[2][3][4] Dixon was inspired by a 1989 episode of 48 Hours profiling a student soap opera at UCLA called University, which was produced from 1986 to 1990.

[2][3][5] The Boston University College of Communication premiered its own channel, butv10, on February 22, 2006, which includes Bay State in its ongoing programming.

[8][9] Using the tagline "Sex, drugs and murder", the series is set at the fictional Beacon Hill College and focuses on the sordid lives of the students there.

[2][4][5][6][8] Bay State has featured guest appearances by Days of Our Lives actors Kristian Alfonso, Alison Sweeney and Austin Peck, as well as The Daily Show host Jon Stewart.

In the 2000s, the series featured Sarah Hartshorne (as "Samantha Carver") before her appearance on The CW's America's Next Top Model in 2007.