Mississippi State interim AD Bracky Brett issues statement on NIL collective, fanbase support

On3 imageby:Chandler Vessels11/02/22

ChandlerVessels

As Mississippi State begins its search for a new athletic director, Bracky Brett is tasked with holding down the fort in the meantime. The Bulldogs interim AD penned a letter to the fanbase on Wednesday, both thanking them for their support thus far and encouraging them to continue attending games and supporting the program through NIL.

“Countless people have contacted me to offer their support and to ask how they can help Mississippi State University’s athletic department during our period of transition to a new Athletic Director,” Brett wrote in the letter. “My answer to each of them has been consistent: be optimistic, be present and vocal at our games, and support the NIL efforts of our friends at The Bulldog Initiative.”

Brett was appointed to the interim athletic director role after John Cohen left earlier this week to become the next athletic director at Auburn. A Mississippi State alumnus, Cohen had been the Bulldogs athletic director since 2016 and also served as their baseball coach for the eight seasons before that.

In his letter, Bracy Brett went on to talk more about Mississippi State’s NIL collective The Bulldog Initiative, citing its success to date while also adding the program is nowhere near where it hopes to end up.

“As many of you may know, the landscape of college athletics changed forever 16 months ago when the NCAA allowed student-athletes to begin profiting from the use of their own name, image, and likeness rights,” he wrote. “Since that time, MSU has had over 300 athletes enter into NIL agreements with third-parties, through which these athletes have been compensated for attending business and group events, endorsing businesses and products, or serving as instructors at youth sports camps, among many other examples. Quite encouragingly, our athletes have also successfully and meaningfully used their NIL rights to raise money for important charities that improve our state and region. We are especially proud of this work. 
 
“There is, however, more work to do. In this regard, MSU is fortunate that an outside entity known as The Bulldog Initiative has stepped up to lead the way over the past eight months in helping provide NIL opportunities for MSU’s student-athletes. Without question, The Bulldog Initiative’s presence has made a meaningful difference in our athletic programs and has helped keep MSU competitive with other schools in the NIL space.”

Finally, Brett issued a call to action for Mississippi State fans to consider donating what they can to the Bulldog Initiative. He also mentioned a need for assistance with facilities, scholarships and other programs.

“As we continue to ask for your direct support of our athletic department, we must also recognize that the success of groups like The Bulldog Initiative will have a direct bearing on the success of our athletic department and its programs,” Brett wrote. “For this reason, we ask that you please consider helping them.”