Project Information

Bid Title

USM SSP 26_030 Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase of Collegiate Sports Connect.

Issuing Agency

State Government of Mississippi

Location

Mississippi

Published Date

Jul 8, 2026

Closing Date

Jul 17, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

9280-27-R-RFIN-00032

Original Source

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Bid Inquiries

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Procurement Details

Smart Number	9280-27-R-RFIN-00032	Advertised Date	07/08/2026 12:00 AM
RFx #	3150006905	Submission Date	07/17/2026 8:00 AM
RFx Status	Open	Major Procurement Category	INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)
RFx Opening Date	07/17/2026 8:00 AM	Sub Procurement Category	SOLE SOURCE NOTICES
RFx Type	Req. for Information
Agency	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
RFx Description	USM SSP 26_030 Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase of Collegiate Sports Connect. http://www.ms.gov/dfa/contract_bid_search/Bid RFx: 3150006905 Comments/objections will be received as required per Section 31-7-13 (C) of the Mississippi Code until 8:0

Contact Information

Name	Amber Floyd	Email	amber.floyd@usm.edu
Phone	601 266 4855	Fax

RFx Items

PRODUCT CATEGORY	PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
95635	Serv LibraryInteData

Awarded

VENDOR NAME

VENDOR NUMBER

AWARD DATE

AWARD AMOUNT

FUNDING SOURCE

Bid Attachments

Attachments Collegiate Sports Connect - Business Justification
Attachments Collegiate Sports Connect - Sole Source Letter (Vendor)

Attachment Preview

June 15, 2026

The University of Southern Mississippi

Spencer,

Per our recent discussion regarding a partnership between the University of Southern Mississippi and

Collegiate Sports Connect, please find the following formal justification outlining how CS Connect is

positioned to support candidate identification and recruitment within collegiate athletics.

Collegiate Sports Connect is a purpose-built candidate identification and recruitment platform designed

specifically for NCAA athletic departments. It is structured to support administrative hiring within

collegiate athletics and is not a general-purpose recruiting or job board solution.

The platform is a dedicated database focused exclusively on collegiate athletics administrative hiring,

with search functionality tailored to the unique roles, career pathways, and staffing needs of NCAA

institutions. Unlike general recruiting platforms, Collegiate Sports Connect enables users to identify

candidates based on criteria directly relevant to intercollegiate athletics, including conference and

competitive level experience, geographic and institutional ties (including state-specific connections such

as Mississippi), functional expertise, and career background.

As of June 2026, the platform includes more than 30,000 NCAA athletics administrative profiles, making

it one of the most comprehensive datasets focused specifically on collegiate athletics staffing. These

profiles include professional background information such as work history, areas of expertise, and other

relevant career data that supports efficient candidate evaluation and outreach.

Collegiate Sports Connect is currently utilized by more than 50 NCAA Division I institutional partners,

reflecting broad adoption across the collegiate athletics landscape and validating its utility as a

specialized recruitment tool.

The platform provides continuous access to its database, enabling athletic department staff to identify

and engage candidates in real time. This supports more efficient candidate identification and helps

reduce delays in the hiring process.

In addition to its database and search functionality, the platform provides ongoing updates and insights

that reflect changes in the collegiate athletics employment landscape, supporting more informed hiring

decisions over time.

There is currently no comparable platform that combines NCAA-specific administrative talent data,

structured search capabilities, and athletics-focused recruitment functionality at this scale. General

recruiting platforms and job boards do not provide the same level of specialization or relevance to

collegiate athletics hiring needs.

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to continuing the conversation and supporting the

University of Southern Mississippi’s talent identification and recruitment needs.

Zoe Connell

Collegiate Sports Connect

Sr. Director of Sales

Zoe@csconnect.live

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