I should have paid more attention in my economics courses in college. Luckily, Dispatch MSU athletics reporter Jake McMahon did.
Regular Dispatch readers have probably noticed an increased focus in our sports section on the financial side of MSU athletics. We reviewed MSU’s spending for the 2025 fiscal year and took a deep dive into coaching contracts and incentives. But there is still so much we don’t know. The university, like virtually every other football-playing college, will not release the breakdown of its revenue sharing or its player contracts. Third-party NIL remains an unsolvable nut.
You may be asking yourself, “Why should I care? Stick with sports.” Well, in case you just woke up from a decades-long slumber, college sports, especially football, are big business now more than ever.
In fiscal year 2025, MSU spent more than $168 million on athletics. And while that seems like a lot (and it certainly is a lot), it pales in comparison to the money flowing through other SEC schools. Texas, resplendent in both burnt orange and green, spent more than $300 million on athletics, while the conference’s original UT spent more than $288 million. In fact, only five SEC member schools spent less than $200 million on athletics — Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Ole Miss and the aforementioned Starkville Bulldogs.
To put that in context, the City of Starkville, with over 300 employees and more than 25,000 residents, had total expenses in fiscal year 2025 of just over $27 million. Imagine if The Dispatch never reported on how the city raised and spent its money. It would be considered a dereliction of duty.
Shouldn’t that also apply to MSU athletics? I get it – it’s not just public money, as the athletic department brings in millions in private donations and corporate sponsorships. But taxpayer money is involved. Head coach Jeff Lebby earns $800,000 from state coffers; Chris Jans, Brian O’Connor and Sam Purcell will each earn more than $700,000 in fiscal year 2026, making them on the short list of the state’s highest-paid employees. Coaches, like CEOs and presidents, have always been overrated because there is a certain amount of stock (and a lot of money) associated with filling the top job. Major programs have all decided that they are competing with themselves when it comes to coaching salaries, and no one wants to be the first to hit the brakes.
A word about these private donations. It’s true that a significant portion of MSU’s athletics budget comes from fans like you; Almost $60 million, in fact. But I believe that charitable giving can be a zero-sum game. You’ll never convince me that avid athletics donors wouldn’t donate to the library or another academic institution instead if they saw it as a preferable option. I get it, it’s hard to cheer on a student who is quietly completing independent research, and besides, beer isn’t sold at Mitchell Memorial Library.
Nick Saban once described athletics as the front porch of the university. And while I agree with the sentiment – athletic success leads to exposure, interest and, believe it or not, enrollment, the applicability of this metaphor ends there. The state of Mississippi’s general operating budget was just under $500 million in fiscal year 2025. I would ask Mr. Saban who the hell spends 33% of the cost of building a house just on the porch? What’s in your kitchen, a two-burner Coleman stove and a water hose?
For the record, I’m not saying all newfound money is bad or even wrong. Players have long been undervalued in the college sports machine – they earned the revenue but never (legally) saw any of it. But secrets remain obscure, and transparency brings responsibility. In football, we are privy to the depth charts, but not the salaries. I love hearing about Jeff Lebby and fans benefit from knowing what’s on his mind. But let’s also hear from MSU football general manager Mark Votteler. Don’t you want to know how much the third line QB makes? Well, if you, like so many others, are struggling to make ends meet, then that may not be the case.
Philip Poe is the sports editor of The Dispatch.
Philip Poe is a sports editor.
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most comprehensive reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Last week our reporters posted 24 stories on cdispatch.com. To support local journalism and our community, please subscribe for as little as $2.30 per week.
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most comprehensive reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Last week our reporters posted 24 stories on cdispatch.com. To support local journalism and our community, please subscribe for as little as $2.30 per week.
https://cdispatch.com/sports/why-were-following-the-money/
