| Thursday, September 3, 2026 |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State makes upgrades to Davis Wade Stadium ahead of 2026 season | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) Athletics announced several changes that fans can expect to see during the 2026 football season at Davis Wade Stadium. According to the university, the changes are part of a $9 million investment by MSU for stadium and gameday enhancements as part of a multi-year approach. Upgrades include premium seating, retail, technology and in-stadium production, as well as Mississippi State's plans to retake the cowbell ringing world record on September 26, 2026, against Missouri. Fans can expect more fire and fireworks throughout the game, with expanded pregame, in-game and postgame pyrotechnics adding to the atmosphere on the biggest plays of the day. Mississippi State is adding laser effects for select SEC games this season, layering another visual element into the gameday atmosphere. Fans will notice additional speakers on the north concourse, refreshed branding throughout the main concourses, including at Gate D, and expanded chilled hydration access on the north, east and west sides of the stadium. West 100 seating also gets an upgrade with larger, outdoor-rated TVs. The ROTC cannon has been relocated to the southeast corner of Davis Wade Stadium for improved fan visibility. |
| Bulldogs Return To MSU Soccer Field Thursday Against Louisiana | |
 | Mississippi State will host its fourth and final member of the Sun Belt Conference's west division on Thursday when the Bulldogs welcome Louisiana to the MSU Soccer Field. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. Hailey Johnson has led the way for State (5-0-0), recording a point in all but one match this year and contributing an assist or scoring herself on more than a third of the Bulldogs' 15 goals this year. Behind her, Kati Anne Shepherd has produced a dynamic start to her freshman season, totaling eight points (3 G, 2 A) in her first five games. Meanwhile, Jenny Harrison has posted two shutouts and ranks fourth in the SEC with a 0.42 goals against average, but she has not been tested often as the Bulldogs are allowing just 4.4 shots per game this season. Only Auburn (3.2) is allowing fewer in the SEC this season. Louisiana comes into the match fresh off the best opening month in program history, and its 18 goals lead the Sun Belt. Last time out, the Ragin' Cajuns (4-1-1) scored four times in a 10-minute span. The Bulldogs host Charlotte on Sunday for Senior Day. Kickoff on SEC Network+ is scheduled for 1 p.m. with senior ceremonies beginning at 12:45 p.m. |
| Volleyball Makes Home Debut In Big Ten x SEC Challenge | |
| Mississippi State volleyball will welcome a pair of foes from the Big Ten to the Newell-Grissom Building for their first home matches of the regular season, as the Bulldogs are set to take on Iowa on Thursday and Northwestern on Friday. Iowa enters the Big Ten x SEC Challenge on a three-game winning streak. The Hawkeyes are led by Jim Barnes, who is in his 30th season as a head coach and entering his fifth at Iowa. Northwestern picked up their first victory in their last match against Georgetown, 3-0. Tim Nollan enters his third season as the Wildcats head coach. Iowa and Mississippi State will be playing each other for the first time ever. Northwestern and Mississippi State have faced off once, with the last match seeing a 3-1 Wildcat victory on September 1, 2001. |
| A courtroom near LSU becomes the focus of college football and NCAA eligibility for pros | |
 | A courtroom a couple miles from LSU's Tiger Stadium was the focus of college football Thursday, when several dozen athletes awaited a ruling that could clear the way for them to compete in NCAA games this fall -- even if they already turned pro. Attorneys for the athletes, the NCAA and Southeastern Conference were slated to appear before East Baton Rouge Parish Judge William Jorden, who scheduled a hearing concerning the status of his earlier temporary injunction preventing the NCAA from ruling recent former pros or fifth-year college athletes ineligible. Jorden also wanted the NCAA to explain why it should not be held in contempt after the SEC and other power conferences adopted rules providing for draconian punishments of member schools who place former NFL or NBA athletes on their football or basketball rosters. The players in question include former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright, former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and former Denver Broncos defensive back Blake Cotton, who have been recruited by new LSU coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin said he did not expect anyone from LSU's football program to attend the hearing. |
| Georgia AG to Greg Sankey: Take 'all measures available' against LSU | |
 | As its standoff with LSU intensifies, the SEC is receiving some support from beyond the conference and its member universities. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is encouraging SEC commissioner Greg Sankey to take "all measures available" against the Tigers if they field a team featuring former NFL players returning to college, and to "use all legal means necessary to protect the University of Georgia, student athletes, and the integrity of college athletics," according to a letter from Carr to Sankey obtained by USA TODAY Sports. Those potential punishments could escalate to suspending and/or removing LSU from the conference, of which it has been a member since the league's founding in 1932. "College athletics are for college athletes only, and we are grateful the SEC has taken swift action to maintain that standard," Carr wrote in the letter. "However, the rules cannot be ignored or twisted to benefit one coach, one institution, or one program, and we refuse to stand by while that happens." |
| Nick Saban endorses Protect College Sports Act in new commercial | |
 | Nick Saban has long been a supporter of the Protect College Sports Act. The ESPN "GameDay" analyst and former Alabama coach is now its sporkesperson. "College sports are built on tradition," Saban said in a new commercial for the legislation. "Our pride in our schools, the rivalries we pass down, and the way they develop the character of tomorrow's leaders. That tradition is worth defending. The Protect College Sports Act ends the NIL chaos in college athletics by protecting our student athletes and teams, and safeguarding women's sports and Olympic programs. Join the winning team today, and help Congress protect this winning tradition." Saban has been a supporter of the bipartisan bill, introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) in May. The hope was it would receive a vote in the U.S. Senate before legislators broke for a month-long recess, but that never materialized. |
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