Mississippi State Athletics announced Thursday a six-figure donation to the State Excellence Fund from a pair of MSU alumni.
Ray (class of 1977) and Deborah (class of 1978) Dillion donated $1 million to MSU athletics through the Excellence Fund, a fundraising extension of the university’s athletics. The fund was launched with an $8 million donation to MSU football in Sept. 2024, and was described then as “ the Mississippi State Athletics fund of the future,” according to a press release.
“Mississippi State is near and dear to our hearts, and it’s always our desire to see us competing at the highest level,” Ray and Deborah Dillion said in a Thursday press release from MSU athletics. “We want to do all we can to help bring success to our great university. So many wonderful things are happening at MSU, and we’re excited to help that continue.”
Ray Dillion earned his bachelor’s in chemical engineering and worked his way to a president and CEO position at the Deltic Timber Corporation. Deborah Dillion spent her career in hospitals as a medical technologist. Both are retired in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Donations were an important piece of MSU’s revenue in fiscal year 2025. State reported $59.1 million in contributions, 35% of State’s total operating revenue and the largest sum across State’s 15 revenue generating classification.
MSU had the sixth highest reported contributions in the conference in FY 25, but the lowest total operating revenue of the SEC’s 15 public institutions.
“We’re so grateful for Ray and Deborah,” Director of Athletics Zac Selmon said in the release. “Their love for Mississippi State is evident, and we can’t say, ‘Thank you’ enough for this selfless gift that will help us keep pushing forward and reaching new heights at State. Ray and Deborah are not only generous supporters of our community, institution and state, they are great friends to me and my family and trusted partners who care deeply for Mississippi State and have been running shoulder to shoulder with us in advancing Mississippi State Athletics forward from day one.”
Jake is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for The Dispatch.
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