| Friday, October 6, 2017 |
| Apollo astronauts to speak at Mississippi State | |
 | Two Apollo astronauts will speak at Mississippi State University Oct. 11 highlighting their space experiences and celebrating MSU's recent admission to the prestigious Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Astronauts Charlie Duke and Fred Haise will be featured, along with MSU alum and Apollo engineer Jerry Bostick. They will speak about their personal experiences on the Apollo missions. MSU President Mark E. Keenum will open the 5:30 p.m. free event in historic Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. MSU is the only university in Mississippi included in the ASF program, which aims to help the U.S. retain its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships to the very best and brightest college students pursing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields, commonly known as STEM. |
| Mississippi State historians complete annotated Grant memoirs | |
 | Historians at the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University have completed a new, annotated edition of the former president's memoirs. "The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition" was completed by Ulysses S. Grant Association Executive Director and Managing Editor John F. Marszalek, a MSU professor emeritus of history, along with assistant editors David S. Nolen and Louie P. Gallo. It will be released Oct. 16 by The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Marszalek said the group worked from a copy of Grant's original manuscript and added more than 2,000 footnotes with context and additional information. Grant Association President Frank J. Williams also wrote a forward for the memoirs. |
| Opening date set for Walmart Neighborhood Market | |
| Construction of the new Walmart Neighborhood Market off of Highway 12 is on schedule, with the opening date set for Jan. 17. The store is at 105 Market Street, near La Quinta and the Hilton Garden Inn, north of the 182 overpass on Highway 12. The new market will feature a grocery store and a gas station. Walmart Director of Communication Anne Hatfield said the new store will bring around 100 jobs to the area. The Walmart Neighborhood Market is about a quarter the size of a Walmart Supercenter. It will have groceries, fresh produce, a bakery, deli, pharmacy and a health and community section. "Think about it as an old-fashioned grocery store, but it's geared for convenience," Hatfield said. "You can do a full grocery shop there, but it's also very easy to just pull in, grab that gallon of milk and get going on your way." |
| Baptist, North Mississippi vying to purchase OCH | |
 | Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation and North Mississippi Health Services are the two groups vying to purchase OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville. Oktibbeha County supervisors contacted The Dispatch with that information Thursday afternoon, after those organizations consented to their identities being made public. Baptist, based in Memphis, Tennessee, has 21 hospitals in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas -- including a Golden Triangle facility located in Columbus -- along with several smaller clinic operations. North Mississippi Health Services, with its flagship facility in Tupelo, owns six hospitals in north Mississippi -- including one in West Point -- as well as more than 50 clinics in Mississippi and northwest Alabama. Both are not-for-profit groups. According to a press release supervisors issued Thursday evening, those groups are interested in buying OCH outright, instead of leasing with the option to purchase later. |
| Oktibbeha supervisors respond to Mississippi Ethics Commission complaint | |
| Four Oktibbeha County supervisors indicated Wednesday they have no problem with the public knowing the identities of firms that submitted proposals to purchase or lease OCH Regional Medical Center. But even with that admission, and in the face of a public records complaint The Dispatch filed for being denied that information, supervisors still didn't release those details. The Dispatch submitted its complaint to the Mississippi Ethics Commission on Wednesday asking if the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors violated the state public records act by refusing to release the number of proposals it received for the county-owned hospital in Starkville, as well as the suitors' identities. After supervisors met in executive session on Sept. 26 to review the proposals, they said confidentiality agreements prevented them from releasing any specifics until after a Nov. 7 election where voters will decide whether to authorize a hospital sale. |
| Starkville police station opening set for Oct. 13 | |
| After a lengthy delay, Starkville Police Department will officially move into its newly-renovated headquarters next week. Mayor Lynn Spruill announced a grand opening for the facility is set for 10 a.m. on Oct. 13, after aldermen authorized her to sign a certificate of significant completion at Tuesday's board meeting. "I'm really pleased we reached a point where they can get in their headquarters," Spruill said. "I know it's been very important to them to have a single place from which to do business, and it should improve morale and efficiency." Police Chief Frank Nichols said he's excited to soon have the police department working out of one location again. SPD has been spread out across several locations since the renovation work started last year. |
| Premium meats and fresh coffee available in The Point | |
| Barrett Edens, a Mississippi State University graduate and former professional golfer is bringing his love of coffee and family cattle farming background home to West Point at Farmhouse Market and Coffee. While Edens has little business background beyond his family farm and a degree in business science, long-time friend and fellow MSU graduate Chris Fuse, who sports an economics degree, is co-managing Farmhouse with Edens. Farmhouse Market and Coffee is located at 3229 Churchill Road and is open 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. |
| Jim Cantore just got off a plane in Gulfport, says he'll be here a few days | |
 | Jim Cantore landed in Gulfport on Thursday, a fellow passenger reports. Gulfport attorney Jim Simpson said he boarded a plane in Atlanta to head home Thursday afternoon and Cantore was on it. The plane has now landed at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. Cantore attracted quite the crowd after he disembarked, Simpson said. "It's funny," he said. "Everybody looked at him and said, 'Oh no, not you.' He just got off. He said he was going to be here on the Coast for a few days." Simpson said he had the same reaction when he first saw Cantore on the plane. Cantore is certainly no stranger to the Coast. He hunkered down at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport for Hurricane Katrina in 2005. |
| Hurricane watch issued for Coast counties | |
 | he National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for Pearl River, Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. A tropical watch is in effect for Stone and George counties. The watches are expected to end Oct. 8. Emergency officials are urging residents to prepare for possible flooding. Self-serve sandbag locations are currently open across the Coast. |
| Missy McGee brings moderate Republican values to House | |
 | Newly elected Rep. Missy McGee will list a Republican "R" behind her name, but her votes under the dome in Jackson might not always align with the policy of staunch conservative Republican leadership. A self-proclaimed moderate Republican with close ties to road builders and the University of Southern Mississippi, McGee's conservatism resembles that of her predecessor, now Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker. McGee was elected by a 2-to-1 margin by voters in House District 102 on Tuesday and will be sworn in Oct. 13. She wants to take down the current state flag, which is the last in the nation containing the Confederate battle emblem, and she sternly opposes House Bill 1523, the state’s religious objections law allowing business owners to refuse certain services to same-sex couples. “I see no point in 1523,” McGee said on Wednesday. |
| Rep. Joel Bomgar, Businessmen: DACA Has 'Huge Economic Benefit' | |
| A diverse panel of local business owners, a Republican state legislator and an economics professor at Jackson State University all agreed that immigrants on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program have a positive impact on the American economy. "I think hanging the possibility of deportation over anyone's head is not productive to their long-term employment prospects," Bomgar said at the forum organized by the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, sitting next to entrepreneurs Israel Martinez and Humanshu Dave, and professor Nicholas Hill. "... So I think there's a huge economic benefit related to DACA." The Madison Republican noted that this is just "the low-hanging fruit," however. He pointed out that the demand for immigrant labor should drive lawmakers to create work visas and give immigrants, who come here to work, legal status in order to eliminate the black market for labor created when immigrants come to the U.S. illegally. |
| Report: Kremlin-linked company targeted Mississippi | |
 | A Russian company allegedly linked to the Kremlin targeted Mississippi before and after the 2016 presidential election, purposely dumping divisive advertisements to Facebook to sow discord among voters, recent reporting suggests. Some 3,400 Russian-linked Facebook advertisements were targeted at 12 states that included Republican strongholds in the South, including Mississippi, Texas and Alabama, according to a NBC News report. The ads also appeared in Democratic strongholds of Wisconsin and Michigan, which defied most predictions and flipped for President Donald Trump in the presidential election. President Donald Trump won Mississippi convincingly with 57.9 percent of the vote compared to 40.1 percent for Hillary Clinton, leaving reasons why Russia included Mississippi among the targeted states unclear. |
| U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn launches Senate bid for Bob Corker's seat | |
 | U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is entering the 2018 U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker, ending a week's worth of speculation and immediately catapulting her to front-runner status as others consider launching their own bids. In an online video released Thursday, Blackburn touted her conservative credentials while in Congress and the Tennessee legislature and her support for President Donald Trump and his policies. Born in Mississippi, Blackburn has a bachelor's degree in Home Economics from Mississippi State University. She lives in Brentwood and is married with two children. She owns a promotion-event management company. Despite her longevity in Congress -- Blackburn is the second longest serving Republican member of the state's congressional delegation -- she has managed to avoid the notion that she is entrenched in Washington, D.C. |
| For Republican Leaders in Congress, the Headaches Keep Mounting | |
 | Republican leaders in Congress are under attack from all sides of their own party, battered by voters from the right and left, spurned by frustrated donors and even threatened by the Trump White House for ineffective leadership and insufficient loyalty. Since last week, Senate Republicans lost one of their own when Roy S. Moore, the firebrand former state judge, trounced Senator Luther Strange in a Senate runoff in Alabama. The retirement of Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee kicked off a potentially fratricidal fight for his seat, with the establishment's preferred successor, Gov. Bill Haslam, declining to run on Thursday. Republicans are increasingly mystified by their own grass roots. What Republicans are even more loath to talk about than Mr. Flake's fate is the health of two long-serving senators: John McCain of Arizona and Thad Cochran of Mississippi. |
| Democrats look to wreak havoc in GOP primaries | |
 | Democrats are looking to revive a little Todd Akin magic in 2018. With Republican Senate primaries from West Virginia to Montana promising to pit Trump-inspired insurgents against more mainstream candidates, Democrats are considering ways to step in and wreak some havoc. The idea: Elevate the GOP's most extreme option in each race, easing Democrats' path to victory in a range of states tilted against them. At its most aggressive, the tactic could be a sequel to Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill's 2012 campaign against then-GOP Rep. Akin in Missouri. She actively intervened in the Republican primary with ads designed to boost the conservative Akin to the front of the pack. Once he became the nominee, a series of gaffes -- led by his "legitimate rape" comment -- and hard-line positions unraveled his campaign. Possibilities abound to revive the strategy next year, Democrats say. |
| 'It's the calm before the storm': Trump offers cryptic message during White House photo op | |
 | President Trump had a cryptic message for the White House pool reporters Thursday night during a photo op with military leaders. "You guys know what this represents?" Trump asked reporters as he pointed around the room. "It's the calm before the storm." "We have the world's greatest military people," he added. Trump's comments came after a meeting with senior military leaders while he and first lady Melania Trump posed for a photo with the officials and their spouses. Reporters asked the president what he meant, but Trump did not clarify his comments, saying only, "You'll find out." |
| UMMC designated National Telehealth Center of Excellence | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center now bears the title of National Telehealth Center of Excellence. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration bestowed the title on UMMC in recognition of its 14 years of providing telehealth care, especially for those with little access to both primary and specialty services. "The University of Mississippi Medical Center's successful program is already a model for national telehealth expansion," U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran said in the news release. "As a Center of Excellence, UMMC will be able to demonstrate to a broader audience how to use telehealth to increase patient access to care and decrease costs." Cochran joined other members of the Mississippi congressional delegation and officials from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department in a news conference Thursday in Washington to announce the designation. |
| Millsaps chapel project has 'special place in our heart' for contractor | |
 | W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company is not only the general contractor for a project to totally transform the interior of the Millsaps Christian Center in Jackson, but has also donated $2.2 million toward turning the historic building into a modern facility that will include at its center an inspiring light-filled cruciform chapel that will welcome people of all faiths or no faith at all. "We have some great projects and are honored to be all over the world in different things, interesting things, from the State Department to Volvo and Mercedes, but this project has a special place in our heart," said William G. Yates III, president and CEO of Yates, which is the largest construction company based in Mississippi. "I've been talking to Rob Pearigen (president of Millsaps) about this project for several years, and his vision and commitment and dedication to make this happen has really been inspiring." |
| Students learn about engineering through U. of Alabama visit | |
 | Abigail Miller does not know who she wants to be when she grows up, but she likes knowing what is out there in the world for her. Abigail, a fourth-grader from Myrtlewood Elementary School, was one of nearly 1,000 students from the area to see careers up close during "E-Day," where students toured the University of Alabama to examine different engineering programs. During the tour, students saw what opportunities are available in different fields, from aerospace to chemical engineering. "Everyone here today is here to help you see what engineering is all about, so please feel free to ask questions, be curious and explore all of the different types of engineering you will see," engineering students Lizzy West and Blythe Johnston wrote in a program published for the students. |
| Leadership a main topic for Bush sisters discussion at Auburn University | |
 | A call for diverse backgrounds among leaders and the value of a global perspective were among the highlights communicated to a large audience inside Auburn Arena as the daughters of former President George W. Bush -- Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush -- engaged in a moderated discussion focusing on "Diverse Perspectives on Women Leaders," representing a part of Auburn University's Critical Conversations Speaker Series. Responding to questions given by moderator Taffye Benson Clayton, inaugural vice president and associate provost for inclusion and diversity at Auburn University, the Bush daughters shared about their unique backgrounds as the granddaughters and daughters of past U.S. presidents. Their opportunities for traveling around the world also helped them gain exposure to a variety of places and cultures, as well as the hardships many people face. |
| Auburn's engineering researchers contribute tech to autonomous vehicles demonstration | |
| Auburn University this week joined the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to conduct a live demonstration of autonomous vehicle technology traveling across the border between the U.S. and Canada. The capabilities of truck platoons were showcased traveling down Interstate 69, going east across the Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron with Ontario, before returning to the U.S. The demonstration was conducted in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Transportation. "Auburn University and TARDEC researchers are advancing this technology to the point where it is ready for commercial and military uses," said David Bevly, director of Auburn University's GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory and professor of mechanical engineering. |
| Richard Spencer's contract to speak at U. of Florida complete | |
 | White nationalist Richard Spencer will speak at the University of Florida Oct. 19 at the Phillips Center. Cameron Padgett, a Georgia State University graduate student who often organizes speaking events on Spencer's behalf, and UF officials said Thursday that a contract between them will have Spencer speaking at 2:30 p.m. Spencer will pay $10,564 to rent the facility and for security within the venue. UF said it cannot pass on additional security costs to Spencer's organization, the National Policy Institute. "Since safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus is the University's top priority, UF will end up paying at least $500,000 to enhance security on campus and in the city of Gainesville," UF said in a press release Thursday evening. "This includes costs from the University of Florida Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies who are providing first responders." |
| U. of Tennessee considers policy on return-to-faculty salaries | |
 | A proposed policy in the works at the University of Tennessee would set rules for the salaries of administrators who return to faculty positions following a report UT was paying its former administrators at rates well above peers upon return to the classroom. In March, the USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee reported on the university's practice of paying former administrators 75 percent of their administrative salaries for unlimited periods of time after those administrators moved to faculty jobs. The so-called retreat salaries, while only for a small number of former administrators, were often much higher than typical faculty salaries in the departments they were working in. The policy is still being developed and would have to go before the UT board of trustees before it could be enacted, a date for which has not yet been set. |
| Rape reports more than double in 2016 at U. of Tennessee-Knoxville | |
| The number of rapes reported on campus has more than doubled in the last three years at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, according to a newly released report on crime and fire safety on campus. Safety reports from colleges across Tennessee were released this week under the Jeanne Clery Act, which requires campuses to report annually on crimes that happen on or near campus. Among other things, the reports show the number of rapes reported on college campuses, an issue that has been highlighted nationally in recent years. They show differences in trends at campuses across Tennessee, with some campuses showing increased numbers of reports while others have shown drops from three years ago. "There's always fluctuation in crime reports," said Kathy Walsh, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. "However, I think if victims on campus feel like the campus is doing a good job, I think they're more likely to report." |
| Where to find good eats on U. of South Carolina's campus | |
 | It's fall on campus at the University of South Carolina, which means football, foliage and folks. That's right -- Oct. 6-8 is Parents Weekend at USC. But whether you are a parent visiting campus looking for a bite to eat or a longtime Columbia resident who hasn't stepped foot on the Horseshoe in a while, there are several campus eateries that you might want to check out. A time-honored tradition at USC is Chicken Finger Wednesday, which is celebrated at all dining locations across the Columbia campus during lunch hours. The Carolina Dining Co. has stepped it up a notch this year with its hand-breaded and seasoned, never-frozen chicken fingers. Not into fried? A grilled option is available as well. |
| Roadway technology to grow with Texas A&M University, 3M partnership | |
 | The Texas A&M Transportation Institute is expanding its partnership with manufacturing company 3M through a five-year agreement to continue collaboration on developing new roadway technologies. A&M System officials said the development of the RELLIS Campus west of Bryan, and abundance of expertise and available facilities for research and testing, were factors in the decision to grow the partnership. Under the agreement, 3M will be able to seek the use of A&M System researchers, training and technical assistance while working on projects. "We are very excited about our growing and valuable partnership between the A&M System and 3M," said Associate Vice Chancellor and RELLIS Campus Director John Barton in a statement. "The RELLIS Campus' test beds and proving grounds are the perfect place for the development of transformational technologies like these, and we are proud that 3M has chosen us as their partner on these important projects." |
| U. of Missouri System marketing reshuffle continues | |
 | After being appointed in June as interim executive director for the joint University of Missouri System and MU communications office, Suzette Heiman is returning to her faculty role in the Missouri School of Journalism. Jeri Doty, the chief planning officer for MU Health Care, will take over the interim post, according to a release Thursday from the MU News Bureau. Doty will continue her role at MU Health Care. The Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing was formed in June after the marketing and communications functions of the UM System and MU merged as part of the fiscal 2018 budget plan, according to a June 6 news release on the School of Journalism website. A search for a permanent director for strategic communications and marketing will begin immediately, according to the Thursday release. |
| U. of Missouri rehires laid off staff after contract attempt fails | |
 | The University of Missouri's attempt to hire a contractor to provide support services for employees undergoing family or professional stress failed and instead it is calling back workers laid off in August who performed those services. The three-person staff of the Employee Assistance Program was laid off in August, soon after the UM System's July 27 deadline for proposals from contractors. The request for proposals did not result in a contract, spokesman Christian Basi wrote in an email. "Following the layoffs, we signed a 90-day contract with Capital Region Medical Center," Basi wrote. "However, when it was determined that the decision had created significant disruption on campus, the individuals were recalled from layoff status and are back working." One of the program's major jobs is assisting employees who are retiring or terminated by the university, a major job this year as 500 employee positions across the system were cut in June to meet budget goals. |
| Experts consider significance of Apple's deal with Ohio State | |
 | Apple has sold products to colleges, sometimes at meaningful discounts, for a long time, but no deal has ever looked anything like the collaboration just announced with Ohio State University. Beginning next year, Ohio State will be integrating Apple technology into all its teaching and learning experiences as part of an institutionwide initiative called the Digital Flagship University. By giving each first-year student an iPad Pro (complete with keyboard, Apple pen and apps for "learning and life") the university aims to create "the world's largest and most effective integrated learning community." Apple will be providing the iPads to Ohio State at a discount, though the terms of the deal have not been revealed. Joshua Kim, director of digital learning initiatives at Dartmouth College's Center for the Advancement of Learning (who also blogs for Inside Higher Ed) described the partnership between Apple and Ohio State as "big news" that could represent a significant shift in Apple's higher education strategy. |
| The Powerful Forces That Fight for Fraternities | |
| College administrators who try to crack down on fraternity misbehavior often find themselves confronting an influential, well-financed, and politically connected adversary. On dozens of campuses, Greek alumni and their trade groups have beaten back attempts to restrict the recruitment of freshmen. Universities and fraternities tend to have an uneasy relationship. They infuriate, yet need, each other. Many colleges market their vibrant social scenes anchored in Greek houses. Fraternity alumni rank among higher education's most loyal and generous donors. Yet, fraternities cherish their long tradition of self-government, which can place them in conflict with university authority. Since 2005, when it was founded, FratPAC has given more than $1.3 million in campaign contributions to members of Congress. |
| Racist Incidents Plague U. of Michigan, Angering Students and Testing Leaders | |
 | Since the beginning of the fall semester, a series of racist intrusions has unsettled the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the surrounding town. The most recent was on Tuesday, when posters were found on campus that read, "We must secure the existence of our race and a future for white children. Make America White Again." Students have responded with protests of the message as well as of the university's response. The administration contends that it's nearly impossible to discourage culprits who may not be associated with the university. And banning the material from campus would bring the First Amendment into play. At a time when racist fliers have been reported on more than 120 campuses, the tension between Michigan and its students holds lessons for academic leaders nationwide. |
SPORTS
| Victoria Vivians voted Mississippi State homecoming queen | |
| Mississippi State's homecoming queen will need no introduction to Bulldogs fans. Women's basketball player Victoria Vivians will be crowned MSU's queen during its homecoming game against Kentucky on Oct. 21. Vivians won in a landslide, receiving over 60 percent of votes (2,209) from the student body in an election held earlier this week. The runner-up received 11 percent (398). The senior from Carthage has been the Bulldogs leading scorer for the last three seasons averaging 16.1 points per game over her career. Vivians, a first team All-American, ranks fourth all-time in MSU history in career scoring and field goals made and is third in career 3-pointers. |
| After two lopsided losses, Mississippi State rests, regroups | |
 | Mississippi State has lost Southeastern Conference games over the past two weeks by a combined 67 points. Considering that lack of success, the Bulldogs' break comes at a good time. Mississippi State (3-2, 1-2 SEC) is in the middle of its bye week and doesn't play again until hosting BYU on Oct. 14. Coach Dan Mullen said the Bulldogs are using the break to work on fundamentals, get some rest and make sure some of the younger players on the roster are ready to play if needed. Mullen said he hopes his young players can take the ups and down from the first half of the season and become better players. "Winning and getting attention was new. Getting knocked down was new," Mullen said. |
| Mississippi State walk-on does his part by acting like a bulldog | |
| Three weeks have passed since Blake Mitchell was captured on television acting like a dog. The Mississippi State walk-on offensive lineman is still getting the question on campus: "Are you the one who did that?" They are, indeed, barking up the right tree. He said he has no shame in answering yes (and, really, after a spot-on, dogged and hilarious impersonation like that, why should he?). It was, he said, a moment he had been looking forward to for months. It happened during Mississippi State's win against Louisiana Tech in Ruston on Sept. 9. Mitchell has yet to play in a game, but he's made an impact for the Bulldogs by acting like a bulldog. |
| Mississippi State's Ben Howland likes options on 2017-18 team | |
| Injuries and slumps influenced most of the Mississippi State men's basketball coach Ben Howland's decisions about his starting lineup in 2016-17. This season, Howland likely will make those decisions based on matchups. That's the luxury Howland feels he has as MSU prepares for the 2017-18 campaign. MSU's third-year head coach believes the Bulldogs have the options to dictate play and to react to opponents. "There's a lot of ways we're going to be able to play," Howland said. "We're going to play small, but we could play big with twin power in there." The possibilities begin with the guards. |
| Diamond Dawgs to spend two fall weekends in Jackson | |
 | With construction in progress for the $55 million construction project that will result in the new Dudy Noble Field, Mississippi State will spend two weekends this fall at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson, Miss. Andy Cannizaro will open his first full fall practice season with the Diamond Dawgs on October 9 in Starkville, before MSU makes the trip to Jackson with three intrasquad scrimmages, Oct. 27-29. All six scrimmages held at Smith-Wills will be open to the public. Due to the in-progress construction on the grandstands and other areas at Dudy Noble, the scrimmages in Jackson will be the only opportunity for fans to watch State this fall. While the Dudy Noble construction project will not be completed until the start of the 2019 spring season, the Diamond Dawgs will still play at home during the upcoming 2018 spring season. |
| Could Adidas scandal change how brands spend on college sponsorships? | |
 | The corruption and bribery scandal currently engulfing college basketball raises questions about the future of college sports apparel deals. Before last Tuesday's bombshell FBI announcement that multiple college basketball coaches and apparel executives had been arrested, college sports benefited from an apparel arms race to secure the top college brands. UCLA landed a 15-year, $280 million deal from Under Armour while Nike secured 15-year deals with Ohio State and Texas for $252 million and $250 million, respectively. Only two months ago, Louisville announced a 10-year, $160 million apparel deal that made it the highest-paid Adidas school in the country. Could a major, multi-billion-dollar brand like Adidas be more skittish going forward about spending so much on college sports apparel deals? It's conceivable according to one sports marketing expert. |
| Nike swoosh everywhere at U. of Kentucky; here's what the school gets in return | |
 | Last week, 10 people were arrested amid a federal investigation of whether Adidas paid bribes to lure top recruits to elite basketball programs sponsored by the apparel company. The University of Louisville, which only months before had signed a $160 million deal with Adidas, is one of several schools where federal prosecutors alleged corruption, leading university officials to begin the dismissal process for men's basketball coach Rick Pitino and place Athletics Director Tom Jurich on paid leave. The investigation continues around the country, putting new scrutiny on universities' multimillion-dollar apparel contracts. At the University of Kentucky, the school's $47 million apparel contract with Nike pales in comparison to Louisville's latest deal with Adidas, but it contains many of the same components, including annual payments; millions of dollars worth of clothes, shoes and equipment; and lots of cautions. |
| U. of Florida to honor Tom Petty at homecoming game | |
| The University Athletic Association will honor Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Tom Petty, who died Monday, at Saturday's LSU-Florida Homecoming game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Petty, a Gainesville native who once worked as a groundskeeper at UF as he tried to make it in music, died of cardiac arrest at 66. At the end of the third quarter, after the UF band plays "We Are the Boys from Old Florida" and fans lock arms and sway as they sing the UF spirit song, Petty's famous tune "I Won't Back Down" will blast across Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to honor the local legend treasured by Gator Nation and far beyond. "Let's celebrate together what he meant to the world of music and what he meant to this community," Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said. "Since we are already singing 'We are the Boys,' let's go right from that into one of his great anthems and make that the way we are going to jointly celebrate Tom Petty and the Gators." |
| Documents detail improvements, expansion coming to LSU football operations building | |
 | The expansion of the LSU Football Operations building will begin in January 2018 at an approximate cost that will not exceed $23 million, according to documents released by the LSU Board of Supervisors. The building will extend its footprint as well. The parking area will be pushed towards Skip Bertman Drive while the building extends to where the current parking area is located. Unless delayed, the work is scheduled to begin on or before Jan. 21, 2018. By "best reasonable efforts" the work is set to be completed by April 1, 2019 but also by no later than June 30, 2019, according to the documents. The work would complete the second phase of updates to the football operations building. Phase one was complete with the renovations of the weight room. |
| Buddy Davidson's streak of 700 straight Auburn games about more than just football | |
| On Tuesday, between previewing Ole Miss and taking questions from reporters, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn took a moment to make special mention of Buddy Davidson. The Tigers will honor the 1957 team 70 years after it won the football program's first-ever national championship Saturday before kickoff against the Rebels. They will also honor Davidson, who was a manager for that team and will be attending his 700th consecutive Auburn football game. Yes, you read that correctly: Davidson, 77, has attended every Auburn game since Nov. 2, 1957. After Saturday, Auburn will have played 1,214 games all time. Davidson will have seen almost 58 percent of them in person. Davidson even continued that streak through a 2014 stroke that robbed him of much of his speech. |
| Alabama AD Greg Byrne says he is not candidate for Nebraska job | |
| Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne said Thursday that he "was not considering other jobs," including the vacant position at Nebraska. The Tuscaloosa News contacted Byrne after his name was mentioned as a possible candidate by Huskers Illustrated, a prominent Nebraska-related web site. Byrne's name has also been mentioned speculatively on Nebraska sports talk radio. "I have a lot of respect for Nebraska," Byrne said when asked if he had been approached or would consider overtures from the Cornhuskers. "But Regina (Byrne) and I are thrilled to be at Alabama and are not considering other jobs." Byrne took over the Alabama job in March, replacing the retiring Bill Battle. He had previously served as athletics director at Mississippi State and, most recently, at Arizona. |
| Ole Miss' Ross Bjork denies interest in Nebraska athletic director job | |
| Nebraska's athletic director job opened two weeks ago when the university decided to fire Shawn Eichorst. On Thursday, a USA Today report -- citing multiple industry insiders -- identified Ross Bjork, Ole Miss' athletic director, as a candidate in which Nebraska has interest. Later in the day, Bjork addressed the Nebraska opening with The Clarion-Ledger. When asked if he's interested in the Nebraska job, Bjork said, "No." Asked if he's a candidate, he said, "No." Bjork is currently trying to guide the university's football program through the NCAA investigation process. Ole Miss was charged with 21 violations, including 15 Level I violations, in its most recent Notice of Allegations. |
| UGA students create stickers app for Bulldog fans | |
 | Four students from the University of Georgia's New Media Institute have turned a class project into an iPhone app that uses new technology to bring together the Bulldog fanbase. The UGA Stickers app was created by Reilly Megee, Ian Webb, Sam Moran and Emily Greenwood as part of their NMI certificate capstone project, and allows UGA football fans to choose from more than 30 stickers to decorate their text and photo messages. "We're really just taking advantage of some new technology to bring together a really cool fanbase," said Megee, who was one of the team's graphic designers. "To know that we're helping the UGA community stay connected and to know that people are using the stickers we made to communicate is a really cool feeling." |
| The Never-Ending Battle Against Sport's Hidden Foe: MRSA | |
| The first thing Colgate University did was purchase a sophisticated $14,000 machine that used ozone gas, not water or detergent, to disinfect all its athletes' gear. An ice hockey player had come down with a staph infection, and Colgate, fearing the severe and sometimes fatal form of it known as MRSA, was not going to take any chances. That was a decade ago, and Colgate, like many schools, is still fighting the germ. This year, among other measures, it unveiled plans for a cutting-edge system that would zap locker rooms with a decontaminating fog of hydrogen peroxide and silver to leave an anti-bacterial coating on every surface. By the thousands, high schools, colleges and professional teams have followed Colgate's path with aggressive, almost obsessive, steps to prevent MRSA outbreaks. And yet, the battle is not won. |
| UNC to proceed with capital campaign launch, despite looming NCAA report | |
| The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been preparing to launch a major fund-raising campaign today, but for a short time Thursday the effort seemed poised to be overshadowed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association announcing long-awaited penalties against the university. By the end of Thursday, however, circumstances had apparently changed. The fund-raising campaign announcement was still on for Friday. The NCAA announcement was not -- although speculation about the NCAA's findings remains rampant. What happened is not entirely clear. Neither UNC nor the NCAA have shed much light on the situation. UNC has been preparing to launch a $4.3 billion capital campaign Friday, billing it as the largest fund-raising campaign in history by a university in North Carolina and in the Southeast. Various announcements are planned throughout the day with high-ranking administrators and trustees. On Thursday morning, it seemed the capital campaign might be upstaged by the NCAA |
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