• "The Bulldog Club is only for those really rich Alumni making really large donations."

Your donation does matter, regardless of the amount. The backbone of the Bulldog Club is the many avid Bulldog fans that contribute less than a $1000 a year. The largest giving level in the Bulldog Club is the Century (or $100 level). It is more important to join the Bulldog Club and give something, than to wait to join until you "strike it rich." The Bulldog Club staff really cares about each member regardless of contribution level.
 

• "I don’t’ want my money to pay the tuition for some college kid to attend classes and not learn anything."

 
MSU leads the SEC is student-athlete graduation rate.  There are about 250 student athletes (men and women).  Some are on full scholarships, while others are on partial scholarships.  Close to 90% of these men and women who wear the Maroon and White graduate from the University. That is a much better graduation rate than the University (as a whole) has.

Mississippi State is one of 20 universities honored in 1998 by the College Football Association for having a graduation rate better than 70 percent. MSU is one of only 7 schools nationally to be recognized for eight consecutive years.

A record 61 men and women scholarship athletes made either Dean's Scholar or President's Scholar, and 127 of 245 scholarship athletes recorded 3.00 GPA's or higher the 1998 spring semester.

MSU's women's tennis team turned in a 3.72 GPA, the highest team academic record ever. Seven of the eight women's tennis players made either Dean's Scholar or President's Scholar in the spring, and for the second consecutive semester, six of the seven women's sports achieved a team GPA of 3.00 or better.

All six men's sports raised their GPA from last fall, highlighted by the men's golf program which recorded a composite 3.38 GPA, the highest ever by a male sport.

For the fourth-straight semester, the women's program recorded its
highest-ever-academic showing, posting a 3.23.

Each year the Southeastern Conference honors the outstanding male and female Scholar-Athlete of the year.  Five Mississippi State athletes were selected to receive the Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year award.  No other school has more than 2 recipients.  Those Bulldogs who are the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year are:

            1998 -- Jeremy Jackson (baseball)
            1995 -- April Ecke (track and field)
            1994 -- Tammy Newlon-Gilliham (basketball)
            1993 -- Amy York-Strickland (volleyball)
            1990 -- Burke Masters (baseball)

Your donation makes it possible to continue the tradition of academic achievement coupled with athletic excellence.  The outstanding academic success and superior graduation rate of our student athlete’s makes your donation a solid investment in the future of Mississippi State and the State of Mississippi.

• Does all my money go for tuition and books?

Your donations also help insure Mississippi State maintains and upgrades her athletic facilities.  While all we may see is Scott Field, the Hump or Dudy Noble, there are plenty of facilities to maintain and upgrade.  These include, practice fields, weight room, and our women’s facilities.  We all want a larger Scott Field, but we still must maintain the other facilities we have within the operating budget.

• The Athletic Department has all the money they need. We have football,  basketball, and baseball. We don't need other teams.

As a NCAA member institution, Mississippi State University must comply with NCAA rules and regulations, as well as federal laws relating to Title IX for gender equity.  Whether or not you agree with Title IX is immaterial.  Our Athletic Department must comply to the law.

Most SEC member schools complete in 18 team sports.  MSU competes in 13.  Because of funding, Mississippi State does not field teams in gymnastics, swimming and diving, or men’s cross-country.  Before we field teams in these sports, we need to insure we can adequately fund them.

Your continued support will make all this possible.