What sponsors could Mississippi State football display on Davis Wade Stadium’s turf?

The changes keep coming for college football. Conference realignment, playoff expansion, the transfer portal, NIL, and now, on-field sponsorships. Recently the NCAA announced that it will allow universities to display commercial advertisements on their football fields during the regular season, starting this fall.

That means there’s a good chance that when you turn on a game this season, you’ll see a brand plastered on the field alongside the team logo. And it’s possible that happens for Mississippi State football games.

That’s not a guarantee. Schools aren’t required to do it, and many may choose to keep their fields as uncommercialized as possible. Personally, I hope that’s the route MSU takes. The Scott Field turf is too pristine to mess with.

But some schools will certainly capitalize on the money-making opportunity, so if State were to be one of them, which brands might they turn to?

Here’s three sponsors that would make sense to be shown on Scott Field at Davis Wade Stadium…

It makes sense for us to start with a brand that’s already a prominent sponsor of Mississippi State athletics. Since 2020, Country Pleasin’ has been the “Official Sausage Provider” for Bulldog sports, with their products available at stadium concession stands on campus.

Beyond being a brand native to Mississippi and already having a partnership with State, Country Pleasin’ is an ideal fit for a football sponsor. What’s one of the best parts about gameday in Starkville? Tailgating in The Junction. And it’s not really a tailgate if you’re not grilling meats.

Some so-called “tailgates” in Mississippi do not allow for grills yet have the audacity to claim being the best at tailgating. I cannot fathom spouting such nonsense when the grilling of delicious County Pleasin’ sausage isn’t even allowed. That’d be shameful behavior.

Luckily, we don’t have that problem at MSU. Save some jalapeno cheddar for me.

This is another that just makes too much sense. Mossy Oak is another local (but also massive) brand with ties to Mississippi State. Mossy Oak founder Toxey Haas is a MSU graduate who built his outdoor empire right up the road from Starkville in his hometown of West Point.

There are plenty of connections between Mossy Oak and State sports too. Mossy Oak Golf Club is home to the practice facilities for MSU men’s and women’s golf. Also, the brand sells one of the most popular single apparel items there is amongst State fans: the camo “Dawgs Win Again” tee.

That’s not to mention that a large percentage of Bulldog fans are avid outdoorsmen. And hey, deer season ramps up in the middle of football season, so having the Mossy Oak logo painted on Scott Field would be timely branding.

We’ll close with a national brand that doesn’t have any ties to Mississippi State, but there’s no reason not to start some! John Deere is perfect sponsor for MSU for several reasons.

State is a proud agricultural school, and John Deere is one of the largest and most popular tractor manufacturers on the planet. State has a fantastic forestry program, and John Deere makes forestry equipment.

And in relation to Scott Field itself, State has an award-winning turf program, with Scott Field being named Football Field of the Year in 2015. That seems like the perfect spot to show off John Deere lawn mowers.

It’s hard to find a more prominent brand that would be an ideal sponsor for Mississippi State. If MSU wanted to aim high for an on-field sponsor at Davis Wade, John Deere is the way to go.