Maroon Friday Update: June 13

Happy Maroon Friday!

It's a great day to be a Mississippi State Bulldog!

The Selmon girls have been living their best summer lives this week. Meatball attended "Puppy Dawg Volleyball Camp" with Coach Julie Darty Dennis here on campus, while Shayne and her teammates participated in team camp in Jackson. In between summer activities with their teammates and friends, I'm told there was plenty of pool time during the day - because, in Shayne's words, "Dad, the UV was prime." For those of you with teenagers in your life, what is this new obsession with the UV index? Social media, I'm sure.

As for Mississippi State Athletics, much of our focus this week has been on implementing the new college athletics model that goes into effect on July 1. While this has taken up much of our time, I realize this shift brings a lot of new information. Below, I've outlined the basics and shared some key terms you'll see us use more often as we move forward.

House vs. NCAA Settlement

Last Friday, June 6, was a pivotal day in college sports. Judge Claudia Wilken granted final approval in the House v. NCAA settlement, requiring the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to former student-athletes who competed from 2016 to the present.
Starting July 1 (just 18 days from now), schools in the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC may directly share up to approximately $20.5 million annually with student-athletes. This figure is expected to grow by about 4 percent annually.
This $20.5 million is referred to as "Revenue Share".
The $20.5 million acts as a cap - institutions may not exceed this amount without facing serious penalties.
Student-athletes may still pursue third-party NIL deals in addition to revenue share. We'll refer to these as "Third-Party NIL" or "Third-Party Deals".
A new independent enforcement agency, the College Sports Commission, will oversee revenue sharing and NIL compliance.
NIL Go, a new monitoring system, will review all third-party deals with a value of $600 or greater to ensure legitimacy in a fair and consistent way.

What This Means for Mississippi State Athletics

We will continue to fund scholarships for student-athletes across all sports. In fact, Mississippi State Athletics will be providing 54 more scholarships than in previous years. That is a significant investment in the lives of young people – and while we are proud to provide this support - there are real financial impacts.
We will proactively engage in NIL activities, in addition to sharing $20.5 million in revenue with our student-athletes.
We will support and educate our student-athletes on how to pursue legitimate third-party NIL opportunities outside of scholarships and revenue share.

Business owners: Please consider partnering with our student-athletes to promote your business! For more information, contact the Bulldog Club at bulldog-club@athletics.msstate.edu or Bulldog Sports Properties at astrickland@msubulldogsportsproperties.com or click the link here.

Though revenue sharing introduces more consistency and fairness, local community involvement in NIL will still differentiate programs. Communities that actively support legitimate NIL opportunities for student-athletes will provide them with a significant advantage.

Three Main Ways Student-Athletes Can Earn Compensation

1. Scholarship Support
2. Revenue Share
3. Third-Party NIL Deals (cleared through NIL Go)

How You Can Support

1. Follow our student-athletes on social media. In the coming weeks, we will share information on how to make this as easy on you as possible with step by step instructions and a directory of our student-athletes' profiles.
2. Invest in the State Excellence Fund. This fund enables us to meet the demands of the $20.5 million annual commitment while advancing our department's vision.
3. Partner with student-athletes to promote your business or event!

I know there are institutions and fan bases lamenting the new era - but, as Coach O'Connor told me recently, "We're just going to plow through it." Those who embrace change will look back knowing they helped elevate the community and the institution they love. That is what we intend to do.

Today, I'm in Cleveland, Mississippi, speaking at the annual Delta Council meeting on this very topic. We had a great crowd! It's always great to see Bulldogs around our state, and it's even better when there is a catfish lunch involved.

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable weekend! And Happy Father's Day to all those celebrating a special person in their lives - whether a biological father, stepdad, grandparent, or any loving father figure.

I'd like to give a special shoutout to my dad, Dewey. BYU recently produced a beautiful tribute honoring my dad and uncles. Their legacy has shaped my life deeply, and I am eternally grateful. Because of the opportunity to earn a college scholarship to continue their studies and play football – the trajectories of my family's lives were changed forever.

That is why I chose to be in this profession of college athletics. It's more than an important job that I take seriously, it's our purpose in this life on earth. Although it may look different, the goodness remains the same. The impact we can have on young people's lives at a critical juncture on their journey is something I believe in fighting for.

We're all far from perfect, but I truly received the gift of a lifetime in being the son of Dewey and Kathryn Selmon. If you're interested in hearing my family's story, you can watch the video here.

Hail State!
Zac

Mississippi State University Athletics

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