Recruiting peaks the interest of fans and is the spark plug that starts a championship drive. So it stands to reason that a large portion of an athletic budget would go to recruiting.
It seems that Mississippi State University’s Athletics Department subscribes to this same line of reasoning and allotted $506,300 for recruiting in the 2005 fiscal year.
The money is then distributed among all sports at MSU. Football ranks first among sports receiving $210,000. Basketball receives $77,000 to rank it second. The Men’s Golf team receives the smallest amount for recruiting at $7,500.
The money distributed among sports teams comes entirely from the athletic department. At MSU, the athletic department operates separately from the university.
According to the athletic department’s business manager Steve Corhern, his department depends one the revenue raised through athletics.
“We’re a self sustaining organization,” said Corhern. “We make our own money. The money comes from ticket sells and the more tickets you sell the more money we have.”
After the money is budgeted out per sport, the individual sport uses the money to best facilitate recruiting efforts for that sport. The $210,000 allotted for football recruiting covers a variety of aspects of player recruiting. According to Brad Pendergrass, assistant to Head Coach Sylvester Croom, most of the recruiting budget is used for prospective student athletes’ official university visit.
“The money we get is used for air travel for prospective student athletes and a hotel room for their 48 hour official visit,” said Pendergrass. “The recruiting money also covers a hotel room for the prospect’s family. We (the football staff) pay for everything allowed under NCAA regulations.”
Outside of travel and lodging expenses, the football recruiting budget goes towards food on the official visit. Each prospective student athlete is given three meals a day plus one snack.
On an official visit, a current player acts as the host for the prospect. The host is given $30 a day for entertainment for the prospect.
“The $30 can not be used for souvenirs or any item of that nature,” Pendergrass said. “The money has to be used for movies, extra food or other things like that.”
Other than the money spent on official university visits, the recruiting budget also allows for mileage reimbursements for the football staff.
Pendergrass believes that the $210,000 allotted for football is used to its fullest potential.
“We as a football staff are very aware of our financial ability and do everything possible for football, with in those restrictions,” Pendergrass said. “We don’t let our financial situation hamper us in anyway.”
Pendergrass also praised the athletic department for its support of the football program.
“The athletics department does a great job supporting our recruiting efforts,” Pendergrass said. “Recruiting is the life blood of our program.”