Mississippi State Men's Basketball to Play in First-Ever Barstool Sports Preseason Tournament

Barstool Sports announced on Monday that Mississippi State would be one of four men's basketball teams competing in November's inaugural Barstool Classic.

Mississippi State's men's basketball program will make history as one of the first teams to play in the inaugural Barstool Classic hosted by Barstool Sports. 

The preseason showcase will be held on Nov. 11 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Bulldogs be the only Power 5 school to participate in the event and will face Akron. UAB and Toledo will also be competing. 

While the selection of teams might seem odd and randomized, there could be a reason why MSU was chosen as the lone team from a major conference. Brandon Walker, one of the biggest names at Barstool, is a Mississippi State graduate and die-hard Bulldogs fan. His status within the company likely gave him a say in deciding which teams would make the trip to Philadelphia. 

This is not the first time that Barstool Sports has greatly impacted the world of college athletics. As demonstrated through events of the past few years, the company has aimed to create opportunities for programs that might be overlooked at times. In 2021, it hosted the Let Them Play Classic for a select group of collegiate women's golf teams that were automatically cut from an NCAA Regional that was canceled due to inclement weather. MSU's women's golf program happened to be one of the teams invited to participate after being dropped from the NCAA postseason without competing. 

Mississippi State will continue to grow its name in college basketball by participating in a brand new showcase that is hosted by a well-known sports media group. The event will also serve as one of the first times that fans can see new head coach Chris Jans in action with his Bulldogs. Depending on how the team performs in the Barstool Classic, MSU can pick up some big momentum heading into the regular season. 

Sources: UAB will face Toledo and Mississippi State will play Akron in the first ever Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) based early season tournament on November 11th at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 25, 2022