Maroon Friday Update: Feb. 6
February 06, 2026 | Athletics
Happy Maroon Friday!
It's a great day to be a Mississippi State Bulldog!
Today, our head softball coach, Sam Ricketts, earned her 200th career victory. Coach Ricketts and the Bulldogs opened the 2026 season Thursday night in Waco, Texas, with a win against Baylor, then added two more victories today against Northwestern State and Wichita State. The team returns to action tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. against New Mexico.
Congratulations to Coach Ricketts on this incredible milestone! You'll have your first opportunity to see this year's team at home Tuesday when the Bulldogs take the field at 4 p.m. at Nusz Park.
Our women's tennis team is also back in action in Starkville this weekend. They secured two wins earlier today and will be back on the courts Sunday at noon and 3 p.m. Plan to stop by the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre to catch them in action. Secure your softball tickets here.
Tomorrow, our men's basketball team faces No. 21 Arkansas at Humphrey Coliseum at 11 a.m. Lock in your men's basketball seats here.
Two outstanding accomplishments this week for some young talent here in Starkville, Mississippi! Two Mississippi State student-athletes received SEC Freshman of the Week awards. We had Madison Francis with women's basketball and Ines Belchior with women's golf earn this award this week. Way to go, ladies!
You have likely seen stories about these annual reports before and may have already noticed similar coverage involving other athletics programs over the past week.
Without getting too deep into the weeds of the 93-page and 23-page reports, here are a few highlights worth sharing…
The FY25 report reflects an all-time departmental high in total revenue for Mississippi State Athletics, with a 29 percent increase year-over-year, growing from more than $127 million in FY24 to over $164 million in FY25. As we move further into the modern era of college athletics, this remains a critical area of focus. Growing existing revenue streams and identifying new ones is essential. And that only happens because of you. Your support through tickets, concessions, parking, retail and more truly makes a difference. Thank you!
I also want to give our Bulldog Club members a well-deserved S.T.A.T.E. Shoutout. Contributions reached an all-time high, increasing 79 percent from the previous year. This simply would not be possible without you. Thank you for your commitment to Mississippi State Athletics!
One helpful note for context - for NCAA reporting purposes, only cash received within the fiscal year is included. This differs from typical university and stakeholder reporting, which often follows accrual-based accounting and includes both cash and pledges. Whether looking at cash only or cash plus pledges, it was a transformational year for Mississippi State Athletics because of each of you.
As expected, ticket sales and seat donations combined remain our largest source of revenue, reinforcing the importance and impact the purchase of season tickets can have on our department. If you have renewed your tickets, thank you! If you haven't renewed or purchased for the 2026 season, please consider doing so. These sales are truly our lifeblood to our financial health.
This year, there's a new expense category in the NCAA report titled "Institutional NIL Revenue Share." While included in the FY25 report, the amount reflects $0, as revenue-sharing terms did not take effect until July 1, 2025, after the reporting period closed.
To compete at the highest level, Mississippi State Athletics remains committed to evolving and strengthening revenue-growth strategies. While significant progress has been made, responsible stewardship continues to guide our work. In an ever-changing college athletics environment, innovative and data-driven revenue opportunities will remain critical as shared revenue and talent management become the new normal.
In other news, Luke Jackson, Senior Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy, and his wife, Kim, welcomed baby boy Graham Jackson into our Bulldog Family! Congratulations to The Jacksons!
Hope you all have a great weekend! Who do you have winning the Super Bowl? My family and I will be cheering for the Seahawks and pulling for our very own Charles Cross (#67) as he chases his Super Bowl ring! Always love to see Bulldogs in the Super Bowl competing on the biggest stage. I know it makes you proud as well.
Hail State!
It's a great day to be a Mississippi State Bulldog!
Today, our head softball coach, Sam Ricketts, earned her 200th career victory. Coach Ricketts and the Bulldogs opened the 2026 season Thursday night in Waco, Texas, with a win against Baylor, then added two more victories today against Northwestern State and Wichita State. The team returns to action tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. against New Mexico.
💯 💯 for @Coach_Ricketts #HailState pic.twitter.com/muSsFcYLuQ
— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) February 6, 2026
Congratulations to Coach Ricketts on this incredible milestone! You'll have your first opportunity to see this year's team at home Tuesday when the Bulldogs take the field at 4 p.m. at Nusz Park.
Our women's tennis team is also back in action in Starkville this weekend. They secured two wins earlier today and will be back on the courts Sunday at noon and 3 p.m. Plan to stop by the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre to catch them in action. Secure your softball tickets here.
Tomorrow, our men's basketball team faces No. 21 Arkansas at Humphrey Coliseum at 11 a.m. Lock in your men's basketball seats here.
Two outstanding accomplishments this week for some young talent here in Starkville, Mississippi! Two Mississippi State student-athletes received SEC Freshman of the Week awards. We had Madison Francis with women's basketball and Ines Belchior with women's golf earn this award this week. Way to go, ladies!
Remember the Name.
— Mississippi State Women's Basketball (@HailStateWBK) February 3, 2026
Madison Francis has been named the @SEC's Freshman of the Week!
📰: https://t.co/qLlODRDnaT#HailState || @Madison28185042 pic.twitter.com/WGq5oGmNeG
Around this time each year, athletics departments across the country complete required financial reporting to the NCAA covering the previous fiscal year (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025). Mississippi State recently completed that annual process, as we do each year.After a career-best round to kick off the spring at the UCF Challenge, Ines Belchior has been named the @SEC's Freshman of the Week! 🌟
— Mississippi State Women's Golf (@HailStateWG) February 4, 2026
📰: https://t.co/1SNBelPZJy#HailState pic.twitter.com/jThOf9TmhN
You have likely seen stories about these annual reports before and may have already noticed similar coverage involving other athletics programs over the past week.
Without getting too deep into the weeds of the 93-page and 23-page reports, here are a few highlights worth sharing…
The FY25 report reflects an all-time departmental high in total revenue for Mississippi State Athletics, with a 29 percent increase year-over-year, growing from more than $127 million in FY24 to over $164 million in FY25. As we move further into the modern era of college athletics, this remains a critical area of focus. Growing existing revenue streams and identifying new ones is essential. And that only happens because of you. Your support through tickets, concessions, parking, retail and more truly makes a difference. Thank you!
I also want to give our Bulldog Club members a well-deserved S.T.A.T.E. Shoutout. Contributions reached an all-time high, increasing 79 percent from the previous year. This simply would not be possible without you. Thank you for your commitment to Mississippi State Athletics!
One helpful note for context - for NCAA reporting purposes, only cash received within the fiscal year is included. This differs from typical university and stakeholder reporting, which often follows accrual-based accounting and includes both cash and pledges. Whether looking at cash only or cash plus pledges, it was a transformational year for Mississippi State Athletics because of each of you.
As expected, ticket sales and seat donations combined remain our largest source of revenue, reinforcing the importance and impact the purchase of season tickets can have on our department. If you have renewed your tickets, thank you! If you haven't renewed or purchased for the 2026 season, please consider doing so. These sales are truly our lifeblood to our financial health.
This year, there's a new expense category in the NCAA report titled "Institutional NIL Revenue Share." While included in the FY25 report, the amount reflects $0, as revenue-sharing terms did not take effect until July 1, 2025, after the reporting period closed.
To compete at the highest level, Mississippi State Athletics remains committed to evolving and strengthening revenue-growth strategies. While significant progress has been made, responsible stewardship continues to guide our work. In an ever-changing college athletics environment, innovative and data-driven revenue opportunities will remain critical as shared revenue and talent management become the new normal.
In other news, Luke Jackson, Senior Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy, and his wife, Kim, welcomed baby boy Graham Jackson into our Bulldog Family! Congratulations to The Jacksons!
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