Generational Gap in Fan Support Question

[DerHntr]

For those that travel to Starkville often and stay at least one night in a hotel, roughly how much does that trip cost you (include tickets in that estimate)?

The reason I ask is because a reduction of in-person attendance is directly related to greater apathy for most people. I couldn’t attend for about a decade (numerous reasons). Now I’m in a season of life where it is very difficult to attend. Considering the cost to attend is not something I am used to spending, and you have a very high likelihood that I won’t attend.

It’s funny that SPS keeps me more engaged than anything else MSU related.

 

[Motodawg]

Posting on an MSU sports message board about how little you care about or how little time you have for MSU sports is such a weird flex to me.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

please tell me what we are doing thats different from any other athletic department as it pertains to your post.

Also, you guys are some kind of butt hurt at the left field lounge and having a nice stadium.

We almost exclusively hire first time guys and State people. We ignore revenue opportunities that are easy wins. If you can't look around and see what everyone is saying, well, you probably just don't want to see it.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

This is true but (off topic slightly) we need to focus on teaching children at an early age (13 ish) about debt.

Not all debt is bad but plenty of debt is bad. And its not the big bad boogie man taking advantage of people.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

Posting on an MSU sports message board about how little you care about or how little time you have for MSU sports is such a weird flex to me.

It's not a flex. It actually makes me sad.

What it SHOULD be is a valuable message to the leadership at our beloved university to symbolically check the blood pressure of a sick patient. It makes me sad that the doctors in charge of this patient seem to be focused on running the credit cards for the co-pays instead of giving a dying patient some much needed oxygen. This patient is dying and a lot of people who see it and care are being ignored.

 

[HRMSU]

A lot of truth here but you could also reasonably work your way through college and pay it off as you go. That’s really only possible today at the juco level. The cost of college today is insane.

Yes, barring scholarship money which me nor my kids were smart enough to get one of the most affordable ways to minimize college costs is to go community college for 2 years. You miss the "early college experience" but you also miss the insane costs.

Also, there are still plenty of companies that provide tuition reimbursement for employees. Walmart pays 100% even if you are part time. It's online but includes University of Arkansas and Arizona supply chain and management degrees as well as other reputable schools.

There are still many ways to get a BA from a reputable school without putting yourself into major debt. The path may require a little grit and sacrifice. The path may not be the coolest or provide for the most fun. The path may be the one least traveled.

 

[Chesusdog]

It’s a valid question. I’m a fellow millennial (almost 32) with a 2 year old and I’d say there’s a decent possibility we end up having at least one more kid. We’ve got a ton of student debt to deal with still, a car note I’m working hard to pay off ASAP, and and a pretty average mortgage payment that we are only a year into . Not to mention I’m paying $160 a week for daycare right now (it would be worse if we had multiple kids, which many people do).

Point being, not much room in my budget for MSU for the foreseeable future. I went to one football and one basketball game this year. I’ll always be a fan but it’s gonna be a while before I’m even in position to even think about contributing much of anything.

Same boat, but 44 and a few years deeper into my mortgage payments. My budget for MSU is a couple trips up a year and that's it. Frankly I find the whole foisting 100% of the financial responsibility onto the alumni and fans to be gross and pushes me further from giving a crap.

 

[AttalaDawg72]

Posting on an MSU sports message board about how little you care about or how little time you have for MSU sports is such a weird flex to me.

It’s an indication of how crappy things have gotten. These conversations need to be happening if you want things to improve.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

It's not a flex. It actually makes me sad.

What it SHOULD be is a valuable message to the leadership at our beloved university to symbolically check the blood pressure of a sick patient. It makes me sad that the doctors in charge of this patient seem to be focused on running the credit cards for the co-pays instead of giving a dying patient some much needed oxygen. This patient is dying and a lot of people who see it and care are being ignored.

Exactly.

University administrators want happy, vested donors.

Asking Donors to give to universities that they feel sad about because of administrative non/action is a Huge Ask.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

The economic outlook is pretty gloomy for those under 40 these days. Not a lot are going to be spending their earnings on high dollar entertainment - especially when it's not all that entertaining.

But it's hard to win when you don't have a fan base throwing money at your poorly run athletic program.

 

[ETK99]

We decide to finally dump the banner M for athletics, yet we refuse to dump it .
We say we can't afford speakers and lights, then suddenly we can .
We decide to force fans to increase their donations every season, then set it up to be paid in the couple months right after Christmas when families are still recovering from financial Jesus.
It's really hard to take them seriously when they do stupid things. It's just stupid decision after stupid decision.
John Cohen left a lot of problems and then there's the interference/missteps by Keenum. We can't get out of our own way.

 

[Dawgbite]

One reason many boomers were able to get debt free at an earlier age is that credit (when we were young adults) was not nearly as available then and we simply couldn't get deep in debt even if we wanted to.

That and the generation before us really experienced the worst of times and also the best of times. They lived and taught moderation. We never really experienced bad times like our parents did but being frugal and financially conservative was instilled in me from an early age.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

Oh, and stop putting 17ing tip options on my beer purchase at the game. The kids did nothing but check my age and I'm 50 for Gods sake! I just paid $8 for a beer, I ain't tipping when I pulled it from the cooler myself.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

My wife and I are age 70. Been Bulldog Club members for over 40 years. Life long fans. For several years now it has felt like every year the Athletic Department has made it more and more difficult to attend games in the big 3 sports. It’s felt like they were sending us a message. You’re not important anymore and we don’t need you. At least that’s how it has felt. We would have continued to go as long as we were able but this NIL / portal era is more than we can tolerate. So when you combine the current era with the unappreciative attitude we are out. No more tickets and no check to the Bulldog Club. I don’t think they care.

 

[GloryDawg]

It's time for a fan revolt until they get the message. They've made a complete shitshow of our athletics! Made it too hard for the average fan to continue to give a **** about driving up there when it's on tv and I can turn it off at halftime without having blown thousands of dollars.

Like I said if there are 20K plus Tenn, Texas and GA fans in the stadium someone will take notice. I hate to say it, but those fans travel very well. I hope the administration is fully embarrass when it happens.

 

[GloryDawg]

I'm pretty tough on boomers but I will admit that millenials do seem to have had a bit more of a 'fun' college experience than older folks, so they took full advantage of that credit.

Of course, the boomers were their parents, so they did in fact enable it. And the beat (and blame) goes on.

I was born December of 1964. I was told I could go with X or Boomers. I got a four-year degree from Miss State for 1700.00 out of pocket. VA money and Pell grants got me through it cheap. When I first went to State the VA gave me 480.00 month. Damn good in 1985. Got that because my dad broke his back in Vietnam and died. I also got some Vietnam Memorial scholarship money. When I left school to join the Marine Corps after my time in, I went back and used my VA money and since I was married, I got Pell Grants.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

One reason many boomers were able to get debt free at an earlier age is that credit (when we were young adults) was not nearly as available then and we simply couldn't get deep in debt even if we wanted to.

I'm GenX. My first credit card had a $300 limit. I maxed it out, learned a painful, but not devastating lesson and moved forward. With credit available to young people today, I can't imagine how easy it would be to get, and stay, behind the eight ball.

 

[Dawgbite]

I was born December of 1964. I was told I could go with X or Boomers. I got a four-year degree from Miss State for 1700.00 out of pocket. VA money and Pell grants got me through it cheap. When I first went to State the VA gave me 480.00 month. Damn good in 1985. Got that because my dad broke his back in Vietnam and died. I also got some Vietnam Memorial scholarship money. When I left school to join the Marine Corps after my time in, I went back and used my VA money and since I was married, I got Pell Grants.

I'm right there with you, born in early 65. We were raised different.

 

[thatsbaseball]

I'm GenX. My first credit card had a $300 limit. I maxed it out, learned a painful, but not devastating lesson and moved forward. With credit available to young people today, I can't imagine how easy it would be to get, and stay, behind the eight ball.

LOL At least you had one.

 

[L4Dawg]

Well that exactly how it feels, sunshine. If their aspirations are higher, they sure have buttfuccked that message to oblivion.

I hate to admit this, but for decades, I sympathetically listened to some family members who graduated USM gripe about how much they felt the admin there didn’t give twoshitts about alumni or the fan experience, other than their generous donations.

For me, that’s exactly the model MSU seems to be following for the past several years. And, it’s working, because the 20k football game crowds you’re used to seeing in Hattiesburg are now in Starkville.

HOGWASH.

 

[L4Dawg]

Mediocre State University. @L4Dawg needs to spend some time clearing his head at Natchez Trace National Park.

HOGWASH. What you said was totally ridiculous and needs to be called what it is.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

HOGWASH.

Excellent rebuttal.

Now do masks and social distancing.

 

[Mr. Cook]

It’s funny that SPS keeps me more engaged than anything else MSU related.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Posting on an MSU sports message board about how little you care about or how little time you have for MSU sports is such a weird flex to me.

I think there is a difference between caring about MSU athletics, and not financially supporting athletic programs for any number of reasons listed in this thread. SPS is a great place to keep up, voice an opinion and understand other fan's perspectives.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

LOL At least you had one.

It was a bad idea. I don't recommend parking your card at a random bar in Ft. Walton for all your friends to use and spending the next 2 yrs trying to pay off $300...

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I think there is a difference between caring about MSU athletics, and not financially supporting athletic programs for any number of reasons listed in this thread. SPS is a great place to keep up, voice an opinion and understand other fan's perspectives.

SPS is a Support Group

 

[AttalaDawg72]

HOGWASH. What you said was totally ridiculous and needs to be called what it is.

Most people here agree with me gae boy

 

[The Peeper]

Oh, and stop putting 17ing tip options on my beer purchase at the game. The kids did nothing but check my age and I'm 50 for Gods sake! I just paid $8 for a beer, I ain't tipping when I pulled it from the cooler myself.

It's not just beer, the cashier never got out of her chair last Tuesday night when I bought a bag of ice. I tapped my card, she pointed over to the open ice cooler to tell me where to get ice and then pointed to the tip option on the card reader.

 

[The Peeper]

SPS is a Support Group

My name is Peeper and I'm an MSU sports addict:

 

[paindonthurtDCD]

We almost exclusively hire first time guys and State people. We ignore revenue opportunities that are easy wins. If you can't look around and see what everyone is saying, well, you probably just don't want to see it.

I'm looking for specific examples. I may agree with you but i'm not gonna just take your general broad stroke brush word for it.

Selmon wasn't a state guy
Lemonis wasn't a state guy and wasn't a first time guy
Leach wasn't a state guy and wasn't a first time guy
Lebby wasn't a state guy
Jans wasn't a state guy or a first time guy

Where are the revenue opps that are easy wins that we ignored? Not saying they aren't but list a couple of the easy big ones.

 

[paindonthurtDCD]

Yes, barring scholarship money which me nor my kids were smart enough to get one of the most affordable ways to minimize college costs is to go community college for 2 years. You miss the "early college experience" but you also miss the insane costs.

Also, there are still plenty of companies that provide tuition reimbursement for employees. Walmart pays 100% even if you are part time. It's online but includes University of Arkansas and Arizona supply chain and management degrees as well as other reputable schools.

There are still many ways to get a BA from a reputable school without putting yourself into major debt. The path may require a little grit and sacrifice. The path may not be the coolest or provide for the most fun. The path may be the one least traveled.

This times 100. If you get a bunch of debt in college and are having a hard time paying it back, LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

Lots of ways to get your college paid for or pay off the debt with a good ROI as long as you don't get a dumb degree and are willing to work hard.

 

[kired]

I’m in that mid 40s group. I think there’s also a difference in how / why we support sports.

The older generation is more the “hail dear ol state” crowd that supports msu because they are loyal to the school

The younger generations live for this portal stuff. They don’t care if we have a different qb every year, life changes so fast for them that they expect it.

But us guys in the middle - we were raised to love the players. We faithfully follow Dak even if we hate the cowboys. We were more excited watching Mangum last night than anything we’ve seen on our own baseball field in almost 4 years. But college sports has changed. We’ll likely never have another Dak or Mangum… and that sucks. Everyone’s on a 1 year contract now. If I buy my son a jersey, that player will probably be at LSU or Georgia next year.

I’m better off financially than I was 10-15 years ago. That has nothing to do with it for me. I simply have less desire to follow college sports. A big part of why I loved it to begin with is gone and never coming back.

 

[RocketDawg]

For those that travel to Starkville often and stay at least one night in a hotel, roughly how much does that trip cost you (include tickets in that estimate)?

The reason I ask is because a reduction of in-person attendance is directly related to greater apathy for most people. I couldn’t attend for about a decade (numerous reasons). Now I’m in a season of life where it is very difficult to attend. Considering the cost to attend is not something I am used to spending, and you have a very high likelihood that I won’t attend.

It’s funny that SPS keeps me more engaged than anything else MSU related.

Tickets, seat fees, gasoline, and hotel was about $1000/game for 2 tickets, and that was 7 or 8 years ago. Before legal pay-for-play.

 

[RocketDawg]

It's not just beer, the cashier never got out of her chair last Tuesday night when I bought a bag of ice. I tapped my card, she pointed over to the open ice cooler to tell me where to get ice and then pointed to the tip option on the card reader.

There's a Chicken Salad Chick not far from my house, in Town Madison, and every time we've been there the girl taking the order reaches over a zeroes out the tip screen. And they actually bring the food to you when it's ready. Apparently the managers there don't like the tip thing either, but have to do it. Panera Bread in the same area don't even ask any longer. Looks like some businesses are getting the message.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

I'm looking for specific examples. I may agree with you but i'm not gonna just take your general broad stroke brush word for it.

Selmon wasn't a state guy
Lemonis wasn't a state guy and wasn't a first time guy
Leach wasn't a state guy and wasn't a first time guy
Lebby wasn't a state guy
Jans wasn't a state guy or a first time guy

Where are the revenue opps that are easy wins that we ignored? Not saying they aren't but list a couple of the easy big ones.

Selmon, Lebby, Morehead (I don't count his piddling little gig), Mullen, Croom, Ray. Canz , all first time & Arnett if you want to count him, even Cohen a first time AD & a State guy, Stricklin first time AD and State guy, Byrne first time AD. We can move to women sports too but it's everywhere.
We got a past their prime Leach and Howland. Jans was the first real hire we've made for a proven coach in a long time.

 

[dorndawg]

Selmon, Lebby, Morehead (I don't count his piddling little gig), Mullen, Croom, Ray. Canz , all first time & Arnett if you want to count him, even Cohen a first time AD & a State guy, Stricklin first time AD and State guy, Byrne first time AD. We can move to women sports too but it's everywhere.
We got a past their prime Leach and Howland. Jans was the first real hire we've made for a proven coach in a long time.

 

[ETK99]

Look at all the first time coaches in football. One since Jackie Sherrill and people wonder why football has been so bad. If Mullen hadn't worked out, it'd be really ugly. We were willing to pay Mullen. $7MM to keep him but we keep going back to the cheap hires instead of paying for a real coach.

 

[paindonthurtDCD]

Selmon, Lebby, Morehead (I don't count his piddling little gig), Mullen, Croom, Ray. Canz , all first time & Arnett if you want to count him, even Cohen a first time AD & a State guy, Stricklin first time AD and State guy, Byrne first time AD. We can move to women sports too but it's everywhere.
We got a past their prime Leach and Howland. Jans was the first real hire we've made for a proven coach in a long time.

So it’s not the current admin. You basically think we have sucked for years?

would you rather have Larry templeton back?

Byrne Stricklin and cohen have been the ADs during the most successful run in msu sports history.

do you think we have the resources to go poach existing head coaches and ADs at big time schools? We don’t.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

So it’s not the current admin. You basically think we have sucked for years?

would you rather have Larry templeton back?

Byrne Stricklin and cohen have been the ADs during the most successful run in msu sports history.

do you think we have the resources to go poach existing head coaches and ADs at big time schools? We don’t.

I don’t know that anyone is expecting us to hire a “big time” head coach away from a big time school necessarily. But there are good head coaches at the G5 level that have cultivated winning teams. Heck there are even coaches that have made the transition from FCS to P5 with success.

We have opted to spin the roulette wheel of hiring a coordinator several times and the percentage chances of success do not appear to be high. They’re not zero, see Dan Mullen. But so far he’s an outlier.

 

[Boosh]

I’m gen X, and have been through wild swings of ups and downs.

For me, MSU sports is like the NFL, I might watch the playoffs, maybe the Super Bowl. I tune in if there’s hope.

The reasons for this are threefold:
1. Season of life. More important things take precedent. Why?

2. My default setting is: State Sucks. I used to be willing to put up with baseless hope in the rare payoff of some success, but that’s all used up.

3. Leadership and NIL/ transfer portal has burned up all my tears and charity. When State DOESNT suck, it’s usually because we by some miscalculation got a player or a group of players who are willing to do what it takes to be a winner IN SPITE of everything the coaches and administration do to reign that

^^THIS^^