Got this letter from John Cohen

[ezsoil]

A Letter from MSU Athletic Director, John Cohen​

Dear Bulldog Club Members,

As you know, this year has brought many changes to our lives during these challenging times. We are so thankful for your patience, perseverance, and adaptability. As Bulldogs, we strive in all ways to bring people together through competition in sports, excelling in the classroom and making a positive impact in our community. Recently many of our members have asked how they can support MSU Athletics and our student-athletes during these times of uncertainty.

Through the support of our Bulldog Club, MSU Athletics has been a fully self-sustaining department that supports 350+ student-athletes while continuing facility upgrades. As you are aware, the past six months have brought about significant financial impact due to COVID-19. Revenue losses from decreased stadium capacity and reduction of home games as well as the incremental cost of operations throughout this pandemic have greatly impacted our financial status.

Even if all our sports successfully complete their seasons, our department will likely see a
$30 million+ decrease in revenue. This impact will be felt for years to come. While we recognize these challenges, we remain committed to our student-athletes and their success on and off the field. Our student-athletes continue to pursue their educational and athletic dreams no matter what this year may bring.

To address the significant financial loss, the Bulldog Club has created our Hail State Forever Campaign. This effort is designed to accept new gifts to the Bulldog Club while offering incredible incentives like bonus priority points and unforgettable experiences. Donations to this campaign will directly affect our student-athletes this year by providing scholarships, career development, academic services, wellness support, and other pivotal operating costs.

For our members who held 2020 Football Season Tickets but decided to opt out for the current season, we have created the 2020 Football Season Ticket Opt Out Plan. This plan outlines options regarding the seat donations for the unused season tickets. One of the most important options is converting seat donations into scholarship gifts. Significant priority point increases are offered to members who choose to donate their seat funds. These extra priority points are structured to not only increase your rank for the current season but for future years as well.

No matter what this year may bring, I am confident that the Hail State Family will stand together. Now, more than ever, I am so grateful for our generous Bulldog Club Members. Most importantly, I hope you and your family stay safe and healthy during these challenging times.

Hail State!

John Cohen



My question is, if I wanted to opt IN and give the same amount extra...why can't I get the 50 points ..I guess they need people to opt out..

 

[tbaydog]

Mr Cohen, it appears to me you need to take drastic cost cutting in your athletic department and present your plan before asking for more. A majority of the private sector has taken in the arse!!!!

 

[qball.sixpack]

Exactly! I wrote them this morning. Makes common sense that those that do get their tix should get the same benefit. Almost makes it appear it’s better not to get seats, from a rank perspective anyway.

 

[8dog]

But most people dont want to make a donation and not get a ticket. They want it to apply to next year. If im understanding this correctly, he is asking you to make a donation this year and not get tickets. Then make a donation next year as well. But i may have missed something.

edited: there does appear to be a 10 point bonus for crediting to 2021 so they maybe want people to opt out. But the biggest bonuses are for those who just make straight gifts

 

[GloryDawg]

Exactly! I wrote them this morning. Makes common sense that those that do get their tix should get the same benefit. Almost makes it appear it’s better not to get seats, from a rank perspective anyway.

I suspect enough opted out. I know a lot who did. I know a lot who usually get four or six tickets only get two. Many who opted in will opt out when they learn thier seat assignment. I think he is worried that those who opted out will not donate at all.

 

[LandsurveyorDawg]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

 

[Car Ramrod.sixpack]

It honestly sounds like they are trying to entice a more people to opt out to help ease the burden of the 25% stadium capacity. This gives people that are on the fence about going to the games a good reason to opt out and potentially allow the fans that opt in to attend more games.

 

[Yeti]

Let’s just look at this ...John who is no doubt voting for higher taxes this election is asking me to give more. I make my money off capital gains he wants to double my tax and then ask me for money..ehh NO.

 

[CrookedLetta4Eva]

So it sounds like opting out is the only way people get the extra points benefit? The only positive to opting in is getting tickets. Long term- it seems more positive to opt out.

 

[notoriousD_O_G]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

Strange that someone who hasn't cheered for MSU since 1963 posts on sixpack

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Go Woke, Go Broke...

 

[Mobile Bay]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

View attachment 17655

 

[thatsbaseball]

There seems to be a very "teachable moment" in here somewhere for our athletic department and more specifically our "student athletes".

 

[Russ Wheeler]

Go Woke, Go Broke...

Truth....BUT.....I do wish all our fans would think of MSU first and foremost and overlook a few minor inconveniences. When you actively support the things we have, you have to expect some defections I guess. On the other hand, we are a public university, we've weathered the racial storm the best way we could (even got some good headlines from it), and if you plan to support it you may as well accept some of these things.

 

[Drebin]

Let’s just look at this ...John who is no doubt voting for higher taxes this election is asking me to give more. I make my money off capital gains he wants to double my tax and then ask me for money..ehh NO.

Meh, I don't really care about JC's politics. It's a Pros vs. Cons analysis for me.

Pros:
I love Mississippi State. Which counts more than anything else.
My money matters to the Bulldog Club.
Mississippi State athletics is a great value compared to other entertainment options.
I have personal relationships with many folks involved and want to support them.
I appreciate JC handling the Moorhead situation and he's earned support for that.

Cons:
The on-campus environment is going to suck this year, and who knows if they'll ever be the same again.
I won't get the seats I paid for this year.
Fewer home games, and inability to attend road games
Injection of political stuff (covid, masks, and social justice stuff). I never understand why a person or enterprise who depends on financial support from others would choose to alienate half of their support base.

And there are others that I missed on both sides. I have opted in up until this point, but these are the things I consider going forward. It used to be an easy decision, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it's become a tougher one more recently.

 

[ArcherSPS]

Cool then why are you posting on here?

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

So, why are you here? You may as well be on a Mississippi board

 

[Bulldog from Birth]

This is a time for shared sacrifice. Giving certainly has to come up from those who can afford it. But Cohen needs to also lay out where costs are being cut. Coaching salaries have gotten pretty ridiculous in all honesty. It’s hard to justify the common guy digging deeper if highly paid coaches aren’t willing to take a 10-20% paycut for this pandemic year. Taking a “we want to operate and fund the athletic department as normal” approach isn’t going to cut it. Everyone should help bear some of the burden.

 

[mcdawg22]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

So I take that to mean you have no reason to be here?

 

[8dog]

Exhibit A that it will take years to get this politics horse back in the barn once sports start again

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Cohen could have got Leach for 2.5 Mill when he hired Moorhead....MSU’s mistake of not hiring a experienced AD has cost them greatly, both on the field and off.

 

[40 acres and a mule]

There seems to be a very "teachable moment" in here somewhere for our athletic department and more specifically our "student athletes".

Correct. But you would need an adult with common sense in charge.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

I really do wish you would reconsider this. We don't need to lose any fans. Sooner or later this will get back to normal and you'd wish you were still with us. Every university out there is doing the diversity/inclusion thing, so boycotting MSU only hurts MSU. At least we've positioned ourselves very well.

 

[JMC987]

View attachment 17655

Hell yeah. More seats for Bama and LSU fans to buy in 2021.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

Cohen could have got Leach for 2.5 Mill when he hired Moorhead....MSU’s mistake of not hiring a experienced AD has cost them greatly, both on the field and off.

Leach better pan out. Cohen bet everything on it, including his administrating career.

How Emm-Stake would it be for us to fire him a few years from now, then he goes to Tuscaloosa to become the baseball coach and wins a national championship.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

Hedging their bets and giving the donors a chance to to the same. Seems pretty clear: they are less than certain all the home games, if any, will actually take place.

So be true to your school, give to an entertaining product you know you love, and quitchur bitchin.'

If you get to a game this year, AWESOME! Praise God and Hail State! I'll be happy to see us play LSU on T.V. in a few weeks. Knock on wood.

 

[CreekFishin]

So when was that? March 1963?

 

[kired]

Here's the opt out plan. There are 4 ways to get points from what I can see. I'm still not sure where I fall (opted out of half my tickets & chose to credit to next season). Assume I'd only get the 10 lifetime bonus, but not sure since it was only half my donation. Guess I'll ask when I call.

- 3X points for opting out and converting any portion of your donation to the scholarship fund
- 50 bonus points for converting your full donation to the scholarship fund (I assume this means you have to opt out of all tickets)
- 50 bonus points for converting 2020 ticket payments to scholarship fund (see 2nd paragraph)
- 10 lifetime points for opting out and crediting 2020 donations to 2021

3X Priority Points + 50 Lifetime Points for Required Seat Donations converted to Bulldog Club Scholarship Fund
2020 season ticket holders who have opted out of the 2020 football season and chose to convert any portion of their Bulldog Club required seat donation payments to a charitable gift to the 2020 Scholarship Fund will receive three times the priority points for that gift. If the account holder chooses to convert the entire portion of the required seat donation payments to a charitable gift to the 2020 Scholarship Fund they will also receive a one-time bonus of 50 lifetime points. These 50 lifetime points will be added to their account in addition to the 3x priority points. In order to take advantage of this opportunity you must contact the Bulldog Club directly. Manual adjustments need to be made on your account that are only accessible by our staff. Any pledges/payments that are made into the traditional Bulldog Club Scholarship Fund accessible on the Dog Tag will not qualify for 3x the points. You have the option of making the charitable gift to the 2020 Scholarship Fund tax deductible if you decline all priority points associated with the gift. See Priority Point Waiver Form here.

50 Lifetime Points for Football Season Ticket Payments converted to the Bulldog Club Scholarship Fund2020 season ticket holders who have opted out of the 2020 football season and chose to convert their payments toward their season tickets made through the ticket office to charitable gifts to the 2020 Scholarship Fund will receive a one-time bonus of 50 lifetime priority points added to their account. This 50 point bonus can be in addition to/separate from the 50 bonus discussed above. Please note: this only applies to payments that have already been made to the Ticket Office.

10 Lifetime Points for 2020 Required Seat Donations credited to 2021 Required Seat Donations
2020 Season ticket holders who have opted out of the 2020 football season and chose to credit their 2020 required seat donation payments through the Bulldog Club to the 2021 required seat donation balances will receive a one-time bonus of 10 lifetime priority points added to their account. Please note: This only applies to payments made to the Bulldog Club.

Refund
2020 Season ticket holders who have opted out of the 2020 football season may choose to have your payments toward your 2020 required seat donation refunded to you. We will process all refunds as efficiently as possible.

 

[kired]

That 50 lifetime bonus is equal to a $6250 donation, correct? 50 / .008

Yeah, if points mean anything to you - that's a huge bonus. And that doesn't include the 3X bonus. I'd planned to keep a couple of tickets but will reconsider that now.

It is kind of strange they appear to be discouraging people to attend. Must have been more people keeping tickets than we thought.

 

[archdog]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

You still give money to your Church?

 

[Ibdancin]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

You may have gotten a lot of down votes, but I know a lot of people who have decided the same. To my knowledge, all of them supported the removal of the flag.... but the support and march over a rapist was a line.

 

[MSUDC11]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

Yet here you are posting on an MSU message board. Kinda feels like a contradiction.

 

[Ibdancin]

I really do wish you would reconsider this. We don't need to lose any fans. Sooner or later this will get back to normal and you'd wish you were still with us. Every university out there is doing the diversity/inclusion thing, so boycotting MSU only hurts MSU. At least we've positioned ourselves very well.

Disagree. We just taught our students to not look at the facts and no matter what the facts are, go on your feelings.

Horrible for our university to do that.

 

[thatsbaseball]

And anyone trying to make a direct comparison of what happened in 1963 with the idiocy we are witnessing today just really doesn't get it.

 

[Antonio Brown's Foot]

When MSU and MSU Athletics entered the political arena they left me behind forever. I will never give another dime financially or waste my time cheering for the teams.

Then why are you here?

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Meh, I don't really care about JC's politics. It's a Pros vs. Cons analysis for me.

Pros:
I love Mississippi State. Which counts more than anything else.
My money matters to the Bulldog Club.
Mississippi State athletics is a great value compared to other entertainment options.
I have personal relationships with many folks involved and want to support them.
I appreciate JC handling the Moorhead situation and he's earned support for that.

Cons:
The on-campus environment is going to suck this year, and who knows if they'll ever be the same again.
I won't get the seats I paid for this year.
Fewer home games, and inability to attend road games
Injection of political stuff (covid, masks, and social justice stuff). I never understand why a person or enterprise who depends on financial support from others would choose to alienate half of their support base.

And there are others that I missed on both sides. I have opted in up until this point, but these are the things I consider going forward. It used to be an easy decision, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it's become a tougher one more recently.

Please enlighten me on how covid & mask are "political stuff". I thought that fell under medical or emergency preparedness. Not trying to be a smart-A. Serious question.

 

[Seinfeld]

And maybe I missed some fine print, but if there’s a person out there that normally get one season ticket with a $150 BC donation, will he get the same 50 pt bonus by paying $150 without tickets this year? In other words, he gets 50 pts for $150 while others might have to spend $5k or more to qualify?

 

[Dawgzilla]

There seems to be a very "teachable moment" in here somewhere for our athletic department and more specifically our "student athletes".

Seems like a teachable moment for a large number if our fans, as well.

 

[Drebin]

Please enlighten me on how covid & mask are "political stuff". I thought that fell under medical or emergency preparedness. Not trying to be a smart-A. Serious question.

Covid and mask usage is completely political at this point. I'm not saying the virus isn't real, but how we are reacting to it is completely political. To suggest otherwise is to out yourself politically.

 

[Ibdancin]

And anyone trying to make a direct comparison of what happened in 1963 with the idiocy we are witnessing today just really doesn't get it.

Exactly. MSU beat writers reported that the players boycotted practice over Jacob Blake being shot by police.

Jacob Blake:

- Raped a girl multiple times.
- Court ordered him to stay away from her because he was also violent.
- Raping her was not enough. He broke the restraining order and returned to his victim to terrorize her with a knife.
- That's when his victim called 911.
- He fought the cops.... who already knew he had a knife.
- They were not able to stop him.
- They tazed him ... not 1 time... but 2 times. And it still did not work. No effect.
- Then he reached into the car and the whole time the police are screaming don't do it. don't do it.


This is not the same. At all.