| Wednesday, November 19, 2025 |
| MSU's Bagley College opens Randy J. Cleveland Engineering Student Center | |
 | The Randy J. Cleveland Engineering Student Center, a state-of-the-art facility and new central hub for Bagley College of Engineering students at Mississippi State, was formally dedicated Tuesday thanks to a generous gift from Randy Cleveland, a 1983 magna cum laude graduate in petroleum engineering, and Nina Cleveland. The Fort Worth, Texas, couple has a long history of supporting Mississippi State, with gifts that have benefited faculty, scholarships and student success initiatives across campus. "When I step back and think about my time on campus, I realize what I gained at MSU was so much more than just an education -- it was the building blocks of how to be truly successful," said Randy Cleveland. "It's always been important to us to give back in support and recognition of those things that helped us be successful." The newly renovated 7,870-square-foot center, housed in the former materials testing laboratory between McCain Hall and Walker Engineering, demonstrates a continued commitment to student success and collaboration. "In a time when enrollment is growing, having a place like this to get together means even more than it once would have," said Bagley College of Engineering Dean David Ford. |
| Mississippi's pecan harvest decent despite weather, disease | |
 | Most of Mississippi's pecan producers are reporting fair to good crops for 2025, but the dry summer weather and disease reduced the harvest at some orchards. "It appears to be somewhat of a mixed bag," said Eric Stafne, fruit and nut specialist with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service. "Some growers are happy with their harvest, and some are not. From what I've seen, that somewhat depends on the varieties being grown and the ability to effectively manage disease." According to the MSU Extension Service, a dry August and widespread pecan scab will likely impact fruit quantity and quality in some parts of the state. Pecan scab is a fungal disease, generally made worse by wet weather, that infects leaves, shoots and nuts. Infected trees drop leaves and nuts prematurely. Severe infections can wipe out an entire crop. "While most are reporting a fair to good crop, many growers went without rain during the critical summer months," said James Callahan, president of the Mississippi Pecan Growers Association. "Growers in the northern part of the state received plenty of rainfall up until about June and then very little in July, August and September." |
| Tax break approved for $45M hotel, student housing | |
 | A $45 million redevelopment project planned for an old stormwater detention area off Highway 12 is one step closer to fruition following Tuesday's board of aldermen meeting. The board unanimously approved a tax increment financing agreement to support the Sandcreek Redevelopment Project, a joint venture between Ridgeland-based Desai Companies and Hattiesburg-based York Developments. The plan includes a 100-room Home2Suites hotel and a 504-bed student housing complex on the 21.6-acre site off Highway 12 and Pat Station Road, behind Walk-On's and La Quinta Inn. Mayor Lynn Spruill said the project addresses the city's need for additional hotel rooms. "I am very excited," Spruill told The Dispatch following the Tuesday meeting at City Hall. "We need a hotel, and that's the big piece of this that's so compelling about supporting the TIF is the hotel. ... We're short 300 rooms. ... So I'm very excited about getting that done." Spruill noted that the city will soon lose another 85 hotel rooms when Russell Inn and Suites, located on Russell Street, is demolished to make way for the planned 122-room Hotel Madelon. |
| Starkville, Columbus sales tax revenue outpacing FY 25 | |
| Both Columbus and Starkville are outpacing last year's sales tax revenues in the second month of Fiscal Year 2026, with 1.66% growth in Columbus and 9.45% growth in Starkville compared to November 2024. Month-to-month sales tax collections rose 1.28% in Starkville compared to October, while Columbus and West Point collections fell 2.71% and 10.81%, respectively. Sales tax diversions run on a three-month window. Taxes are collected by retailers in the first month, sent to Mississippi Department of Revenue the next and then disbursed to cities and counties the third. Therefore, November reported collections reflect sales from September. Starkville collected $936,312 this month, up 1.28% from October's collections of $924,394. This marks an 11.85% increase from November 2024 collections of $837,111. Year-to-date, the city has collected $1,860,706 in sales taxes, a 9.45% increase from this time last year ($1,699,964). Starkville saw an increase in month-to-month collections of both its restaurant sales tax diversions, which assist in funding for economic development and tourism, as well as its tourism sales tax, which funds the Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as parks. |
| From desks to doorways: The Tangerine Motel and The Hill & Moor | |
| A few years ago, B.L. Moor High School, once the educational cornerstone of the local black community in and around Crawford, was reimagined and restored as a stylish boutique motel, The Tangerine Motel. According to Brooks Herrington, whose family owns the property, that rebirth was deeply personal. "I actually grew up just a couple of miles down the road from the old B.L. Moor High School," says Brooks. "I've always loved the Crawford community and the people here. As we purchased the building and began the renovation process, I learned even more about the school's rich history. One of my favorite parts of this journey has been hearing stories and memories from people who stop by and share what B.L. Moor meant to them." B.L. Moor High School was founded in 1960 by consolidating several smaller African American schools in Pleasant Grove, a rural community just outside Starkville. The school was a K–12 institution that was a vital educational and cultural hub for black students during the era of segregation. It was where young Jerry Rice played his way to fame. Saving that legacy happened in 2022, when the Herrington family stepped in. |
| Another $1.4 million attained for construction of new public park in Jackson | |
| More donations are being made to help construct a public park to the old location of the Eudora Welty Library in Jackson. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History announced during a Tuesday press conference that $1.4 million in new funding has been attained to bring the Margaret Ann Crigler Park to life. $500,000 of it came from the Phil Hardin Foundation, $500,000 from the Mississippi Arts Commission, and a pair of $200,000 donations were made by donors who are choosing to remain anonymous. Lloyd Gray, executive director of the Phil Hardin Foundation, said the donation made sense for the nonprofit as part of its continued support of the Two Mississippi Museums, which include the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. "The Two Mississippi Museums are educational and cultural treasures for our state, and the Phil Hardin Foundation has been a proud supporter since their inception," he said. "We also view this as an investment in the revitalization of our capital city, which is crucial for Mississippi to reach its fullest investment." |
| Donations aid efforts to convert site of closed Welty Library to a park by Two Mississippi Museums | |
| The Foundation for Mississippi History has received $1.4 million in donations for the future Margaret Ann Crigler Park, which is part of the ongoing effort to revitalize downtown Jackson. The Mississippi Arts Commission and the Phil Hardin Foundation contributed $500,000 each. In addition, two anonymous donors gifted $200,000 each. The donations are directed to the Foundation of Mississippi History, a nonprofit that supports Mississippi Department of Archives and History projects. "It's such an uplifting day today to see this, to see dreams become a reality through the generosity of so many donors, and really all of us working together," Spence Flatgard, president of the state archive department's Board of Trustees, said at a press conference Tuesday in front of Two Mississippi Museums and across the street from the future park. Margaret Ann Crigler Park gets its name from the late wife of Noble Crigler, a retired businessman who contributed $1 million in lead funding to the project in 2023. |
| MDAH receives $1.4 million to develop Crigler Park in downtown Jackson | |
| The Mississippi Department of Archives and History announced Tuesday that the agency had received $1.4 million in new funding to support the development of Margaret Ann Crigler Park in downtown Jackson, with $500,000 from the Phil Hardin Foundation, $500,000 from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) through its Building Fund for the Arts (BFA) program and two separate $200,000 gifts from anonymous donors. All gifts were given to the Foundation for Mississippi History and announced at a news conference on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Located adjacent to the Two Mississippi Museums, the completed park will feature native Mississippi foliage, a large open green space, an outdoor stage, and a play area designed especially for children. The park is a project of MDAH and will be part of the city's Museum Trail. Park construction is expected to begin early next year. The first phase will be completed in 2027. |
| US shoppers find Thanksgiving relief on turkey, but feel the pinch on pricier side dishes | |
| Deep discounting by U.S. retailers on turkeys pushed the cost of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner lower for a third straight year, while costs for side dishes highlighted the country's nagging debate over the cost of living.The overall decline put the price of the meal at $55.18, 5% down from 2024, the lowest since 2021, driven lower by a 16.3% decline that shoppers found in what retailers were charging for a 16-pound turkey, the American Farm Bureau Federation reported in its annual survey of holiday meal prices. But the overall price was still about 13% higher than what the bureau's "classic meal" -- featuring turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, sweet peas, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie and other items -- cost in 2019, during President Donald Trump's first term and before the COVID-19 pandemic and the relief efforts arising from it stoked a surge in inflation. The details of the report and the Farm Bureau's analysis, moreover, showed price pressures still working through the food supply and demonstrated the tensions emerging in retail between increasingly price-sensitive consumers and companies fighting to keep market share amid rising costs. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves elected vice chair of Republican Governors Association | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves will serve as the vice chair of the Republican Governors Association, the organization announced Tuesday. The association that helps elect Republicans across the country, held its own elections for leadership positions at its annual conference this week in San Antonio. Republican governors elected Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte as chairman, Reeves as vice chairman and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee as policy chairman for 2026. The governors will assume their positions immediately, serving a one-year term. The move means Reeves will help support other Republicans during 2026 midterm elections. His election to vice chairman also makes him the likely choice for the RGA chairmanship in 2027, but ascension is not automatic. The leadership elections took place on the heels of Republican losses in gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey. |
| Lawmakers consider new supports for veterans, including marriage counseling and psychedelic therapy | |
 | A group of Mississippi lawmakers are exploring two unorthodox policy ideas to support veterans and first responders: subsidized marriage counseling and psychedelic drugs. The Legislature's Save Our Service Members Task Force heard testimony Monday on using part of Mississippi's surplus of federal welfare funds to provide marriage counseling to military and first-responder families. Dr. Jameson Taylor told lawmakers the state has roughly $150 million in unspent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families dollars that could legally support family stability programs. Taylor, a director at the Mississippi-based conservative Christian nonprofit American Family Association, argued that high divorce rates among service families justify directing $10 million toward the effort. "The divorce rate for first responders is estimated to be between 60 to 75 percent higher than the national average." Under federal law, TANF is a block grant program that states administer with wide discretion One of the four statutory purposes for using TANF funds is "encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families." |
| State Auditor Shad White drops in for DeSoto County visit | |
 | State Auditor Shad White's office had a sign at the Neshoba County Fair that read "In God we trust, the rest of y'all we'll audit." That's the kind of approach he takes to the State Auditor's Office. The Auditor's Office is charged with making sure state agencies are efficiently fulfilling their mission by identifying waste and fraud in state spending, and also auditing non-profit organizations that receive state money to ensure they are spending the money for its intended purpose. "The way I think about the issue now is the agencies that are spending the most money where there is a ton of opportunity for misuse, are the agencies we audit every year," White said during a stopover Thursday at AC's Steakhouse Pub in Hernando. "We do cases where we find people stealing. We work with prosecutors to get them prosecuted. But the other horn of what we do is we are constantly finding waste in state and local government." |
| Forget Joe Rogan. The Next Big Podcast Bro Is in the Senate. | |
 | Three times a week, late in the evening, a middle-aged man pulls a microphone out of a Pelican briefcase, unscrews a bottle of Bai flavored antioxidant water and opens a window into the future of American politics. He's a podcaster, of course, but an unlikely one. It's Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican best known as a leader of his party's pre-Donald Trump hard-right and the runner-up behind Trump for the 2016 GOP nomination. And perhaps even more shocking is that his show, "Verdict with Ted Cruz," is the most popular podcast by far of any sitting politician in the United States. He's not exactly Joe Rogan or a Kelce brother. But with up to two million downloads a month and syndicated across iHeart radio, the podcast puts him on solid ground in his side hustle and well ahead of potential 2028 competitors; in July, he had almost three and half times as many downloads as Gavin Newsom, who has the second most popular podcast among elected officials. At a moment when influencers increasingly have parasocial relationships with their fanbases and when the traditional media landscape is only growing more fractured, the podcast gives Cruz a much bigger platform than the average politician -- and a potential head start for a future presidential run. |
| Once a Pariah, Saudi Prince Resets U.S. Relations on His Own Terms | |
 | Seven years after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia was effectively banished from Washington after the murder of a prominent Saudi dissident, he returned on Tuesday to a welcome meant to signal that he sat at the center of President Trump's effort to build a new Middle East. It was, perhaps, the most astounding geopolitical restoration of modern times. The de facto leader of the largest and richest of the Arab states, who President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said should be treated as a "pariah" six years ago, reset relations on his own terms. The crown prince got a commitment from Mr. Trump for F-35 stealth fighters, over Israel's objections. At the same time, he managed to push off, most likely for years, any discussion of Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and recognizing the Jewish state. "We are seeing the ultimate 'comeback visit,'" said Meghan O'Sullivan, an energy expert and former Bush administration official who now directs the Belfer Center at Harvard. "M.B.S. has made Saudi Arabia more relevant to U.S. interests than ever before," she said, referring to Prince Mohammed by his initials. She said he was "aligning an aggressive tech strategy and an oil policy which is helping keep prices low." |
| Flu season could be nasty this winter | |
 | The U.S. may be entering another rough winter for flu, according to early data. "The signs are, it could be a big season," says Richard Webby, who studies the flu at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. "The flu season might have a little bit of a punch to it this year." The first clue to what may be in store is what influenza did during the Southern Hemisphere's winter. That often predicts what's coming for the Northern Hemisphere. "They had some pretty decent flu activity in many parts of the Southern Hemisphere," Webby says. "It actually lasted for a longer period of time -- the tail of the season went on for longer than typical." And now, parts of the Northern Hemisphere, such as the United Kingdom, are being hit hard. That often foreshadows what's in store for the U.S. Another clue is the Northern Hemisphere's dominant flu strain so far. It's an H3N2 flu virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flu tracker. And H3N2 viruses "tend to be a little bit more problematic," Webby says. "When we have an H3N2 season, we tend to have a little bit more activity, a little bit more disease at the severe end of the spectrum." |
| Dauphin Island Sea Lab breaks ground on new dorm | |
| A new dorm will provide long-term students with more affordable housing at Dauphin Island Sea Lab. This new dorm has the capability of providing around 90 students with affordable housing as they continue their education at the sea lab. "One of the problems we have with attracting students and getting them involved in the education and in the research components of our program is that housing has become incredibly expensive on a barrier island," Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Executive Director, Dr. John Valentine, explained. "VRBO, Airbnb, things like that have really made it impossible for students to find long-term housing they can afford." As Dr. Valentine explained, the opportunities don't stop with more room for students. "It also provides us with the opportunity to host small and medium-sized science meetings that, right now, we can't do because there's not a hotel to speak of on the island," he explained. |
| Emails, texts show U. of Tennessee leaders worry over Charlie Kirk firestorm | |
 | It was just days after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and University of Tennessee leaders were unexpectedly swamped with agitated emails demanding the removal of an assistant professor for a crass social media comment she'd made about the conservative activist and his wife. The first emails demanding the professor's firing were sent Sunday, Sept. 14, the day after the Tennessee football team lost an overtime heartbreaker 44-41 to SEC rival Georgia at Neyland Stadium, popping first into the inboxes of UT System President Randy Boyd and his chief spokeswoman, Melissa Tindell. Then they arrived at a furious clip, landing in more and more inboxes at the UT System and its flagship Knoxville campus, including one sent Sept. 15 to Chancellor Donde Plowman from Charles Weaver Jr., who demanded the professor's firing and invoked his late father Charles Weaver, the campus' first chancellor appointed in 1968. "A lot of university supporters will be watching," Weaver warned. |
| Justice Charles Canady to leave Florida Supreme Court to lead UF's Hamilton School | |
 | Justice Charles Canady announced on Nov. 17 he will step down from the Florida Supreme Court to serve as director and tenured professor at the University of Florida's Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education. Canady's departure comes as his wife, state Rep. Jennifer Canady, R-Lakeland, is expected to become House Speaker in 2028. Canady was appointed to the court by former Gov. Charlie Christ in 2008 after serving as a Republican in the Florida House of Representatives from 1984 to 1990 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2001. After leaving Congress, he served as general counsel to former Gov. Jeb Bush, who later appointed him to the 2nd District Court of Appeal in 2002, which at the time was based in Lakeland. While on the court, he served as chief justice three times. The Hamilton School was established in 2022 with $3 million in funding from the state Legislature. It was lobbied for by the Council on Public University Reform, a nonprofit with a history of working with conservative groups, and is endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. It aims to teach students about Western ideas and civilization. |
| Is college worth it? Are campuses too polarized? What Vanderbilt's national poll says | |
 | Respondents to a new national Vanderbilt University poll seem to have reached at least one consensus: There's a fundamental value to higher education. What's not quite as clear is how much politics should bleed into the classroom. That's according to the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy, which surveyed 1,033 U.S. adults from Nov. 7 to Nov. 10 on issues largely related to higher education as part of the Vanderbilt Unity Poll. The university announced the highlights of that polling in a news release this week, noting that respondents were widely united in their view of the importance of colleges and universities teaching students things like core job skills, how to understand others and how to think more logically. But at the same time, the survey showcases a clear divide on some of the hot button topics that have more recently dominated the political debate on education. "People want colleges and professors to teach students how to think, not what to think," Vanderbilt Poll Co-Director and political science professor Josh Clinton said in the release. "The public most highly values those parts of higher education that help students think critically, process information and contribute meaningfully to society. The closer you get to subjects and content that has associations with contemporary political divisions, the more you see public support fracture." |
| Texas A&M Tightens Rules on Talking About Race and Gender in Classes | |
| Texas A&M University System regents voted Thursday to limit how instructors may discuss matters like gender identity and race ideology in classrooms, tightening the rules in a conservative state where debates over academic freedom have flared for months. Regents, who met in College Station on Thursday afternoon, unanimously backed a revised proposal decreeing that no courses "will advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity" without a campus president's approval of the course and related materials. A related measure that regents approved said that faculty members could not "teach material that is inconsistent with the approved syllabus for the course." Taken together, the policies represent an effort by Texas A&M system leaders to assert firmer control over classrooms. Texas, the nation's most populous conservative state, has been a hot spot, with both its K-12 and higher education systems ensnared in battles over what should surface in the state's classrooms. Similar fights have occurred in other states, including Florida and Indiana. |
| McMahon Breaks Up More of the Education Department | |
 | The Education Department is planning to move TRIO and numerous other higher education programs to the Labor Department as part of a broader effort to dismantle the agency and "streamline its bureaucracy." Instead of moving whole offices, the department detailed a plan Tuesday to transfer certain programs and responsibilities to other agencies. All in all, the department signed six agreements with four agencies, relocating a wide swath of programs. For instance, the Labor Department is set to take over most of ED's higher education programs, which include grants that support student success, historically Black colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions. Meanwhile, the State Department will handle Fulbright-Hays grants as well as those administered by the International and Foreign Language Education office. Indian Education and programs for tribal colleges are moving to the Interior Department. Under the agreements, the other agencies will provide services to support the administration of the various programs they'll now oversee and ensure compliance with federal rules. ED will transfer the funding, but continues to set the budget, criteria and priorities for the grant programs and manage hiring and other HR processes, among other activities. |
| Harvard opens new probe into ex-president Larry Summers after release of Epstein emails | |
 | Harvard University is reinvestigating connections between its former president Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein, a university spokesperson said Wednesday. The university didn't mention Summers by name, but the decision to reopen a probe follows the release of emails showing that Summers, a former U.S. Treasury Secretary, maintained a friendly relationship with Epstein long after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008. "The University is conducting a review of information concerning individuals at Harvard included in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents to evaluate what actions may be warranted," spokesperson Jason Newton said in a statement first reported by The Boston Globe and The Harvard Crimson. An earlier review completed 2020 found that Epstein visited Harvard's campus more than 40 times after his 2008 sex crimes conviction and was given his own office and unfettered access to a research center he helped establish. The professor who provided the office was later barred from starting new research or advising students for at least two years. |
| Jeffrey Epstein's Inbox Reveals His Deep Ties to Prominent Researchers | |
 | The thousands of documents released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee last week revealed that Jeffrey Epstein and the high-profile scientists in higher education whom he helped fund often kept in close contact. Epstein's deep ties to the academy have been well documented. "Just like other people collect art, he collects scientists," Martin Nowak, a professor of mathematics and biology at Harvard University, told The Palm Beach Post in 2006, weeks after Epstein's first arrest for soliciting prostitution. But the emails shed light on the exact nature of those interactions -- some of which are laced with sexism and even overtly reference sexual harassment -- and serve as a grim reminder of how easily big-time donors can buy influence in higher ed. Lawrence H. Summers, a former president of Harvard who served as Treasury secretary from 1999-2001, is perhaps the most high-profile academic leader whose personal communications with the disgraced financier showed up in the released files. But Summers wasn't the only prominent higher-ed figure to seek advice from Epstein. According to the newly released emails, mostly sent in the 2010s, scientists often turned to him with updates on their research and sent notes of gratitude and admiration. In a few cases, they even sought Epstein's counsel about how to deal with allegations of sexual harassment. |
| 5 Higher Ed Names in the Epstein Files | |
| The House of Representatives voted 427 to 1 on Tuesday to release the remainder of the so-called Epstein files, a trove of documents and records related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Senate subsequently approved the bill by unanimous consent, and it now goes to the president's desk. The votes followed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Nov. 12 release of an additional 20,000 documents from the Epstein estate, in which several prominent higher education figures are mentioned or communicated with Epstein. The financier first pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution with a minor in 2008 and was sentenced to 18 months in a minimum-security prison. Over the next decade, numerous women filed lawsuits alleging that Epstein had abused them when they were minors. In 2019, federal agents arrested Epstein for the sex trafficking of minors. He died by suicide in a detention facility shortly afterward. None of the higher ed figures included here was implicated in any of those criminal activities. But they maintained correspondence with Epstein during that time. Inside Higher Ed analyzes the correspondence of five of the most frequently mentioned higher education figures in the Nov. 12 Epstein file drop. |
| Term limits: Why small rural states like Mississippi lose when seniority is forced out | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: Every few years, somebody in Washington dusts off the old idea of congressional term limits and holds it up like a silver bullet that'll fix everything wrong with American politics. The pitch sounds good: throw the bums out, stop career politicians, and make Congress more like "real America." But down here in Mississippi---and in other small, rural states---that kind of reform would do us more harm than good. The truth is, term limits might sound like a clean-up act, but in practice, they'd shift power away from the places that already fight to be heard and hand it to the big coastal states that already run most of the show. Let's start with how Congress really works. It's not a job you master overnight. There's a steep learning curve -- committee rules, the appropriations maze, and how to move a bill without getting buried in red tape. Seniority matters. It's how our smaller states punch above their weight. When Mississippi has a senior senator or representative sitting on Appropriations or Agriculture, this state gets noticed. Federal dollars flow, local projects get funded, and our priorities -- like rural hospitals and farm policy -- don't get lost in the noise of what larger delegations from New York or California want. Now imagine term limits cutting that experience off at the knees. |
SPORTS
| Football: Brenen Thompson Selected as Conerly Trophy Nominee | |
| Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson has been selected as a nominee for the 2025 Conerly Trophy. Nine other nominees join Thompson for the award, which is presented annually to Mississippi's top college football player. Thompson was recently named to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award thanks to his strong performance this season. He also earned Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention honors following week two of the season after his impressive performance against Arizona State. Thompson has had a career year in 2025, setting career bests in receptions (47), yards (868) and touchdowns (6). He leads Mississippi State in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this season and ranks second in receptions. Thompson's 47 receptions rank 11th in the SEC, while his 868 yards are second, and his six touchdowns are tied for third in the conference. He also leads the SEC, and ranks second nationally, in receptions of 40 yards or more with nine. Of those nine receptions over 40 yards, four have gone for touchdowns. |
| Brenen Thompson named MSU's Conerly Trophy nominee | |
| Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson took the loss to Georgia hard. "I'm a senior, so I don't have a lot of these left," he said when asked about taking a moment for himself after the loss. Thompson got emotional reflecting on the fact that he would only play two more games in his college career. "It's tough." Despite the harsh downturn in results, Thompson is having the best year individually of his career. He leads the Bulldogs this season with 868 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His yardage total ranks second in the SEC, just behind Tennessee's Chris Brazzell II, and has earned him a spot on the Biletnikoff Watch List. The senior was named as the team's nominee for the 2025 Conerly Trophy on Tuesday, the only receiver among the nominees across the state. The award is given annually to the top college football player in the state of Mississippi, and hasn't gone to a Bulldog since Kylin Hill in 2019. In three years of action before coming to Starkville, Thompson tallied just 503 total receiving yards in stints at Texas and Oklahoma. He has a chance to double that total in just one season with the Bulldogs if he has a big game in the Egg Bowl, or as he and his teammates are hoping, if they can beat their hated rivals and book their place in a bowl game in December. |
| Bulldogs to face Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament | |
| Mississippi State volleyball is headed to the postseason this weekend with hopes of making a run at the conference title and boosting its resume for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Bulldogs (16-9, 6-9 SEC) ended the regular season last weekend, closing SEC play with a pair of losses at home against Missouri on Friday and Vanderbilt on Sunday. They began their conference campaign strongly with a road win over 19th-ranked Florida, but never recorded consecutive wins in a schedule that featured five ranked teams, three of which were Top-10 opponents. The final regular season game against the Commodores went the distance before the Bulldogs fell in the fifth set, but MSU will get another shot at its opponents in the opening round of the conference tournament on Friday. The Bulldogs enter the SEC tournament as the No. 10 seed, matching up with No. 15 seed Vandy at 4 p.m. on Friday in Savannah, Ga. The match will be televised on SEC Network. |
| Five Bulldogs compete at NCAA singles, doubles championships in Orlando | |
| Mississippi State tennis has five players competing in the NCAA Singles and Doubles championships in Orlando, Fla., this week. Three players from the men's team qualified for the singles championships: Petar Jovanovic, Benito Sanchez Martinez and Bryan Hernandez Cortes. Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez also qualified as a doubles team, winning the ITA All-American Championship Doubles Title in Tulsa earlier this semester. It was the third All-American honor for the pair, who are looking to become the first Bulldogs to win at the NCAA Championships since Joc Simmons and Laurent Miquelard in 1994. The men's program has had a successful fall campaign, with Sanchez Martinez and Jovanovic both qualifying as finalists from the Southern Regionals and Hernandez Cortes wrapped up third place to book his spot in Orlando. All three Bulldogs won their Tuesday matchups to advance to the Round of 32. From the women's team, the doubles pair of Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz and Gianna Oboniye are traveling for the NCAA Doubles Championship in Orlando, becoming the youngest doubles team to ever represent MSU at the championships. |
| Sugar Bowl nearing six-year extension to host College Football Playoff games | |
 | Sugar Bowl officials are close to finalizing a six-year extension with the College Football Playoff to play a quarterfinal or semifinal CFP game annually in New Orleans through 2032, Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said Tuesday. "Of course, nothing's done until it's done and the ink's dry, but we feel really optimistic," Hundley said at the Greater New Orlean Quarterback Club on Tuesday. "We've been back and forth quite a bit (in negotiations) and are landed in a pretty good spot that will give us, in that six-year term, three (CFP) quarterfinal games and three semifinal games. It's exciting news for us." The Sugar Bowl, along with college football's other "big six" bowls -- the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach and Rose -- has been a regular host for the CFP since the tournament began with a four-team playoff in 2014. New Orleans will play host to the CFP championship game in 2028, officials announced last month. It will mark the second time the city has hosted the event since 2018. "(New Orleans) is always going to be a part of the CFP," CFP CEO Rich Clark said at the announcement of the 2028 championship game last month. "I see New Orleans being a long-term partner with us." |
| Lane Kiffin's decision now looms over all of college football | |
| From Lane Kiffin's office on the second floor of the Manning Center, one must walk the half mile along the exterior of Vaught Hemingway Stadium to reach athletic director Keith Carter's office. Or, as is the case often here, you just ride a golf cart. Either way, it's not too far or cumbersome. In fact, during renovations to the Manning Center, for a temporary stretch, Kiffin moved into Carter's office and Carter moved out. The point is, the two of them are close. "We have a great relationship and a very transparent relationship," Carter said from his office last Tuesday. "The communication has been great. You want him and the team focused on this unbelievable season we're having and finishing strong. We all learned a lot from 2022 (when Auburn courted Kiffin) and maybe that one wasn't handled the best way. At least this one has been internally handled really well." A week later, things have taken a turn. This thing has now gone external. Kiffin and Ole Miss seem mired in a staredown, playing out publicly enough to make it wholly unprecedented in the sport. |
| College ads, a staple of sports TV, shift tone in response to Trump | |
 | College football fans know the commercials: sweeping aerial shots of bustling campuses, face-painted undergrads roaring in the bleachers and researchers peering into microscopes, all under soaring soundtracks. American universities are always selling, and there's no better time and place than between plays of a big college football game. But this fall, with the Trump administration attacking schools and public confidence in higher education still near historic lows, schools are shifting their strategies from rah-rah recruitment ads to distinct, detailed stories about how their research improves life in their communities. Rutgers treats asthma. Colorado expands access to clean water. Minnesota's agriculture boosts the global food supply. Illinois trains teachers and first responders. LSU develops advanced storm detection tools "to protect you, your loved ones and your way of life." And the Big Ten Conference at times sidelined its iconic cartoon map ad in favor of a campaign called "We Are Here," a clinical accounting of how its members are tackling the big problems facing all Americans. Academic research has always figured into schools' campaigns, perhaps as a nod to parents who write tuition checks. But this season's ads focus on schools' broader impact -- and target a broader audience. |
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