Bailey Patrick Pulliam
Bailey Patrick Pulliam
B.A. Communication, emphasis in broadcasting, 2018
For Bailey Patrick Pulliam, Mississippi State University was familiar long before he became a student. Both of his parents attended MSU, making Pulliam a legacy student who would eventually discover his own place within the university and within the world of sports broadcasting.
Today, Pulliam serves as associate director of broadcast operations for Mississippi State Athletics, directing and producing broadcasts that reach audiences across the country. But his path to that position began during his undergraduate years, when an internship and student-worker position with the athletics broadcast department gave him his first opportunity to work in the industry.
“The biggest impact on me would probably be interning and becoming a student worker in the broadcast department under Mississippi State athletics,” Pulliam said. “It truly became a foot in the door to the broadcast industry, and I would not be where I am today without that opportunity.”
His time at MSU also gave him experiences outside the classroom that remain among his favorite memories. As a member of the Club Baseball team, Pulliam made lifelong friendships, while his involvement with the university's mascot team gave him a front-row seat to some of the more unusual traditions surrounding college athletics.
“One favorite memory of mine would have to be being a part of the mascot team and dance battling other schools' mascots at football games and basketball tournaments,” he said. “Thinking back on dance battling the BYU Cougar in Davis Wade Stadium, the Ole Miss Black Bear in Oxford, and the Baylor Bear at the Women's Basketball Sweet Sixteen in Oklahoma City always brings a smile to my face.”
Pulliam's fondness for his time at Mississippi State extended beyond athletics. Whether learning from his professors, spending time with friends, or enjoying MAFES ice cream on the Drill Field, he found a community he wanted to remain part of after graduation.
After earning his degree in 2018, Pulliam stayed in Starkville and continued working with the athletics broadcast crew as a freelance employee. In 2021, he joined the department full-time.
Since then, his work has taken him from the student broadcast booth to some of the biggest stages in college athletics. Among his proudest professional accomplishments is directing and producing broadcasts for SEC Network and ESPN.
“One of my biggest professional achievements has been directing and producing broadcasts on SEC Network and ESPN,” Pulliam said. “Knowing that I'm producing a broadcast that thousands of people are watching across the country is humbling and awesome.”
Pulliam credits his College of Arts & Sciences education with helping him develop the preparation, work ethic, and confidence necessary for those opportunities.
“My CAS education prepared me for moments such as those in being ready to embrace every opportunity,” he said. “It may not be writing a paper on the history of theater at 1 a.m. in the library or giving a presentation in front of a lecture hall, but knowing that my planning and preparation has led me to a comfortable and confident position to execute a broadcast at the highest level all started from the work ethic my professors taught me.”
Outside of work, Pulliam is preparing to marry his fiancée in December and enjoys exploring the Southeast with her and their dogs. He also volunteers with the production team at his church in Columbus. His work with Mississippi State athletics, meanwhile, keeps him closely connected to the university that helped launch his career.
For current students, Pulliam's advice is simple: make the most of the time they have at Mississippi State.
“Embrace every moment. Your time as a student will be over sooner than you realize, so be present as much as you can,” he said. “Go to that sporting event, stay up late laughing with friends, go try that food you've never heard of, plan that trip, attend that concert. Make the most of every moment.”
Pulliam describes his College of Arts & Sciences experience as “eye-opening.” Coming from a small town with few opportunities in broadcasting, he said his education opened his eyes not only to the career he wanted, but to the many possibilities available to him.
“I come from a small town that doesn't have anything by way of broadcasting,” Pulliam said. “The College of Arts & Sciences showed me not only what I was looking for in a career but also how many different options there are out there. I have friends that work in public relations, went to law school, edit magazines, are comedians, perform on stage.”
“I look back at everything I learned while a student at Mississippi State, and I am forever grateful because it led me to where I am today.”