JACKSON STATE IS RIGHT OPPONENT AT THE RIGHT TIME
At our weekly Tuesday football press conference this week, we announced that we had altered our 2009 football schedule so that we might accomplish some of the goals we have established as priorities for our program.
The NCAA permits member institutions to play one Division I-AA opponent in football every year and count that game toward the minimum number of wins required to achieve post-season bowl status.
We intend to use that opportunity because it allows us to reach another priority for our football program. We will play those Division I-AA opponents at Davis Wade Stadium, and will serve as one of the seven home games we want to play each year. We constantly hear that seven home games is a priority for our fans, and it is for us as well.
With those priorities in mind, we began to look for institutions that allow us to meet those two goals. We had already announced a 2009 schedule, and despite the fact that it included seven home games, there was no D-IAA opponent on it.
Finding a D-IAA opponent for 2009 at this time is a difficult assignment, but one we wanted to pursue. It came to our knowledge that Jackson State, an in-state IAA institution, had an opening the first weekend of the season and was looking for an opponent. At the same time, it came to our attention that conference sister institution Auburn was looking for a home opponent next year.
A three-way win-win schedule alteration was set in place. We were able to move Louisiana Tech from our '09 schedule to 2012, putting us on the road to seven home games in '12. At the same time, Auburn offered Louisiana Tech the opportunity to come to The Plains next season, filling both schools' schedule needs.
Through the assistance of Jackson State athletic director Bob Braddy, we were able to schedule the I-AA home game we considered a priority. And Jackson State provides the perfect season-opening opponent. It is a game that will be talked about throughout next summer. It is also a historic opportunity. Mississippi State Â- the People's University Â- has been this state's leader in promoting equality, and has through its history. We will be the first SEC school to play a Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent and the first SEC school in this state to play any Historically Black College and University.
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NOTE THE TIME CHANGE FOR HOMECOMING
We announced last week that ESPNU had requested us to move our homecoming football game time with Middle Tennessee State to 6 p.m. CT, so that the national network might televise the game.
This was a difficult decision for us, because historically the homecoming game has been played at 1:30 p.m., and kickoff for the MTSU game had been listed as 1:30 for several months.
In the end, we felt that it was in the best interests of Mississippi State and our football program to accommodate the time request, in order to receive the national television exposure. And we would be remiss if we did not thank Interim President Dr. Watson, Vice President John Rush and Executive Director of Alumni Activities Jimmy Abraham for their help in making this change.
The decision was certainly not made for financial reasons...we receive no additional funds for moving this game at ESPNU's request. Though not the intention, the game time change also might work to the benefit of most of our fans (see survey results below).
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AND THE SURVEY SAYS . . .
With approximately 1,300 individual accounts (we had to back out some duplicate entries) having responded to the email survey mentioned in last week's column, it appears that most folks enjoy watching Bulldog football later in the day. More than 35 percent of those responding indicated that they would enjoy the late afternoon (3:30 pm) time slot and right at 40 percent favored the early evening (6 p.m.) kick off time.
As we mentioned here last week, the new Southeastern Conference television package might make our flexibility in football scheduling a little more difficult, but we actually expect to play more late games due to the new TV format.
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SUMMARIZING THE SEC TELEVISION CONTRACT
The SEC recently announced a historic television package with CBS and ESPN, which will provide unprecedented exposure for a collegiate athletics conference and ensure that SEC fans across the nation will have more access to their teams than ever before. The 15-year agreements begin next season (2009-10).
Every SEC home football game will be telecast, including a minimum of 20 games on ESPN or ESPN2, and 13 on ESPNU. CBS will have a national game of the week for SEC football, and will televise the SEC Championship Game.
Every SEC conference basketball game will be telecast, including a minimum of 24 on ESPN or ESPN2, seven on ESPNU, five on CBS, and two on ESPN on ABC. The SEC men's basketball tournament semifinals and finals will air nationally on ESPN on ABC.
A minimum of 16 SEC women's basketball appearances will occur on ESPN or ESPN2, with another 16 appearances on ESPNU. The ESPN family of networks will air the women's tournament semifinals and finals.
ESPN/ESPN2 will air SEC championship finals for baseball, softball and gymnastics, and ESPNU will televise a minimum of 25 additional SEC regular-season events, as well as championship events for soccer, swimming and diving, and track and field.
As you can see, this is great exposure for the SEC, and it will be great exposure for Mississippi State.
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SEATING FOR BASKETBALL HAS BEGUN
The Bulldog Club has begun the process of assigning seats for the 2008-09 men's basketball season ticket holders, and once again, we believe that we will sell out Humphrey Coliseum in season tickets. Progress has been made, as well, toward selling the new courtside seats where media row previously existed. Those seats are being sold for $12,000 per pair, with a maximum of two orders per person. The courtside seats will be filled in Bulldog Club rank order.
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BULLDOGS SUPPORT BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
During the next few weeks, you will see a commitment on our athletic program's part to join the fight against breast cancer.
The Bulldog soccer and volleyball are asking their fans for their help in raising awareness of breast cancer during their matches with Georgia this weekend.
The soccer team kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend with "Kick for the Cure" Friday at 7 p.m. The volleyball squad will take part in "Dig for the Cure" on Sunday as part of its 1 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to wear pink to both games, and the first 150 fans at each event will receive limited edition Mississippi State Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend t-shirts. Our players in each sport will conduct an autograph session at the conclusion of those matches.
Admission to both soccer and volleyball is free, and points can be earned toward your Bulldog Club membership level by presenting your Dog Tag card.
Further, we believe we will be the first institution nationally to bring Breast Cancer Awareness to the college football field. We are in the planning stages of preparing a program for the Kentucky game, Saturday, Nov. 1.
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NEW DAVIS WADE STADIUM VIDEO BOARD GETTING A FACE
Work continued during the past two weeks as our football team was away from Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. The final truss, which will support the top of the actual video board, was installed, while electrical work was taking place near the footings of the giant towers. This week, vertical panels have been installed to support the board, and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) will begin arriving at the construction site. They will be assembled to provide the actual video screen, or face, of the board itself. Crews are now working 24 hours per day.
Also to arrive shortly are the components for the $1 million control room which will coordinate the sound and video for the board. It is hoped that the board will be functional by the Kentucky game Nov. 1.
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STARKVILLE IS THE BEST SPORTS CITY IN MISSISSIPPI
And finally, you may have seen that Starkville was ranked No. 69 among the "The 400 Best Sports Cities" in the country by The Sporting News magazine, right there between East Lansing, Mich., home of Michigan State University, and Champaign, Ill., site of the University of Illinois. Starkville was the highest ranked city in the state of Mississippi.
The Sporting News' rankings, which look at the 12 months from roughly October 2007 to October 2008, are based on point values assigned to various categories, including but not limited to won-lost records, postseason appearances, applicable power ratings, number of teams and attendance.
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We appreciate what you do for Mississippi State Athletics and want to encourage you to get others involved. There are three things you can do to help Mississippi State reach its desired goals -
1. Buy Season Tickets
2. Financially Support the Bulldog Club
3. Get Others To Do The Same
Thanks for taking the time to read this update.
Go Dawgs!
