MSU Athletic Director discusses sports, player empowerment
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi State University Athletic Director Zac Selmon spoke to the Rotary Club in Columbus to discuss sports and player empowerment.
The Oklahoma native covered each Bulldog sport with the public.
Selmon said the biggest challenge in college sports is “Name Image and Likeness.”
NIL refers to a college athlete’s form of compensation based on their identity and brand.
Selmon said the SEC and Big Ten commissioners announced a working group to explore ideas on structure and develop boundaries around collegiate earnings.
He believed challenges could be resolved at the ground level.
“We know what’s best for our business versus a courtroom; A set of state laws in a different state outside of our footprint. There are a lot of major things that our congress is trying to tackle. Especially, right now. You’ve got a war going on. You’ve got a presidential election. I think for us it’s like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to fix our own house.’ I think you’ll see more control coming from the conference as far as ‘Hey, these are some steps based upon feedback from coaches that are living it; Student athletes that are doing it,” said Selmon.
MSU launched its official NIL collective, “The Bulldog Initiative,” in May 2022 to support collegiate compensation and compete within the NIL landscape.
