Good morning,
I am sending this e-mail on behalf of Jay Ladner and his basketball program at Southern Miss. Jay has been a friend of mine over the last 15 years and he and I have come together to create an evening to celebrate the 2023 SunBelt Champions and help them tip off the season with a great evening on Thursday September 28th at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg.
This event is going to be a first of it's kind event as we will be raising awareness for the newly founded rules around Name, Image and Likeness for student-athletes. In transparency, I am a former basketball coach. I was recently fired in March and replaced by Will Wade, yes that Will Wade, I was fired for a guy that was immediately suspended 10 games because of violations while he coached at LSU. Ironically, his first game coaching for McNeese will be against Jay and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
Name, Image and Likeness is a four letter word in many circles, and I get that as well as anybody. I was fired in part because I did not participate and was replaced by a guy who has been providing NIL for years. So I came to Jay with the concept of raising money, educating the fan base and celebrating his team's accomplishment. Coach Tim Floyd has agreed to be our guest speaker. The night will include a fantastic meal, silent and live auctions, opportunities to visit with the basketball players who will be in tuxedos and dressed to the nines. The evening will end with some dancing to the sounds of Lloyd Munn and his band.
This event will assist Jay and his staff as they work to stay at the top of the SunBelt conference. The money raised for this event will directly benefit the student-athletes that you cheer so hard for each and every time they step on that court at Reed Green. To give you an understanding of what is going on in the state of NIL in Mississippi, Ole Miss was able to raise $3 Million in a week just last week to assist in their retention and recruiting efforts.
We are still seeking table sponsors, a band sponsor, and misc sponsors at various levels. We will have branding at the event to showcase your company and your contribution.
We have a great guest list already committed to the event. But we wanted to make sure that you were made aware and had the opportunity to be in attendance. I have included a brochure that highlights the timeline of the event, the sponsorship levels and some of the items we are still looking to secure.
Some items that will be included in both live and silent auctions:
USM Memorabilia
USM Tickets and Experiences
USM VIP Opportunities (Practice, X and O, Dinners)
Travel to Gulf Coast for Ole Miss game
Select VIP Experience for SunBelt Conference Games
Fine Dining in Hattiesburg
Golf, Hunt and Fishing Experiences
Condo/VRBO Opportunities
Select Experiences and Connections with USM Student Athletes
We have space for about 25 more tables... Would you consider sponsoring a table, or getting together with a group of friends to sponsor a table? Please feel free to reach out to myself or Jay with any questions that you have. Thank you for your faithful and continued support of USM Basketball! To The Top!
All the best,
John Aiken
Event Director
To The Top Tip Off Celebration
I am sending this e-mail on behalf of Jay Ladner and his basketball program at Southern Miss. Jay has been a friend of mine over the last 15 years and he and I have come together to create an evening to celebrate the 2023 SunBelt Champions and help them tip off the season with a great evening on Thursday September 28th at the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg.
This event is going to be a first of it's kind event as we will be raising awareness for the newly founded rules around Name, Image and Likeness for student-athletes. In transparency, I am a former basketball coach. I was recently fired in March and replaced by Will Wade, yes that Will Wade, I was fired for a guy that was immediately suspended 10 games because of violations while he coached at LSU. Ironically, his first game coaching for McNeese will be against Jay and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
Name, Image and Likeness is a four letter word in many circles, and I get that as well as anybody. I was fired in part because I did not participate and was replaced by a guy who has been providing NIL for years. So I came to Jay with the concept of raising money, educating the fan base and celebrating his team's accomplishment. Coach Tim Floyd has agreed to be our guest speaker. The night will include a fantastic meal, silent and live auctions, opportunities to visit with the basketball players who will be in tuxedos and dressed to the nines. The evening will end with some dancing to the sounds of Lloyd Munn and his band.
This event will assist Jay and his staff as they work to stay at the top of the SunBelt conference. The money raised for this event will directly benefit the student-athletes that you cheer so hard for each and every time they step on that court at Reed Green. To give you an understanding of what is going on in the state of NIL in Mississippi, Ole Miss was able to raise $3 Million in a week just last week to assist in their retention and recruiting efforts.
We are still seeking table sponsors, a band sponsor, and misc sponsors at various levels. We will have branding at the event to showcase your company and your contribution.
We have a great guest list already committed to the event. But we wanted to make sure that you were made aware and had the opportunity to be in attendance. I have included a brochure that highlights the timeline of the event, the sponsorship levels and some of the items we are still looking to secure.
Some items that will be included in both live and silent auctions:
USM Memorabilia
USM Tickets and Experiences
USM VIP Opportunities (Practice, X and O, Dinners)
Travel to Gulf Coast for Ole Miss game
Select VIP Experience for SunBelt Conference Games
Fine Dining in Hattiesburg
Golf, Hunt and Fishing Experiences
Condo/VRBO Opportunities
Select Experiences and Connections with USM Student Athletes
We have space for about 25 more tables... Would you consider sponsoring a table, or getting together with a group of friends to sponsor a table? Please feel free to reach out to myself or Jay with any questions that you have. Thank you for your faithful and continued support of USM Basketball! To The Top!
All the best,
John Aiken
Event Director
To The Top Tip Off Celebration
