| Friday, August 21, 2026 |
| Mississippi Delta Harvest Season Gets Underway Despite Early Weather Challenges | News | deltanews.tv | |
 | Harvest season is underway across the Mississippi Delta, with farmers spending long hours in the fields and grain trucks becoming a more common sight on area roadways. At the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, researchers say the growing season brought several weather-related challenges, including an unusually early planting season, a mid-March freeze and periods of heavy rainfall. Dr. Jason Bond, a researcher at the center, said planting began earlier than usual this year, leaving some fields vulnerable when temperatures dropped in March. "Our planting season started really early, unusually early, and then we had a freeze in mid-March that really affected the fields that had been planted prior to that," Bond said. Bolivar, Sunflower and Washington counties have historically been among Mississippi's leading rice-producing areas. This year, rice acreage across the state has fallen by more than half, while soybean acreage has increased by about 27%. The shift reflects broader decisions by farmers about which crops are most practical and profitable to grow under current market and production conditions. |
| Organic vegetable production requires careful management | |
 | According to an MSU press release, organic produce sells for a premium because of the promise made to consumers about the way it was grown and because making good on that promise is challenging. Successfully producing crops under these conditions can be difficult, especially in a climate such as Mississippi's where ideal growing conditions for vegetables are also ideal for insect pests and disease. Mississippi State University research has long supported the safe and efficient production of produce crops and in recent years has included organic production in the practices it supports. Jermaine Perier, Extension entomologist, brought these efforts into the spotlight this summer with a conference focused entirely on growing organic crops successfully in the state. "Pest management, including weeds, diseases and insects, can be challenging for organic farmers, not only because of the National Organic Program protocols, but because of the limited amount of Organic Materials Review Institute products available," Perier said. |
| Ribbon cutting marks Aurora Flight's $43 million expansion | |
 | A premier aerospace manufacturing facility has expanded in Lowndes County. Aurora Flight Sciences held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a 50,000-square-foot expansion at its manufacturing facility in the Golden Triangle. The expansion represents a $43 million reinvestment in Mississippi. The company started about two decades ago at Mississippi State University and has grown into one of the premier aerospace companies in the world. Meryl Fisackerly, CEO of GTR Link, said the reinvestment reflects the region's business climate. "Companies want to not just be here, but to reinvest here as well," Fisackerly said. Rep. Trent Kelly pointed to the local workforce. "We have a workforce that's the greatest in the nation," Kelly said. "We're open for business. We want to not only bring you here, but we want to grow you here, and give jobs and opportunity to our children." |
| Cockrell brings a common man approach to his bid to be Mississippi's next Agriculture Commissioner | |
| "I'm just a down-to-earth, common-sense man." That is how Kyle Cockrell described himself this week in an interview with Magnolia Tribune. The central Mississippi owner of Cockrell's Farmers Market is the first candidate to throw his hat in the ring for the Magnolia State's next Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner. Current Commissioner Andy Gipson (R) will not be seeking re-election, choosing instead to run for Governor in 2027. "I'm not a preacher, but I'm a Christian. I'm not a bully, but I fight for the people. I'm not a professor, but I can teach something," the first-time statewide candidate said. "I'm just a down-to-earth, common-sense man that wants to help the people and work for Mississippi and earn the paycheck that I get from the people." At the top of Cockrell's priority list if elected Mississippi's Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner is building relationships that produce results for farmers. Cockrell also wants to see a renewed push in the state's education system to encourage young people to enter the industry while providing them with training to help them succeed. Who will replace Gipson and oversee the department tasked with regulating and promoting one of the biggest industries in the state is currently anyone's guess. No clear favorite has emerged to date. However, some names have started to bubble up. |
| Mississippi Democratic chairman: Party waiting until after midterms to announce 2027 candidates | |
| Republican candidates are beginning to announce bids for statewide office in Mississippi ahead of the 2027 election cycle. Meanwhile, the local Democratic Party has been relatively mum about its potential hopefuls. This is not by accident or happenstance, according to Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor. The chairman, who also serves in the Mississippi House of Representatives, explained on Mornings with Richard Cross that the party is not getting too far ahead of itself, as the upcoming congressional midterms present opportunities to break a Republican stronghold within the state. "Let's get out of the midterms first before start going through the minutiae of these names," Taylor said of potential statewide candidates. "The Democratic Party is intently focused on these midterms where we have the opportunity to reelect folks like Congressman Bennie Thompson and (elect) newcomers like Scott Colom, Cliff Johnson, Michael Chiaradio, and of course, one of my colleagues Jeffrey Hulum," Taylor said. |
| Trump warns of 'economic D-Day' against Iran, but Tehran is well acquainted with sanctions | |
 | Nearing the six-month mark of the Iran war and facing diminishing stockpiles of key weapons, the Trump administration is touting a crushing financial campaign against Tehran, promising an "economic D-Day" against a country that has so far withstood nearly five decades of punishing American sanctions. With sparse details, President Donald Trump announced this week that the U.S. would be imposing an "unprecedented" level of economic warfare and isolation on Iran, aiming to force its leadership to cave to demands to end its nuclear program and fully reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers. It reflects the dire reality Trump faces with an increasingly unpopular war he can't seem to end just months before pivotal midterm elections that will decide whether his Republican Party keeps control of Congress. Whether out of desperation or strategy, the president is refocusing America's might on bringing Iran to its knees through an accelerated sanctions campaign against one of the most economically penalized countries in the world. The immediate response from Iran hawks has been praise and a call for patience as it plays out, while other analysts warn that Trump is refusing to learn the lessons of his predecessors. |
| Treasury Doubles Down on Its Plan to Stabilize Financial Markets | |
| The Trump administration's attempts to stabilize financial markets fizzled on Thursday, leading Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to suggest that a greater intervention may be on the way. The Trump administration will announce plans in the coming days to potentially increase the $4 billion program to buy back government bonds from investors he first proposed yesterday, Bessent said Thursday. The Trump administration's initial plan to tamp down investor return rates didn't work, with yields rebounding to uncomfortable highs on Thursday morning. The administration indicated it is planning to double down on the buyback program. "We're going to increase the size of the buyback," Bessent said on CNBC on Thursday morning. "We believe that the yields don't reflect the underlying fundamentals." Bessent added that the Trump administration will soon announce an "increased focus on fiscal consolidation," a debt- and budget-slashing effort that will involve President Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. Elon Musk's DOGE commission, which led to sweeping federal workforce reductions and put billions of dollars in grants on hold, failed to hit its debt-reduction targets. Inflationary pressures driving bond market volatility appear unlikely to subside as Trump ratchets up pressure on Iran and threatens the adversary with "economic warfare." |
| The Iran war and tariffs are costing farmers. Will Republicans pay in November? | |
 | Last year, Ian Stamy took the state prize for his bumper soybean yield, coaxing an average of just over 100 bushels per acre from his operation in central Pennsylvania. It's a title he's eager to defend this year -- and so far, things look promising. Wading into a sea of soybeans to grab a stalk by its roots, he says the weather has improved, but last month's record heat wave has him a bit concerned. "We've been doing everything we can to push a little harder and try a little harder to maintain high yields and see what we can get," he says. Dry conditions aren't his only challenge this year. Stamy and other farmers NPR spoke to for this story say the cost of keeping a farm running -- including fertilizer and diesel fuel for farm equipment -- has risen sharply. Those higher costs come on top of President Trump's trade disputes, which have reduced agricultural exports to Canada and China. China, the world's biggest importer of soybeans, responded by turning to other suppliers, such as Brazil. In 2017, the South American country overtook the U.S. as the world's largest soybean producer, and now it supplies 65% of Beijing's needs. He doesn't explicitly hold Trump responsible for these challenges, but recent polling suggests that discontent among farmers -- long a stalwart of the Make America Great Again coalition -- is increasing. |
| IHL approves student housing expansion at Ole Miss, hotel room lease agreement for Jackson State | |
| New student housing and degree paths at the state's four-year universities were approved by the Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning on Thursday. Three new programs approved by the IHL Board include a Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Human Forensic Science at Mississippi State University along with a Bachelor of Science in Social Media and Digital Communication at the University of Southern Mississippi. Among the other business considered by the IHL Board: A request from Mississippi State University to enter the design phase of a new parking structure to be located in the Crossroads Districts to accommodate anticipated student and economic development growth was approved. The planning phase of that project is anticipated to cost $1 million. When complete, the new structure will have a capacity of 500 to 700 vehicles. |
| Harrison appointed as Director of the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship | |
| Governor Tate Reeves announced Thursday that he had appointed Dr. Daniel "Deano" Harrison as Director of the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship, also known as ApprenticeshipMS. Harrison previously served as a Workforce Development Manager for AccelerateMS, where he focused on strengthening career pathways and expanding workforce opportunities across southern Mississippi. As Director, the governor said Dr. Harrison will lead the Mississippi Office of Apprenticeship as it seeks recognition from the U.S. Department of Labor as a State Apprenticeship Agency. He will also oversee the establishment of the Mississippi State Apprenticeship Council, bringing together industry leaders, academic and training partners, workforce development experts, and other stakeholders to strengthen Mississippi's apprenticeship system. |
| Saronic Technologies Opens Drone Boat Testing Site in Gulfport | |
| When two U.S. Army soldiers needed to be rescued after their helicopter went down in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, the U.S. military sent an autonomous surface vessel---better known as a drone boat---to do the job. The drone rescue, completed by the Saronic Technologies Corsair-class, was the first publicly recorded instance of an autonomous vessel being used for a rescue mission. In July, another Corsair was used to strike a submarine and ship maintenance facility at the Bandar Abbas Naval Base in Iran, which was the first time American military forces have publicly acknowledged the use of an autonomous vessel in combat operations. Saronic Technologies has brought its operations to Mississippi. The company announced at the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise on Aug. 9 that it has opened a testing site for its autonomous vessels, also known as drone boats, in Gulfport, Mississippi. Kelly Lucas, the vice president for research at the University of Southern Mississippi, said the Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise is part of a larger blue economy, meaning the sustainable use of ocean resources to drive economic growth and collaboration for blue technologies. She said researchers at the university partner with companies like Saronic in the autonomous vessel and maritime space to help test, develop and evaluate their technologies. |
| Tiger Dining welcomes 3 new locations below The Edge | |
| Fall semester marked the opening of the new Central Food Hall on Aug. 17. Located just below The Edge and to the left of the Central Market, the space includes three new food options, including NOBA, the Magnolia Deli and Mezze. Auburn University announced the construction of the food hall in November 2025, which was officially completed over the summer. Dining Dollars can be used at all three locations. According to a recent AU Tiger Dining social media post, the Central Food Hall hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays. "We wanted to open this spot because we knew students loved the Hey Day Market experience, and there were a few food items and categories that we knew they were wanting on campus. We had this space, and we thought, 'why not make it a similar food experience?'" said McKenzie Herring, marketing manager for Tiger Dining. |
| This LSU-founded credit union is nearing $1 billion in assets | |
 | Campus Federal Credit Union CEO Jane Verret has her eyes set ahead of the curve. The financial services industry is constantly changing, she says, with developing technologies, fluctuating interest rates and evolving customer needs. As the credit union has grown from about $150 million in assets when she joined the company in 1997 to nearly $980 million in assets today, she's positioned Campus Federal "near the forefront" to find ways to increase efficiency and access to members while being cautious about their investments. Campus Federal was founded in 1934 and serves LSU faculty, staff, students and members of alumni associations. The credit union says it has more than 44,000 members and operates 11 branches in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport. Campus Federal's accessibility and community connections set them apart, Verret said. In this week's Talking Business, Verret discusses banking industry trends, Campus Federal's LSU roots and banking with Gen Z. |
| Appellate court rules LSU has to make employee investigation records public | |
| A state appellate court has ruled LSU must release its investigative records about a former administrator accused of catfishing students to the former editor of its student paper. The case was filed in 2023 by Josh Archote, then editor-in-chief of The Reveille, LSU's student newspaper. He was seeking records about Donald Abels, a former Greek Life administrator who the university investigated for allegedly creating multiple fake Snapchat accounts and using them to entrap fraternity pledges in violations of university policy and state law for underage drinking. The ruling from the First Circuit Court of Appeals affirms that the university's internal investigations are subject to the state's public records law. "This is a big win for transparency and accountability in our state," said Annie Cleveland, the attorney with the Tulane First Amendment Clinic who litigated the case. "Disclosure of completed investigations encourages diligence and institutional accountability." In a statement, LSU spokeswoman Meg Sunstrom said LSU is evaluating the court's decision and considering whether it will appeal. |
| U. of South Carolina among top college users of ChatGPT, renews OpenAI contract for $2.5M | |
| University of South Carolina students and staff gobbled up 30 million credits on ChatGPT last school year -- 30 times what it was contracted for -- making it one of the top college users on the platform in the country. "The use has been through the roof," said Brice Bible, the schools chief of information technology. As a result, students will now find guardrails on how often they can use the more advanced features of this developing technology as they return to campus this fall. "I can tell you the (USC) president loves it. The provost and the deans are like, go get 'em. Our faculty are really at the cutting edge of using these tools," Bible said. "We didn't want to stop that." But as the school inked a new contract with ChatGPT, developer OpenAI had to make some changes. Some 25,000 USC students and employees have signed up for a school ChatGPT Enterprise account. That comes to about half of the school's combined 40,000 students and more than 8,000 staff. |
| U. of Tennessee has a fleet of new (even cuter) food robots | |
 | The cute robots whirring around the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus are about to get even cuter as a new company takes over the automated food delivery service. Avride, a company from Austin, Texas, is launching fleets onto 25 university campuses, including UT, to have more than 1,000 active robots around the country. The new autonomous delivery robots are rolling out now, according to a press release from the company. The new robots will replace the original fleet from Starship, which announced in June it was scaling back its campus delivery operations to focus more on grocery store and food delivery in cities. The new robots have a sleek design with a screen on the front that can emote with eyes or display images. Students can order food through Grubhub to have their meals carefully delivered by Avride robots. The Knoxville City Council voted in April 2024 to prohibit personal delivery robots from operating in the city, but the decision did not affect UT as the campus streets and sidewalks are regulated by the state. |
| UGA releases emergency procedures for students and faculty with disabilities | |
| The University of Georgia has released an Emergency Assistance Referral Form to help identify those with disabilities who may need assistance in the event of an emergency. Completed forms will be saved on file by the Office of Emergency Preparedness -- not in any student or personnel files. The forms will help the office develop a personal emergency plan for any individual with accommodations. UGA is seeking to provide assistance for students, faculty, staff and visitors who may benefit from a personal emergency plan. UGA is encouraging those who have a disability, even if they have not asked for an official accommodation, to complete the form. |
| Aviation training enters a new era at Texas A&M's RELLIS campus | |
| A new chapter of aviation history is unfolding at Texas A&M's RELLIS campus. More than 80 years after military pilots trained on those same fields, a new generation is taking to the skies -- without ever leaving the ground. The campus, in partnership with the Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), celebrated the graduation of its first three students from the Professional Remote Operator Program on Thursday, marking a major milestone for the historic site. For decades, the skies over the former Bryan Army Air Field were filled with the sound of roaring military engines. Activated in 1943 during World War II, the site prepared combat pilots and later served as a training ground for future astronauts, including Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Virgil "Gus" Grissom. Today, the mission looks a little different. The 12-week program combines rigorous online coursework with three days of hands-on, in-person flight operations. It is designed to prepare students for a rapidly growing commercial industry. Garrett Klinger, program manager and instructor for USI at Texas A&M-RELLIS, said watching students apply their online studies to real flight is highly rewarding. |
| UNC Used AI to Help Draft Its 'Compact 2.0' Response. Is That Hypocritical? | |
 | When the University of North Carolina system responded Tuesday to Education Secretary Linda McMahon's "Call to Action" for higher-education leaders to restore public trust, it offered a forceful defense of academic rigor in the age of artificial intelligence. Universities, the system's president and board chair wrote, have an "obligation to know whether students have mastered what a degree is supposed to represent." Instructors should offer clear guidance for the use of AI, the letter said, and students should disclose their use of the technology when classroom rules require them to. What UNC leaders did not mention, however, was that AI had been used to draft its letter to McMahon. A spokesperson for the UNC system, Andy Wallace, confirmed that administrators used AI to "compile our existing materials" -- policies, regulations, speeches and other materials -- for some sections of the 10-page letter, describing that as "typical of administrative tasks." He added: "AI is increasingly used in business operations to synthesize large amounts of information, and that is true for portions of this response." |
| Rezek Appointed Associate Provost for Global Partnerships and International Education | |
| Jon Rezek has been appointed the associate provost for global partnerships and international education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Following a national search, Rezek comes to UNCW from East Carolina University where he serves as associate provost for global affairs. His appointment with UNCW will begin Sept. 15. "I am excited to welcome Dr. Rezek to our Seahawk community," said Provost Robert T. Burrus. Rezek brings 15 years of international education leadership experience. At ECU, he led institution-wide internationalization efforts that contributed to the university earning the 2023 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Prior, he served at Mississippi State University as the associate vice president for international programs and executive director for the international institute, and director of the international business academic program. |
| Applications From International Students Down 10% | |
 | International student applications to American colleges dropped by 10 percent in the most recent application cycle -- a decrease of roughly 16,000 students -- according to data Common App released Thursday. The figures show a major break from the upward trajectory of international applications over the past 10 years and reflect the impact of the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies. The landscape for international students in the United States has changed dramatically since the administration began revoking student visas, approving fewer new applications and limited the time international students can stay in the country. Department of Homeland Security data from the 2025–26 academic year showed an average 13 percent decrease in international student enrollment, and new projections say 112,000 fewer international students could be on U.S. campuses this fall. The data represents applications to Common App's 1,146 member institutions, which includes fewer than half of all public and private four-year colleges in the country. |
| Trump administration recommends stripping American Bar Association of law school oversight authority | |
 | Education Department staff on Friday suggested ending the American Bar Association's ability to oversee law school programs across the country amid fierce Republican criticism of the organization. The association has had government approval to oversee law schools since 1952, but agency staff said its next renewal bid should be denied because of alleged conflicts of interest. The association was last approved to accredit nearly 200 law schools in 2021, with its oversight authority up for review next month. The recommendation marks a major development in President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape the college oversight system, which he has criticized as too liberal. Critics fear this will politicize the accreditation process, but the department's skepticism of close relationships between accreditors and trade associations is shared across the political aisle. Republicans in Congress have been hammering the ABA over its diversity, equity and inclusion standards. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), a House Oversight task force chair, in July slammed the association for defending diversity efforts in the legal profession, saying that it "plays an outsized role in American law." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby is confident in roster upgrades, but the SEC schedule is tough | |
| An expanded SEC schedule isn't going to make life any easier for Mississippi State, which has won just two conference games in the past three seasons. But third-year coach Jeff Lebby saw considerable progress in his second season over his first, improving from two victories to five. "Great confidence in what we've got going on inside our walls," Lebby said. "Our roster is in a much better place than it's been the last two seasons. So, that immediately gives you a chance to upgrade and change the outcome." Much of MSU's success could ride on the growth of sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor, who served as a back-up and intermittent, short-yardage option last season. He appeared in 11 games as a freshman with two starts, passing for five touchdowns and running for eight. Now the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is widely viewed as a potential star in Lebby's offensive system that will feature an up-tempo blend of QB runs and passes. The biggest games for the Bulldogs are vs. No. 13 Alabama (Oct. 3), at No. 11 LSU (Oct. 17), vs. No. 10 Oklahoma (Oct. 24), at No. 5 Texas (Oct. 31), at No. 9 Mississippi (Nov. 27). |
| IHL board approves USM football stadium naming rights deal, baseball park renderings | |
 | A corporate sponsor for M.M. Roberts Stadium and a renderings approval for an exterior redesign of Pete Taylor Park were both authorized by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees in a meeting Thursday. The Southern Miss football stadium will now be known as Renasant Stadium thanks to a 10-year agreement between the school and the Mississippi-based bank. The deal will net USM approximately $13.7M over the course of the deal, which runs until June 30, 2036. Renasant will pay the school $500,000 for the first year of the agreement with increased annual payments from $1.3M in year two to $1.6M in year 10. It's the first corporate naming rights deal for the USM football stadium, which had held the name M.M. Roberts Stadium since 1976. The board also approved a design for a proposed renovation to the school's baseball stadium. The request notes the redesign project is pending future fundraising efforts and has no current timetable. |
| Cash-hungry college sports programs are starting nonprofits to make money to stay competitive | |
| University of Louisville athletic director Josh Heird says there is no "silver bullet" that will help his department's current revenue race. To compete in the increasingly commercialized world of college sports, programs of its size might spend more than $40 million a year on talent acquisition, revenue sharing and other costs, according to experts. But just five of Louisville's 23 sports generate any revenue, according to the athletic department. Only football and men's basketball turn profits. Louisville, like a growing number of major conferences ′ public universities, is trying to narrow that spending gap and its supporters are trying to help by creating a new organization to oversee everything from third-party multimedia deals to hospitality packages. This spring, Louisville launched Cardinal Ventures, a nonprofit designed to help the athletic department leverage its brand to generate new revenue streams, all to keep pace with the multibillion-dollar market around compensating athletes for the use of their name, image and likeness. The University of Kentucky also has a revenue-raising nonprofit. The University of North Carolina is actively discussing a limited liability company. So, too, is Louisiana State University. |
| SEC's Vincent announces retirement plans | |
| Herb Vincent, Associate Commissioner for Communications for the Southeastern Conference, announced Thursday that he will retire from the SEC following the 2026 football season at the conclusion of 43 years in college and professional sports. Vincent has been in his current position for 13 years, coming to the SEC office from LSU where he served as Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Senior Associate Athletics Director. He began his tenure with the SEC in September 2013. As the SEC's Associate Commissioner for Communications, Vincent is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the overall communications strategies and efforts for the Conference and acts as the primary liaison between the SEC office and campus communicators. He also served as primary Conference administrator for the sport of Baseball from 2014-2022 and has served as director of the SEC Baseball Tournament since 2015. Vincent earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from LSU in 1983 and is originally from North Little Rock, Ark. His wife Jamey is a native of Versailles, Ky., and they have a daughter, Kennedy, who is a junior at Auburn. |
| 'Open the floodgates': College football reacts to fallout of NFL players returning | |
| Another week, another earth-shaking lawsuit for college football. Nineteen days after a judge in Colorado issued a sweeping temporary restraining order that allowed all Class of 2022 athletes to return to school for a fifth year, a judge in Louisiana issued an order Wednesday that now allows double-digit football players to return to the sport in 2026 with an added caveat: The NCAA can't enforce its rules that prevent players who signed professional contracts from returning to college. That means players currently on NFL rosters, such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Jack Pyburn and Cleveland Browns tight end Dae'Quan Wright, both of whom were part of the lawsuit, can return to college football. Wright entered the transfer portal on Thursday. The scope of the ruling is limited. It applies only to the players in the lawsuit and is a temporary measure until an injunction hearing is held. But it still set off a bomb in college football front offices as teams now scramble to deal with the impact. "You find the person that knows what's going on and you let me know," an SEC director of player personnel told CBS Sports. |
| Greg Sankey, in filing, speaks out against pros returning to NCAA | |
| SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said allowing athletes who have signed professional contracts back into college sports "fuels disruption" and should not be allowed, according to an affidavit filed in a Louisiana courthouse last week. Sankey asked Judge Ronald Johnson in East Baton Rouge Parish court to uphold NCAA rules that prevent athletes from returning, saying the decision is "essential to the integrity of college sports." He wrote that allowing pros back into NCAA competition would undermine the "fundamental principles" of college sports and unfairly harm high school students looking to join a college team as well as other teams that have followed the existing rules. "These rules are grounded in the principle that athletics are an integral part of the academic experience," Sankey wrote. "The rules align the time permitted for college athletics with the pursuit of an undergraduate education and further the important purpose of preserving opportunities for future student-athletes to participate in college sports." The affidavit puts Sankey on the opposing end of a legal argument supported by a school in his conference. |
| College sports advocates press philanthropy to buffer NIL's commercial pressure on women's sports | |
| While interest in women's sports is booming and Olympic sports organizers lock in preparations for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, advocates worry that the college athletic programs that feed both those systems may be strained further by increased demands from bigger sports. Olympic sports haven't had the opportunity to thrive on their own, according to Women's Sports Foundation CEO Danette Leighton, because the business has centered one product: college football. Leighton is calling on donors to set the agenda. Philanthropy can protect those teams, she said, by endowing scholarships for women's gymnastics or men's tennis. "There are a lot of philanthropists that are really passionate about women's sports or men's Olympic sports," she said. "They should make sure that that's where their funding is going directly." Some worry that efforts to commercialize the most lucrative sports are creating a bit of a Catch-22. Schools risk losing the whole athletic department if they fail to keep up with name, image and likeness opportunities, according to Celene Funke. "You lose donors, you lose ticket sales, you lose all those things. Unfortunately, yes, that does have to come first," said Funke, a former Louisville softball player who helps athletes navigate this new world as a financial adviser. "The problem is there's not enough guardrails to ensure the back end looks all right as well." |
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