Maroon Friday Update: Jan. 16
January 17, 2026 | Athletics
Happy Maroon Friday!
It's a great day to be a Mississippi State Bulldog!
Our students are back on campus after winter break. It's always great to have everyone back in Starkville and back into the swing of things. For those who don't follow the MSU calendar like my family does but live here in town, you knew the students were back the moment you made your morning coffee stop and saw the lines wrapped around all our great coffee shops…that's the sign students are back! On Sunday night, when the line at Taco Bell is backed up nearly to Louisville Street, it is another sure sign that school is back in session.
With everyone back and several of our sport programs having home competitions, this weekend is expected to be a special one. We are hosting a Men's Basketball Alumni Weekend and celebrating the 1996 Final Four team and 30th anniversary of their historic run. I am really looking forward to this. I've had the chance to get to know many of these guys, but seeing them together with their coaches and teammates is going to be incredible. This morning, I listened to Coach Richard Williams talk with Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery on our Dear Ol' State Podcast about his journey and the makeup of that special 1996 team. If you haven't yet, give it a listen by clicking here.
I cannot wait for all of us to celebrate this team Saturday – along with many other great MSU men's basketball players and program influencers through the years. We also have some big news to share with you all this weekend that has been in the works for a while. I can't wait to share it with you. My team has had to remind me through the months not to jump out too early and prematurely share – because they know I am just so darn excited. But Saturday, we are letting the cat out of the bag…
With that, Saturday's men's basketball game at 7:30 p.m. versus the school up north is set to be an exciting one. If you have tickets for Saturday, please plan to attend. If something has come up and you can't be at Humphrey Coliseum Saturday, please ensure your tickets end up in the hands of fellow Bulldogs. Saturday is our second consecutive sellout. So, let's give our Bulldogs an edge! Let's Pack The Hump! Remember to wear white!
In addition to the big men's basketball alumni weekend, our women's basketball team faces No. 7 Kentucky at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Humphrey Coliseum. Please make plans to be there to support our team. Additionally, Coach Chris Hooshyar and our women's tennis team are set to host UAB at noon and Samford at 3 p.m. on Sunday. See you there!
Although things may be more routine starting this week with our students back to campus, our department has been full-throttle during the holiday break – with the intent to not let off the gas anytime soon. I know many of you have been closely following our football transfer portal class — and our Brand Advancement team shared with me that the numbers clearly reflect that. Since the day after the transfer portal opened, our football social accounts have generated 5.3 million views, ranking fifth in the SEC and 14th nationally during that span. Those posts have also produced more than 170,000 engagements and 307,000 video views. Along those lines, this past regular season, our football platforms recorded 2.5 million total engagements and rank No. 1 in college football in season-over-season social media engagement growth, up 236%. Your passion and interest are shown in the numbers and felt throughout the year.
Thank you for engaging with our platforms. We aren't done yet in this portal cycle, but I wanted to share a couple of things that might go under the radar – yet these are interesting things for us to see. One of the most critical objectives in today's college football landscape is roster retention. The program did not lose a single projected starter. In the NIL and transfer portal era, that level of continuity is exceptionally rare. It gives this staff a proven foundation of experience, chemistry, and leadership to build from, and it reflects a program that is aligned, confident, and moving forward under Coach Jeff Lebby. The majority of these players were highly sought after and would either start or contribute at other SEC schools. We've brought in 51 new players via the high school and junior college ranks as well as through the transfer portal. As of this morning, our 2026 Transfer Portal class ranks as the sixth best in the SEC and No. 17 nationally by On3. The work doesn't stop. The work continues. Again, thank you for engaging with our platforms. With that, a key form of engagement for Mississippi State Athletics is the purchase of football season tickets. Renewals will be hitting inboxes soon. I am asking each of you to renew your season tickets. If you don't currently have season tickets, please become a season ticket holder as we go on sale. This is the time. Football season tickets are the lifeblood to every department across the country. This is even more critical for us as we continue to take significant steps forward for Mississippi State Football.
In the meantime, if you're interested in season tickets, you can complete this interest form and our team will follow up with you soon.
We are now under 30 days until opening day for the much-anticipated 2026 baseball season. During coffee with Coach Oak this morning, he said the guys are chomping at the bit to be under the lights at Dudy Noble. It is clear to me Coach Oak and the team are locked in and ready for the opportunities ahead.
My daughter shared this YouTube influencer's video with me featuring The Dude. Bryce Chance was a great host and represented Mississippi State Baseball in an outstanding fashion. It is no surprise that our baseball facilities catch the attention of national influencers and their followers – but it is still great to see Mississippi State's brand being hoisted on a global scale. Can't wait to see you all there in less than a month.
This week, we hosted local high school students for a career shadow program that we have participated in for a number of years. These guys brought great questions and are sure to be successful wherever their journeys take them. Here they are learning about sports science and the important role that plays for our student-athletes and programs.
Since I last wrote to you, Rylee Selmon (Meatball) celebrated her 11th birthday on Jan. 1! Happy Birthday to our Meatball! People have asked us how she got her nickname, and it is straightforward. When she was little, she was a little round and super spicy! So, I started calling her "Meatball" and it stuck. She fully embraced it. There was a time when she was four or five years old that she requested that we call her, "Queen Diva Meatball Selmon!" She has always brought so much joy to our lives. She is sweet and thoughtful, much like her mom. Wishing a great "year 11" for our little girl!
In addition to Mississippi State events this weekend, Meatball and her teammates have a tournament here in town, so I look forward to catching some fifth-grade basketball in between Men's Basketball Alumni Weekend. We are proud of Meatball and her teammates for playing hard and learning the game. There are so many great lessons to be learned in all levels of sport.
This afternoon, I met with our Bulldog Club Board for our routine winter meeting. During this time, we worked together to continue to advance Mississippi State forward. We're thankful to these board members who are a huge part of paving the way and supporting our programs.
I hope to see you this weekend at the many events happening on campus. If not, we will catch you next time.
Hail State!
It's a great day to be a Mississippi State Bulldog!
Our students are back on campus after winter break. It's always great to have everyone back in Starkville and back into the swing of things. For those who don't follow the MSU calendar like my family does but live here in town, you knew the students were back the moment you made your morning coffee stop and saw the lines wrapped around all our great coffee shops…that's the sign students are back! On Sunday night, when the line at Taco Bell is backed up nearly to Louisville Street, it is another sure sign that school is back in session.
With everyone back and several of our sport programs having home competitions, this weekend is expected to be a special one. We are hosting a Men's Basketball Alumni Weekend and celebrating the 1996 Final Four team and 30th anniversary of their historic run. I am really looking forward to this. I've had the chance to get to know many of these guys, but seeing them together with their coaches and teammates is going to be incredible. This morning, I listened to Coach Richard Williams talk with Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery on our Dear Ol' State Podcast about his journey and the makeup of that special 1996 team. If you haven't yet, give it a listen by clicking here.
I cannot wait for all of us to celebrate this team Saturday – along with many other great MSU men's basketball players and program influencers through the years. We also have some big news to share with you all this weekend that has been in the works for a while. I can't wait to share it with you. My team has had to remind me through the months not to jump out too early and prematurely share – because they know I am just so darn excited. But Saturday, we are letting the cat out of the bag…
With that, Saturday's men's basketball game at 7:30 p.m. versus the school up north is set to be an exciting one. If you have tickets for Saturday, please plan to attend. If something has come up and you can't be at Humphrey Coliseum Saturday, please ensure your tickets end up in the hands of fellow Bulldogs. Saturday is our second consecutive sellout. So, let's give our Bulldogs an edge! Let's Pack The Hump! Remember to wear white!
In addition to the big men's basketball alumni weekend, our women's basketball team faces No. 7 Kentucky at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Humphrey Coliseum. Please make plans to be there to support our team. Additionally, Coach Chris Hooshyar and our women's tennis team are set to host UAB at noon and Samford at 3 p.m. on Sunday. See you there!
Although things may be more routine starting this week with our students back to campus, our department has been full-throttle during the holiday break – with the intent to not let off the gas anytime soon. I know many of you have been closely following our football transfer portal class — and our Brand Advancement team shared with me that the numbers clearly reflect that. Since the day after the transfer portal opened, our football social accounts have generated 5.3 million views, ranking fifth in the SEC and 14th nationally during that span. Those posts have also produced more than 170,000 engagements and 307,000 video views. Along those lines, this past regular season, our football platforms recorded 2.5 million total engagements and rank No. 1 in college football in season-over-season social media engagement growth, up 236%. Your passion and interest are shown in the numbers and felt throughout the year.
Thank you for engaging with our platforms. We aren't done yet in this portal cycle, but I wanted to share a couple of things that might go under the radar – yet these are interesting things for us to see. One of the most critical objectives in today's college football landscape is roster retention. The program did not lose a single projected starter. In the NIL and transfer portal era, that level of continuity is exceptionally rare. It gives this staff a proven foundation of experience, chemistry, and leadership to build from, and it reflects a program that is aligned, confident, and moving forward under Coach Jeff Lebby. The majority of these players were highly sought after and would either start or contribute at other SEC schools. We've brought in 51 new players via the high school and junior college ranks as well as through the transfer portal. As of this morning, our 2026 Transfer Portal class ranks as the sixth best in the SEC and No. 17 nationally by On3. The work doesn't stop. The work continues. Again, thank you for engaging with our platforms. With that, a key form of engagement for Mississippi State Athletics is the purchase of football season tickets. Renewals will be hitting inboxes soon. I am asking each of you to renew your season tickets. If you don't currently have season tickets, please become a season ticket holder as we go on sale. This is the time. Football season tickets are the lifeblood to every department across the country. This is even more critical for us as we continue to take significant steps forward for Mississippi State Football.
In the meantime, if you're interested in season tickets, you can complete this interest form and our team will follow up with you soon.
We are now under 30 days until opening day for the much-anticipated 2026 baseball season. During coffee with Coach Oak this morning, he said the guys are chomping at the bit to be under the lights at Dudy Noble. It is clear to me Coach Oak and the team are locked in and ready for the opportunities ahead.
My daughter shared this YouTube influencer's video with me featuring The Dude. Bryce Chance was a great host and represented Mississippi State Baseball in an outstanding fashion. It is no surprise that our baseball facilities catch the attention of national influencers and their followers – but it is still great to see Mississippi State's brand being hoisted on a global scale. Can't wait to see you all there in less than a month.
This week, we hosted local high school students for a career shadow program that we have participated in for a number of years. These guys brought great questions and are sure to be successful wherever their journeys take them. Here they are learning about sports science and the important role that plays for our student-athletes and programs.
This afternoon, I met with our Bulldog Club Board for our routine winter meeting. During this time, we worked together to continue to advance Mississippi State forward. We're thankful to these board members who are a huge part of paving the way and supporting our programs.
I hope to see you this weekend at the many events happening on campus. If not, we will catch you next time.
Hail State!
2024-25 Mississippi State Athletics Recap
Thursday, August 21
STATE OF MIND: EP 4 | FT. ZAC SELMON
Thursday, January 09
STATE OF MIND: EP 1 | FT. JOSH HUBBARD
Monday, November 04
Zac Selmon Joins Charlie Winfield And Bart Gregory On Out Of Left Field
Thursday, October 03