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I think we concluded that everyone made their point and no one changed their mind.

 

[Darryl Steight]

Well they certainly have no right to bitchh or complain during football season

Bull-17ing-shitt we don't. We all want State football to be better. None of us has ever suggested killing off the football team. I definitely will be bittching when we suck yet aGAIN this year. And I'm sure you will have another 1,000 posts about how if we had juuuust had that extra $2 million from killing off a sport we are actually competitive in, Lebby would have brought home the national championship.

If anything, YOU 4 are the ones who will have no right to celebrate come June. You want one of our sports gone, not the rest of us.

 

[ckDOG]

I think we concluded that everyone made their point and no one changed their mind.

I could change my mind if someone wants to quantify how much money we can move to the football program and exactly what that means for the baseball and football programs in terms of success, gamday environment, impact on Starkville, etc.

But all I'm getting is "Baseball is why football is rock bottom. We lose money at baseball and losing less would allow football to improve from embarrassment to something better than embarrassment." I need a lot more than this but apparently that's all some people need to want to shutter or kneecap a program has been pretty successful and entertaining. Kinda wild.

 

[Darryl Steight]

You posted videos of five people saying “it’s awesome” lol. I’m sure I could post five servers saying “Sunday church crowds tip 10%.” Doesn’t change the underlying financial reality. And none of the people in your videos are videos of them writing checks to cover the deficit.
The question isn’t “is baseball fun and recognized?” The question is- Should we keep over investing NIL and resources in a sport that loses millions annually while football- the actual revenue engine- gets shortchanged and suffers greatly?

For 17's sake. Yes, 5 random people: Major League Baseball's main account, the owner of Barstoolsports who has 10 million followers, and others with baseball followings.

It's positive publicity for my university - in some lean times, the only positive publicity we get. How the 17 you see this as a bad thing is beyond me.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I could change my mind if someone wants to quantify how much money we can move to the football program and exactly what that means for the baseball and football programs in terms of success, gamday environment, impact on Starkville, etc.

But all I'm getting is "Baseball is why football is rock bottom. We lose money at baseball and losing less would allow football to improve from embarrassment to something better than embarrassment." I need a lot more than this but apparently that's all some people need to want to shutter or kneecap a program has been pretty successful and entertaining. Kinda wild.

I'll quantify it for you. Zero.

Boosters are paying for this. We're giving approximately the same Rev Share that everyone else is, that's a non-factor. If X is booster donations to baseball, then we tell them to give X to football, X likely becomes zero. And if Y are those same boosters football donations, they probably get pissed off there and Y also goes to zero.

That's how this shlt works. Whether it's private collectives or the SEF, the additional money is coming from boosters. There is no cutting football/basketball to fund baseball......there's just funding of baseball. And for some reason, that pisses a bunch of people off, in and out of the athletic department.

Oh, you say overall revenues still subsidize baseball operations? Sure they do, like every other SEC program. Except ours is subsidized less because we have good revenue. That doesn't change anything.

By "you", I'm not talking about you @ckDOG. You obviously get it.

 

[Bulldawg77]

And this is what you want? Other people knowing our football history makes you proud? I'll hand it to you and those other three dopes - you are fully dedicated in your anti-MSU-baseball rhetoric.

Please notice, none of the rest of us are anti-MSU-anything. We want to win at every sport. You 4 are the only ones wanting to kill off MSU sports.

You and lame brain goat don’t get it. Hell most in this thread and in our fan base don’t get it at all. Let me clear it up
The “we” you are referring to dont care that you or others like baseball. It’s not that we are openly cheering against the players or the team. We all love state we want the best for state, however the investment and pedestal that baseball gets put on with this fan base isn’t a smart investment. Most schools loose money on the sport, it’s a non rev sport and for some reason our fans gravitated towards the sport and the leadership doubled down on it with the O’Conner hire and the ridiculous amount of nil. Baseball should be considered a third tier sport that it is not a priority
Want some other truth burgers here. Cohen would move money from football to baseball… our HC in football and basketball is looked down upon from a national level due to the support a non revenue sport gets here.
Again, We don’t care that you and others like baseball it’s completely fine and no disrespect but the sport shouldn’t get the investment it has.

 

[Bulldawg77]

I'll quantify it for you. Zero.

Boosters are paying for this. We're giving approximately the same Rev Share that everyone else is, that's a non-factor. If X is booster donations to baseball, then we tell them to give X to football, X likely becomes zero. And if Y are those same boosters football donations, they probably get pissed off there and Y also goes to zero.

That's how this shlt works. Whether it's private collectives or the SEF, the additional money is coming from boosters. There is no cutting football/basketball to fund baseball......there's just funding of baseball. And for some reason, that pisses a bunch of people off, in and out of the athletic department.

You are again misinformed. We are allocating more rev share to baseball than any other team in P4. Let that sink in for everyone… we are spending more money of the Rev share agreement on a non revenue sport. While other P4 programs are upping the Rev share allocation to football and basketball, we are in fact investing in a sport that doesn’t even make a profit..

 

[ckDOG]

You are again misinformed. We are allocating more rev share to baseball than any other team in P4. Let that sink in for everyone… we are spending more money of the Rev share agreement on a non revenue sport. While other P4 programs are upping the Rev share allocation to football and basketball, we are in fact investing in a sport that doesn’t even make a profit..

What are the percentages? I don't doubt this is the case but I need better context in the form of actual percentages and dollars.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

however the investment and pedestal that baseball gets put on with this fan base isn’t a smart investment. Most schools loose money on the sport, it’s a non rev sport and for some reason our fans gravitated towards the sport and the leadership doubled down on it with the O’Conner hire and the ridiculous amount of nil. Baseball should be considered a third tier sport that it is not a priority
Want some other truth burgers here. Cohen would move money from football to baseball… our HC in football and basketball is looked down upon from a national level due to the support a non revenue sport gets here.

You are again misinformed. We are allocating more rev share to baseball than any other team in P4. Let that sink in for everyone… we are spending more money of the Rev share agreement on a non revenue sport. While other P4 programs are upping the Rev share allocation to football and basketball, we are in fact investing in a sport that doesn’t even make a profit..

Fake news. Baseball has never taken school NIL money from football and basketball. It takes away from the other sports, as it should. This is just a narrative that a subsection of our fanbase wants to spin.

I mean I get it makes you jealous. You love football and basketball. Heck I even know COACHES that are pissed that so many donate to baseball. But it is what it is. They aren't redirecting that money away from baseball. It's not a zero sum game.

 

[Bulldawg77]

Fake news. Baseball has never taken school NIL money from football and basketball. It takes away from the other sports, as it should. This is just a narrative that a subsection of our fanbase wants to spin.

I mean I get it makes you jealous. You love football and basketball. Heck I even know COACHES that are pissed that so many donate to baseball. But it is what it is. They aren't redirecting that money away from baseball. It's not a zero sum game.

There is nothing fake about it. We are allocating more money for Rev share than any other P4. In doing so yes we aren’t funding football and basketball like other schools are from that Rev share agreement. Not sure why you can’t comprehend this. UVA basically said we are going all in on sports that matter and almost won the ACC and damn near made the playoffs.. UVA record.. 3-7,3-9,5-7,11-3…. So yes taking that funding away from baseball and investing in football made that much of a difference. 2 to 3MM can drastically change a program

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

You and lame brain goat don’t get it. Hell most in this thread and in our fan base don’t get it at all. Let me clear it up
The “we” you are referring to dont care that you or others like baseball. It’s not that we are openly cheering against the players or the team. We all love state we want the best for state, however the investment and pedestal that baseball gets put on with this fan base isn’t a smart investment. Most schools loose money on the sport, it’s a non rev sport and for some reason our fans gravitated towards the sport and the leadership doubled down on it with the O’Conner hire and the ridiculous amount of nil. Baseball should be considered a third tier sport that it is not a priority
Want some other truth burgers here. Cohen would move money from football to baseball… our HC in football and basketball is looked down upon from a national level due to the support a non revenue sport gets here.
Again, We don’t care that you and others like baseball it’s completely fine and no disrespect but the sport shouldn’t get the investment it has.

Oh here’s the I’m smarter than everyone post. This thread is peak Sixpack now.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Oh here’s the I’m smarter than everyone post. This thread is peak Sixpack now.

 

[MStateU]

Wait….I am just trying to make sure I understand your position. Are y’all saying you don’t think we should spend so much on baseball? Is that what you’re saying?

 

[bolddogge]

FY 2023:

2.2 million revenue
5.3 expenses

3.1 net deficit

That’s real money that could go straight to football- portal targets, coordinators, facilities, staff ect year after year every year. That’s the difference between 5-7 and 8–4/9–3 or better on consistent basis. Stop trolling and lowballing the savings to protect the passion project.

edited to add- This does not even include the additional 2-3 million saved in NIL.

How much of the 5.3 is the stadium expense? We're on the hook for that regardless of if we even field a team.
Tennessee spent almost double what we paid for the new Dude for their baseball stadium upgrade. And it's nowhere near as nice as what we have. I guess nobody told them if they saved that money for the football team that they'd have a better chance to beat Vandy this year.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Wait….I am just trying to make sure I understand your position. Are y’all saying you don’t think we should spend so much on baseball? Is that what you’re saying

 

[MStateU]

View attachment 1189419

Hahaha. Sorry

 

[bulldoghair]

How much of the 5.3 is the stadium expense? We're on the hook for that regardless of if we even field a team.
Tennessee spent almost double what we paid for the new Dude for their baseball stadium upgrade. And it's nowhere near as nice as what we have. I guess nobody told them if they saved that money for the football team that they'd have a better chance to beat Vandy this year.

From that same FY2023 breakdown:

1.2-1.5M- Stadium/facilities debt service and maintenance per year. So yes, we’re on the hook for 1.2–1.5M in stadium debt/maintenance regardless of whether we field a team.
And Tennessee can afford it because their football revenue is massive- $150M+. They don’t overfund baseball at their football’s expense- like we do. Their football gets the lion’s share of NIL and priority. We’re not Tennessee- we don’t have that revenue cushion.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

What if O'Connor had the nil funds that have been waisted with Lebby? Football probably still wouldn't have been any worse than the last 3 years.

 

[bulldoghair]

What if O'Connor had the nil funds that have been waisted with Lebby? Football probably still wouldn't have been any worse than the last 3 years.

Your take is like- What if we gave the grocery store’s budget to the lemonade stand- the family would probably still eat. Football’s the grocery store. Baseball’s the lemonade stand. No groceries = no lemonade = no dinner.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Wait….I am just trying to make sure I understand your position. Are y’all saying you don’t think we should spend so much on baseball? Is that what you’re saying?

Well done, sir.

 

[Podgy]

 

[olblue]

It's fun, but it still is a money losing niche sport. We spend WAY too much money on it.

Your crusade against seems to be making a huge difference.

Top 15 Highest-Paid College Baseball Coaches For 2026

With college baseball coach salaries on the rise, we present the 15 highest-paid in the game today.

www.baseballamerica.com

Another 2000 posts about it and they will probably abolish it.

 

[bulldoghair]

Your crusade against seems to be making a huge difference.

Top 15 Highest-Paid College Baseball Coaches For 2026

With college baseball coach salaries on the rise, we present the 15 highest-paid in the game today.

www.baseballamerica.com

Another 2000 posts about it and they will probably abolish it.

Look at the list you linked- the highest paid coaches are mostly from football powerhouses. So who has the lowest football revenue on your top 15 baseball salary list you linked? Who on your list disproportionately pays their baseball coach the highest percentage of their athletic budget- and disproportionately funds baseball overall relative to their actual money making ability?

You’re proving the point with your link. Thanks for the assist.

 

[She Mate Me]

I think we concluded that everyone made their point and no one changed their mind.

I'm sorry. I could have just made a positive baseball post, but I suspect they'd have found their way here anyway.

And I think I got DS another flat screen.

 

[olblue]

Look at the list you linked- the highest paid coaches are mostly from football powerhouses. So who has the lowest football revenue on your top 15 baseball salary list you linked? Who on your list disproportionately pays their baseball coach the highest percentage of their athletic budget- and disproportionately funds baseball overall relative to their actual money making ability?

You’re proving the point with your link. Thanks for the assist.

Your point is really getting across to the decision makers.****

 

[golferdog]

I'm sorry but in Memphis I've not spoken to one person about college baseball starting nor have I heard anyone bring it up. It's like hockey up north, they love it but most of the country simply doesn't care.

With that said, of course I hope we do well and win 100 National Championships in a row.

I live in Germantown too and I hear UT, LSU, OM, and Vandy fans talk about baseball frequently. It matters more than you think.

 

[bulldoghair]

Your point is really getting across to the decision makers.****

Maybe it will if you keep posting links that accidentally help prove my point.

In the mean time- keep polishing a turd while the toilet keeps backing up.

 

[Bulldawg77]

4.2MM deficit in baseball. But sure let’s keep throwing money into a sport that’s not even generating revenue
The baseball program has operated at a deficit of at least $1 million every year since 2011. Baseball does not directly receive money from media rights.