Missouri State football: Ryan Beard previews Montana
Missouri State head football coach Ryan Beard held his weekly press conference ahead of Saturday’s opener at Montana.
Patrick Ransdell has been named Missouri State’s next athletic director and it’s no secret that he has a lot of work to do.
Missouri State athletics’ potential is at an all-time high with its upcoming move to Conference USA and new president Dr. Richard “Biff” Williams now in the building. The football stadium needs to be renovated, programs need to be properly funded, and public interest needs to be recaptured to get fans back in the stands.
But one of the biggest immediate needs for Missouri State Athletics’ new boss is to transition the department into a professional organization. Many changes may be required and plenty of fat needs to be turned into muscle.
After all, if Missouri State is going to be big-time like it wants to be with its move up to the FBS, it needs to start acting like it belongs.
A new mindset and correct staffing will be needed to make it happen. The athletics department shouldn’t have only one person responsible for marketing its 18 teams. It also shouldn’t have one person responsible for filming and editing all the videos on its social media accounts in 2024. It shouldn’t keep pumping out the same dreadful in-stadium experience features year after year. It shouldn’t alienate fans by making them feel unheard or unappreciated.
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Schools that Missouri State aspires to be have dedicated teams for these areas, but the Bears are lagging behind their competitors, even at the lower level they’re leaving.
Ransdell will hopefully have new ideas to make it better. Perhaps the investment in a marketing team can eventually pay for itself with more money coming in via ticket sales or donations. Maybe something as small as more videos highlighting the athletes can turn into a few more fans or attract better recruits. Turning game days into entertaining events may keep fans returning whether the Bears are competing for championships or not.
Missouri State needs a different mindset. Gone should be the days of Missouri State athletics doing the same things over and over while hoping the chance of winning can make everything work.
That may lead to staff changes, restructuring, and departures. Missouri State can’t keep folks on because they’re “longtime Bears” or “good people.” There needs to be accountability for those who aren’t performing or are in roles they’re not yet prepared for.
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Some problems within Missouri State athletics have gone further than an athletic director who wasn’t as personable as people liked, the Bears consistently losing on the court or not being able to supply a proud program with a sufficient number of roster spots to compete for championships on the diamond. There are small things that are happening at the area high schools, like something as small as communicating schedule changes with coaches or making sure they’re getting feedback from fans, that isn’t happening at the local Division I university.
More: How Cuonzo Martin wants to build Missouri State basketball back into Springfield’s team
Make no mistake, the Missouri State AD job is very much a fundraising job. So much money is needed to make this work. Capital projects and nine-figure campaigns are surely coming and the school will try to capitalize off the move to Conference USA to sell its future. At the same time, the Bears need to win some games.
Ransdell takes over Missouri State athletics at a time of great optimism. The department desperately needed fresh blood and new ideas heading into the future and it’ll be up to him to get it to succeed.
Changes are needed to get there.
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Publish date : 2024-08-28 12:40:00
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