Maroon Friday Update: Aug. 22

Happy Maroon Friday!

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

I had every intention of writing last Friday with updates, but as these weeks get busier and busier, I'll do my best to stay connected even if not always on a set schedule. A lot has happened over the past two weeks.

Last week, our department came together to establish bold goals and priorities for the upcoming year. We began with an executive team meeting for the first day, welcomed new staff with an hour-long session on communication tools on the second day, and then closed the week with a department-wide meeting.

The highlight of the department-wide gathering was a student-athlete panel featuring Bryce Chance, Zoe Main and Noella Obi. We talked about everything from why they chose MSU to how they've grown in Starkville. I closed by asking what being a Bulldog means to them:

Noella said it's about belonging to a special community and family – wherever you go, you're surrounded by the Mississippi State Family. Her words reminded me of a tribute video to Dak from years ago that caught national attention that ended with, "No matter where you go, we'll go with you." That's the Bulldog spirit. Our fans and supporters wrapping their arms around our student-athletes like no one else can. Thank you for that.
Bryce said being a Bulldog means finding a way, giving relentless effort in all you do. We certainly saw that from him this past season, where he in several big moments laid it all on the line for his team.
Zoe, who, by the way, scored a big goal in last night's soccer match, said being a Bulldog is about contributing to something bigger than yourself. It's honoring those who came before you and paving the way for those who will follow.

Their insights stopped me in my tracks. When days are long or challenges arise, I'll reflect on their words. These young people understand their role in the Bulldog Family deeply, and I'm grateful to work alongside them every day.

We also heard from Seth Kindig, co-founder of BETTER, who spoke about leadership as influence. No matter your role, you have the chance to influence others, so make sure it propels our department forward. Healthy organizations achieve sustainable success, and that's our goal.

As a part of the meeting, I had the opportunity to address our entire department to share areas of focus for the upcoming year. I asked that we all do what we can to stretch beyond what we think might be possible. I shared with our team that in all the chaos and changes in our business – we must focus each day on what we can control. We must press on and continue to provide an elite experience for our student-athletes and continue to elevate the memorable moments we create for our donors and fans each and every opportunity we get the chance.

These department-wide staff meetings take a lot of planning and organizing so I want to give S.T.A.T.E. shoutouts to Kat Wallace, Stone Simmons and Steve Burkholder.

Kat Wallace joined our team last summer as an Athletics Administration Fellow. Our fellow program would be what most companies call an intern. Well, Kat did an amazing job in that fellow/intern role so when the role for Director of Operations for Administration was open, we didn't have to look very far. Kat was a softball student-athlete at State, while earning her bachelor's and master's degrees. Kat is from Brookhaven, Mississippi. She is a superstar and it's easy to tell, even so early in her career, that she is destined for great things! She keeps us operating day to day. I am giving her a S.T.A.T.E. shoutout for exemplifying our core values of Act and Excel!
Our newest team member, Stone Simmons joined us in a new capacity on August 1. Stone was a pitcher for the Diamond Dawgs the last several years and is now a member of our team as the Athletics Administration Fellow. This year he will be focused on a wide range of tasks and projects. Many of you know Stone is from Houston, Texas, and graduated from Mississippi State with two degrees. We appreciate Stone for jumping right in to assist in making the department wide staff meeting a success – I am giving him a S.T.A.T.E. shoutout for Serve. Stone loves our University and truly wants to serve in any capacity where he can make a difference.
Another S.T.A.T.E. Shoutout I'd like to give is to Steve Burkholder for exemplifying our values of Together. Steve was the emcee for our meeting which definitely fell in the category of "other duties as assigned." Steve's day-to-day role is an Academic Advisor and he works with our soccer team, women's basketball team and our men's tennis team. Steve was a student-athlete, competing at Rutgers as a member of the track and field team. Good job, Steve!

Last week, I also got to spend time with the Famous Maroon Band. They had been working long and hard at camp so we stopped by to surprise them and brought in a snow cone truck – and Meatball surprised them by doing her signature move – the worm. Ha!

Heading into the weekend, we went to the football scrimmage on Saturday and got to spend time with great Bulldog Club supporters at the preseason Cristil Society event. There was a great turnout. We enjoyed getting to see so many great friends. Coach Lebby also spoke to the group, sharing that the team had worked so hard in camp they were actually looking forward to classes starting – if only to get a little break from the football facility. He joked that no group is more ready for school to start than his team. Ha!

Shoutout to the Bulldog Club for hosting a great event. And shoutout to our Cristil Society members for your continued support. You guys make it happen! If you are interested in learning more about how you can become a Cristil Society member, click here.

After the scrimmage it was off to Dallas where I got to see some great Bulldogs. It's always good to see Bulldogs in Maroon and White representing us in the Lone Star State and everywhere in between. That GTR to DFW flight is a great addition! I know our coaches are grateful for this expanded opportunity from GTR, which enhances our recruiting efforts by providing additional flight options and flexibility.

It was a quick trip before heading back to Starkville for our Welcome Back event in the Palmeiro Center. The event was essentially a throwback field day for our student-athletes – and judging by the joy and laughter throughout the building, and as you can see in these pictures, I'd say they had a great time!

This event was such a blast that I want to give a S.T.A.T.E. Shoutout to Ann Carr, Meagan Hooshyar, Maya Bulger and Terry Prentice for hosting a great event for our student-athletes.

Next up, it was off to Birmingham for SEC AD Meetings. As you probably saw, the big story coming out of those meetings after the Presidents and Chancellors voted is the nine-game conference schedule. By implementing a nine-game SEC football schedule, our league is signaling a bold step into the future and one that brings more marquee games, greater exposure, and expanded opportunities for everyone involved. This change advances our program, enriches our student-athletes' journey, excites our fans, and pushes the sport forward in a time where leading the way and advancing forward is an absolute must. This is a critical time for Mississippi State, as we too must be bold and advance forward. Sustainable success is something we are laser focused on each and every day.

On Wednesday, classes officially started for our students and we are back in full swing! Praying it is a great year for all MSU students, faculty, staff and leadership.

You may have seen that Mississippi State's Game Day and Special Events Committee announced some changes to tailgating this season.

Discussions by many groups across the campus community, including students, took place. Based on those discussions, feedback and review, the committee decided in the best interest of all to relocate student tailgating to the Amphitheater and transition Southern Traditions Tailgating into The Junction. Everyone's goal is to create a setup that's safer, more consistent and brings back the energy and excitement that make The Junction one of the best tailgating scenes in the SEC.

Even with these changes, there's still plenty of space for public tailgating across campus, and Southern Traditions has additional reserved spots available for fans who want a turnkey option. We know how much The Junction means to the Bulldog Family, and we also know change isn't always easy. We commend the committee for the effort they put into balancing safety with tradition and working to strengthen the gameday experience for everyone.

While our football team focuses on preparing for the season opener next Saturday verses Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, we hope to see you there in your Maroon and White before our Dawgs' return to Davis Wade Stadium on September 6. If you haven't secured your tickets yet for our matchup versus Arizona State, we have tickets available, please click here and commit to being here. We are putting in the work to provide an electric environment that we all expect here in Starkville. We need you here with us!

Tonight and tomorrow night, we've got Party Animals vs. the Texas Tailgaters here this weekend at The Dude. This weekend should be a great one for our community. We will welcome visitors from all over the country to see our town – The Best Small Town in the South.

And speaking of The Best Small Town in the South – Congratulations (and thank you) to all involved in the planning and launch of the plans for The Crossroads District! That is going to be a great addition to our community and town. I am really looking forward to seeing that develop and thrive in the coming years.

Tomorrow our volleyball team will host an exhibition game at 1 p.m. in Newell-Grissom vs. Memphis - we hope to see you there! We also have "Dawgs in the District" from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at The Landing.

Last night, our soccer team beat Jacksonville State 3-0. It was Coach Zimmerman's first official win as head coach. We had a little game ball ready to go for him to celebrate. Off to a great start, 1-0! Our soccer team plays No. 10 Wake Forest on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Let's show our team we are behind them and Pack the Pitch!

I could go on for days, but I need to wrap this up.

Until next time…Thanks for all that you do. Hail State!

Zac
Zac Selmon Signature Left

One last thing. During our time together as a staff, we also celebrated work anniversaries for folks who have reached 5, 10, 15 or 25 year milestones at Mississippi State. If you see these folks out and about, congratulate them on their time spent working for Mississippi State!

Zack Harrington – 5 years
Ali Walker – 10 years
Beth Hopper – 15 years
Patrick Felton – 15 years
Bo Hemphill – 25 years

Mississippi State University Athletics

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