High-level college athletics put an end to its longstanding amateurism policies last week, leaving administrators at schools like Ole Miss and Mississippi State to find a way forward under the new order.

The NCAA, Power Five conferences and lawyers representing plaintiffs in three antitrust cases agreed to a settlement that will obligate the NCAA to backpay nearly $2.8 billion in damages for current and former college athletes. The same agreement, which still requires the approval of a judge, will require universities to begin sharing revenue with their athletes ‒ with fall of 2025 reportedly targeted as a start date.

What do these changes mean for Ole Miss and Mississippi State? Here’s a look at three big questions facing both schools.

How will Mississippi State, Ole Miss handle the additional expense?

The athletic departments at both Ole Miss and Mississippi State operated at deficits in the most recent reporting year. The Rebels lost over $8 million, with the Bulldogs’ revenue report outlining a loss in excess of $5 million.

Now, the NCAA will be reducing its distributions to schools to help pay the $2.8 billion in damages it owes as a result of the settlement. It says 24% of that $2.8 billion will be made up for by distribution reductions to schools like Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

The initial revenue distribution cap is expected to be at least $20 million, increasing in proportion to athletic department revenues over time. For context, Mississippi State spent roughly $121 million total in the most recent fiscal year. Ole Miss spent about $150 million.

Both institutions face a challenge when it comes to balancing the budget with the sizable new costs.

Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter outlined the approach he’ll take during an interview with The Clarion Ledger in January.

“Are you asking your development staff to raise money in a different way?” Carter said. “We’re always looking for new revenue sources. Obviously, a worst-case scenario is you have to downsize your sports. You have to figure out what makes sense. If the industry of college athletics becomes more businesslike, you may have to start running it more like a profit-loss business.

“That is a worst-case scenario. Nobody in college athletics wants to do that, take opportunities away from college athletes. As we go through this model, everything’s on the table.”

How does this change impact Ole Miss, Mississippi State NIL?

The college football roster construction economy has been driven by name, image and likeness payments since they were made legal in the summer of 2021. Some NIL payments are endorsement deals, with athletes receiving compensation in exchange for advertising a product. Others more closely resemble outsourced pay-for-play, with outside collectives affiliated with each school paying players to join their program.

With a settlement reached and a revenue-sharing cap proposed, there are questions as to whether the NCAA can restrict supplemental NIL payments as a means to circumvent a salary cap.

At Ole Miss, in particular, an aggressive collective has helped drive unprecedented football success. The Rebels won 11 games in 2023 for the first time ever.

“College athletics is evolving and some much needed balance is coming,” Walker Jones, who runs the Rebels’ collective, posted on social media last week. “Ole Miss athletics and (The Grove Collective) will be at the forefront of this evolution and are well positioned to lead and compete at the highest level.”

At Mississippi State, second-year athletic director Zac Selmon took charge amid an NIL surge sparked by the departure of former AD John Cohen.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position to be successful,” Selmon told The Clarion Ledger after 2023 football season. “Successful doesn’t mean reckless, too. Some schools, I think – or some collectives, some NIL boosters, however you want to define them – have been reckless. And a lot of times reckless without any backing.”

BASEBALL: Why Mississippi State baseball will – and won’t – win Charlottesville NCAA Regional

How do Rebels, Bulldogs prioritize their revenue-sharing budget?

Though the future of NIL is unclear, it seems certain that college athletics is headed toward a salary cap.

If each university can distribute around $20 million to its athletes annually, how much of that is spent on football? Men’s and women’s basketball? Baseball?

It’s a challenging question, particularly for Mississippi State and Ole Miss, which have priorities that might not align with their peers. The Bulldogs and Rebels are two of the proudest baseball programs in the country. Do they take money out of football’s budget to spend on baseball? Or do they invest everything they can in football, which is likely to remain the most financially competitive space?

Revenue sharing and women’s sports at Ole Miss, Mississippi State

And what say will Title IX have in how the money gets allocated? 

The federal gender equity law adds another factor for athletic departments to consider as they slice up the pie. 

Women’s basketball operates at a deficit at both Ole Miss and Mississippi State, though the NCAA could soon begin distributing unit payouts which could change that picture. 

The Rebels have won three NCAA Tournament games in the last two seasons, and pay their coach, Yolett McPhee-McCuin, over $1 million annually. Mississippi State has been to the Final Four twice since 2017.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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Mississippi State football is 94 days away from kicking the ball off against Eastern Kentucky. Jeff Lebby is the new MSU head coach, the fourth head coach since 2018. 

However, since 94 is the number of days, let us look at a Bulldog great who wore 94. Fletcher Cox signed with the Bulldogs in 2009, along with several other MSU legends, such as Chad Bumphis, Gabe Jackson, and Jonathan Banks. 

Cox would shine the brightest and was the first of many elite NFL defensive linemen Mississippi State has produced. The Yazoo City, MS native racked up 14.5 tackles for loss his last year in Starkville and was drafted by the Eagles with the 12th overall pick. 

Cox retired this offseason but put together a Hall of Fame-worthy career during his 12-year career in Philadelphia. 

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Countdown to Mississippi State’s Season Opener

94 Days

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Mississippi State is entering a new era under new head coach Jeff Lebby. The former Oklahoma offensive coordinator has been adamant about recruiting partially in the Magnolia State. 

Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college football program, and Lebby understands the importance and already has a nice collection of talent in the class. 

This story will be updated regularly. 

KaMario Taylor

Commitment Date: October 13th, 2023

Position: Quarterback 

 Ht/Wt: 6-4, 205 pounds 

Hometown: Macon, MS. (Noxubee County

High School)

Consensus: 4-star prospect

ON3: 4-star prospect, No. 94 nationally, No. 10 quarterback, No. 5 player in Mississippi 

247Sports: 4-star prospect, No. 221 nationally, No. 16 quarterback, No. 5 player in Mississippi 

Rivals: 4-star prospect, No. 6 quarterback, No. 12 player in Mississippi

ESPN: 3-star prospect, No. 7 quarterback, No.14 player in Mississippi 

Taylor is among the best pure athletes to play quarterback in Mississippi in quite a while. He has the frame of a quarterback at 6-4 205 and has the speed to be a dual-threat quarterback. 

He comes from a high school power in the Magnolia State, Noxubee County, which is also the home of MSU’s great Jeffrey Simmons. It is always important to get a quarterback in the class quickly, and Lebby got a steal in his own backyard. 

Taylor could be a five-star prospect when it is all said and done. 

Tyshun Willis 

Commitment Date: April 22nd, 2024

Position: Edge/Linebacker 

 Ht/Wt: 6-1, 230 pounds  

Hometown: Camden, MS. (Velma Jackson High School)

Consensus: 4-star prospect

ON3: 4-star prospect, No. 36 EDGE, No. 9 player in Mississippi 

247Sports: 4-star prospect, No. 234 nationally, No. 20 EDGE, No. 7 player in Mississippi 

ESPN: 4-star prospect, No. 265 nationally, No. 27 EDGE, No. 11 player in Mississippi 

The Bulldogs have feasted on in-state talent on the defensive side of the ball with names like Emmanuel Forbes, Fletcher Cox, and Chris Jones. Willis could be the next in line for small-town Mississippi kids. 

He helped lead Velma Jackson to a state title appearance in Oxford, and he finished the season with 113 total tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and 20.5 sacks. 

Aj Rice 

Commitment Date: September 4th, 2023

Position: Linebacker

 Ht/Wt: 6-2, 240

Hometown: Madison, AL (Madison Academy)

Consensus: 3-star prospect

ON3: 3-star prospect, No. 100 linebacker, No. 36 player in Alabama

247Sports: 3-star prospect, No. 49 linebacker, No. 25 player in Alabama 

Rivals: 3-star prospect, No. 25 linebacker, No. 31 player in Alabama

ESPN: 3-star prospect, No. 25 linebacker, No. 26 player in Alabama

The Bulldogs have had success with linebackers from Alabama. Nathaniel “Bookie Watson is the latest example, and Rice could be the next. 

He was the first commit of the class and continues to add offers, now holding offers from Ole Miss, Baylor, and Arkansas. 

Jack Richardson 

Commitment Date: March 24th, 2024

Position: Punter 

 Ht/Wt: 6-2, 213  

Hometown: Madison, MS. (Madison Central) 

Consensus: 3- star prospect

ON3: 3-star prospect, No. 1 punter, No. 25 player in Mississippi 

247Sports: 3-star prospect, No. 1 punter, No. 44 player in Mississippi 

Getting a punter from the high school ranks now seems like a dead art due to the transfer portal. However, the Bulldogs liked what they saw from the Madison, MS. native. 

Richardson averaged 46.3 yards per punt in his junior season.