Mississippi State Football: Disassociation from Booster a Bad Sign for Bulldogs

Last week, it was revealed that the NCAA is investigating Mississippi State for what was termed by the school as potential "recruiting irregularities."

On Tuesday, more information came out that should be concerning to Mississippi State fans. 

Brandon Marcello of the The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger reported that the university has disassociated itself from an unnamed booster for what is being termed as "impermissible contact."

The booster refused several requests by the Mississippi State compliance department to interview with the NCAA, according to a letter dated July 13.

Also on Tuesday, it was reported by Kyle Veazey of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that offensive lineman Brandon Hill—who committed to Alabama but did not qualify—interviewed with the NCAA last spring. The NCAA is planning on meeting with Georgia cornerback Sheldon Dawson.

The subject for both meetings appears to be Mississippi State, according to Veazey.

This comes on the heels of a report from Matt Stevens of The (Columbus, Miss.) Dispatch that part of the NCAA inquiry centers around a car that was possibly purchased for current Bulldog defensive back Will Redmond.

The combination of a confirmed NCAA investigation, a booster being disassociated and confirmed interviews in the past and future is a bad sign for Bulldog fans.

It's clear that the NCAA is digging into the city of Memphis, which would likely create a situation that impacts individuals more than institutions—similar to the agent-related issues that plagued college football prior to the 2010 season.

But now it appears that Mississippi State is more of a target than initially thought. The school has indicated that it is working with the NCAA in this matter, and the news that it disassociated a booster earlier this summer is an indication of that. 

It's also an indication that this is a relatively serious matter.

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