| Wednesday, March 30, 2022 |
| MSU moves to remote learning, telework at 3 p.m., urges weather caution throughout Wednesday | |
 | Mississippi State University (all campuses) is urging students, faculty and staff to remain weather aware throughout Wednesday [March 30]. The National Weather Service and local meteorologists are predicting the potential for strong winds and heavy rain. MSU's Starkville and Meridian campuses will transition to remote learning and telework beginning at 3 p.m. Afternoon and evening classes will continue online. State Climatologist Michael Brown, a longtime professor in the MSU Department of Geosciences, said that current meteorological models indicate that a weather system with potential for strong gusty winds and heavy rains will move across most of central and northern areas of the state with 5:30-8 p.m. being the critical time period for possible adverse weather conditions. All scheduled events at the university after 3 p.m. will be postponed and rescheduled. All students, faculty and staff should monitor weather conditions and exercise caution and good judgment when traveling. Motorists should not drive through unknown patches of standing water and should approach any standing water with caution. MSU encourages all students, faculty and staff to monitor the media for changing weather information, as well as www.msstate.edu and www.meridian.msstate.edu and official university social media for updates. |
| Possible tornado hits Arkansas, Deep South braces for storms | |
 | Severe storms and a possible tornado damaged buildings and downed power lines in northwest Arkansas early Wednesday as tornadoes and hurricane-force winds were forecast in much of the Deep South, a week after severe storms struck the New Orleans area. There were no immediate reports of injuries from Wednesday morning's storms that hit in Springdale, about 145 miles northwest of Little Rock, and prompted tornado watches and warnings. Damage was extensive in Springdale, including to an elementary school gymnasium and a warehouse, KFSM-TV reported. The Springdale School District, which is the largest in Arkansas, canceled all classes Wednesday because of the storms. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said all of Mississippi and parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee were at the greatest risk for severe weather Wednesday. More than 8 million people live in the area at greatest risk, which includes the cities of Memphis, Tennessee; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Montgomery, Alabama. |
| Mississippi House, Senate pass separate redistricting plans | |
| The Mississippi House and Senate voted by wide margins Tuesday to approve separate plans to redraw legislative districts to account for population changes revealed by the 2020 Census. Republican legislative leaders said the redistricting plans are likely to maintain their party's majority in each chamber. A white Republican senator, Kathy Chism of New Albany, said during debate Tuesday that she had prayed over the issue because she was concerned that Republicans would be harmed by districts with higher percentages of Black voters. Historical voting patterns in Mississippi show districts with higher populations of white residents tend to lean toward Republicans and districts with higher populations of Black residents tend to lean toward Democrats. The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi criticized both chambers for rejecting amendments that would have created more majority-Black districts. "The proposed maps vastly underrepresent Mississippi's Black population and, we fear, are drawn to dilute Black voting strength," the ACLU said in a statement. About 60% of Mississippi residents are white and about 38% are Black, according to the Census Bureau. Because legislative redistricting is done through a resolution rather than a bill, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves will not have the power to sign or veto the plans. |
| Lawmakers pass redistricting plans despite concerns from Black House members, some Senate Republicans | |
 | After sharp objections from some Democrats and a small group of Republicans, both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature on Tuesday approved new legislative maps that will determine how lawmakers are elected for the next decade. The 122-member House approved of its map 81-37, and the 52-member Senate voted in favor of its new map 45-7. The new maps would largely preserve GOP dominance in the Capitol, retain the existing minority districts and even make some districts safer for conservative candidates. Both chambers on Tuesday rejected amendments that would have created more majority-Black districts in the Magnolia State, which has the highest percentage of Black citizens of any state in the nation. "You don't have to pack all the African Americans into one district," House Minority Leader Robert Johnson III said. Instead of arguing over the power of minority districts, the main debate with the new Senate map involved a legislative district in southwest Mississippi currently held by Republican Sen. Melanie Sojourner of Natchez. Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, a close political ally of Sojourner, unsuccessfully attempted to amend the Senate map to help Sojourner get a friendlier district. The proposed amendment drew hours of contentious debate. Republican Sens. Angela Hill of Picayune, McDaniel of Ellisville and Kathy Chism of New Albany often vote with Sojourner on issues and implored their colleagues to agree to the amendment to protect her. Chism, who rarely speaks in the Senate, said she had concerns about the new district having an increased percentage of Black voters, and she had prayed to God over the map. |
| Sojourner on new legislative map: 'No way I could win this seat' | |
 | The Mississippi Senate on Tuesday approved a legislative redistricting map that Natchez's Melanie Sojourner, state senator for District 37, said will put her out of office in November 2023. The proposed district map, made necessary by changes in population from the 2020 Census, combines most of the district now represented by Sojourner, a Republican, with that of Sen. Albert Butler of Port Gibson, a Democrat, to create a single majority-Black district. Sojourner said she is shocked and surprised that Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, is not acting on what is best for the Republican Party. Sojourner said running for the newly-created state Senate seat would be a "waste of money." "There would be absolutely no way I could win this seat. A Republican can't be viable in this district. In fact, I've heard people talk about how a white Democrat would not be viable in the district," she said. Sojourner said she is uncertain as to what the future holds for her politically. |
| Lawmakers revive initiative legislation by using parliamentary quirk | |
| State lawmakers on Tuesday passed a measure that would allow them to continue debating legislation that would partially restore citizens' ability to place specific issues on the ballot. The resolution that would have allowed citizens to gather signatures to directly amend state laws -- but not the state constitution -- died on Monday night because of a legislative deadline. But both the House and Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution suspending the deadlines for all budget bills and the initiative resolution, giving lawmakers another chance to sort out their differences "This is sort of a last ditch effort to try and get this settled," Republican Rep. Fred Shanks of Brandon said. Shanks, one of the lead legislators negotiating with the Senate on the initiative process, said that the major sticking point between the two senators involves the number of signatures that petitioners are required to gather before an item can be placed on a statewide ballot. The House, according to Shanks, wanted to require petitioners to gather the signatures of 12% of voters who participated in the last statewide election for governor. But it appears both chambers still agree that citizens should only be allowed to change state laws and prevent lawmakers from altering a law passed by voter initiative for two years. |
| Eminent domain legislation headed to Governor Tate Reeves' desk | |
 | Legislation that will prohibit the state or local governments from taking private property through eminent domain is on its way to Governor Tate Reeves. Mike McCormick, President of the Mississippi Farm Bureau, talked to SuperTalk Mississippi about it this morning, saying he expects the Governor to sign. Eminent domain prohibitions were originally passed through Ballot Initiative 31 in 2011, and placed into the state constitution. When the state Supreme Court struck down the initiative process last year it raised concerns about its fate. "This was a constitutional amendment that was in jeopardy that we felt like...maybe so...maybe not...but the easiest thing to do was a built-in suspender approach to put it back into state code like it's written in the constitution. So everyone in Mississippi can enjoy their private property and know that it's safe." |
| State Senate attempts to revive postpartum Medicaid coverage legislation | |
| Mississippi senators are attempting a list-minute effort to revise a proposal that would allow new mothers in the state to keep their Medicaid coverage for up to a year after they give birth. With seven members opposing, the GOP-dominated Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution that would allow lawmakers to consider legislation to extend Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a full year for qualified mothers. Senate leadership has repeatedly described extension of this coverage as a pro-life policy. But the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, has so far blocked the legislation and said he has seen no evidence that directly shows extending postpartum coverage would save more lives. Between 2013 and 2016, there were 136 Mississippi mothers who died either during pregnancy or within one year of their pregnancy's end, according to a 2019 report from the Mississippi State Department of Health. Of those deaths, 86% of them occurred postpartum. A report issued by the Center for Mississippi Health Policy, a nonpartisan organization that provides information for health policies, found that many of these deaths occurred after Medicaid coverage ended at 60 days. During debate Tuesday, Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune, raised concerns that some women might pretend to be pregnant to fraudulently obtain Medicaid benefits, even though she provided no evidence during debate that women were doing such a thing in the state. Senate Medicaid Chairman Kevin Blackwell said that extending postpartum Medicaid coverage has nothing to do with Hill's concerns, and it would only apply to women who have actually given birth. "Everybody's about pro-life," Blackwell, R-Southaven, said. "And if you're pro-life, you'd be for this bill." |
| As Gulf South lawmakers fight over Medicaid, new moms weigh-in: 'Safety nets do save lives' | |
 | Unlike 39 other states, Mississippi and Alabama have not opted to expand Medicaid to more people. Pregnant women, however, have always been eligible to get Medicaid, even in non-expansion states. Recently, anyone able to enroll in Medicaid could not lose coverage as long as the federal COVID-19 public health emergency was in effect. But as early as April 16, the emergency status could end, reverting both states back to their previous coverage period of up to 60 days after giving birth. Lawmakers in Mississippi and Alabama on both sides of the aisle agree extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year could address some of the reasons why around 700 new mothers die annually in the U.S. -- the vast majority of whom are Black and indigenous. But while the states are similar politically, they're taking different approaches to address the problem. Senate Bill 2033 seemed destined to pass in Mississippi. The bill, which would have extended Medicaid coverage for pregnant women to a full year after birth, had a groundswell of bipartisan support at the state capitol -- being sponsored by both state Democrats and Republicans. It also received full support from the Senate and the House Medicaid Committee when it was introduced before the state House of Representatives on March 9. The legislation, however, hit a roadblock in the form of Mississippi Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn. "We've been very clear we're just not for Medicaid expansion," Gunn said in the halls of the capitol. "This is arguably Medicaid expansion, certainly expanding coverage." In a rebuttal, Republican Sen. Kevin Blackwell, principal author of the bill, said an extension is not expansion. "Not one additional enrollee will be added by extending this. These are ladies who have already qualified. All we're doing is extending that benefit for another 10 months," Blackwell said. The Senate passed a resolution on Tuesday to suspend the rules and revive a bill that could extend postpartum Medicaid in the state. It's up to the House to pass it in the next few days before the session ends on Monday. |
| Senate gives Gunn another chance to extend health care for new moms | |
| Extended Medicaid coverage for new moms is still alive in the state legislature, but barely. Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, on Tuesday invoked a legislative maneuver that could revive his bill to extend Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a year postpartum. Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, had effectively killed the bill earlier this month, despite pleas from physicians and medical experts who say the extended coverage would reduce maternal mortality and improve outcomes for babies and families in a state with the country's highest infant mortality rate. Blackwell's resolution to suspend the rules Tuesday evening passed the Senate with little opposition. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, had pledged to "appeal to (Gunn's) Christian values" to try to persuade him to support the postpartum Medicaid extension. Now, the resolution goes to the House. If the House passes the resolution, the Senate could again take up Blackwell's bill and eventually send it back to the House. Gunn cited his opposition to Medicaid expansion when asked why he did not support the bill. But Blackwell's legislation would not expand Medicaid eligibility; it would extend coverage for people who already qualify. Blackwell told Mississippi Today on Tuesday night that he's not optimistic about the legislation's prospects in the House. "I hope they take it up, but I believe they'll just let it die," he said. "The speaker calls it expansion when it is not." The apparent death of the postpartum Medicaid extension earlier in the session sparked an outcry from doctors and advocates for women's and infants' health in Mississippi. |
| Mississippi Lottery sustaining strong start | |
| The ticket-sales momentum that accompanied the Mississippi lottery for the first seven months of its life caried through for the first full fiscal year of the lottery, exceeding half a billion dollars. That's a lot of scratch and, appropriately enough, the scratch-off games are a big reason why. The instant-win tickets accounted for the biggest piece of the Mississippi Lottery Corp.'s $340 million in sales in its initial half year and one month and $510 million in fiscal 2021. Sales of tickets of all types "have exceeded our expectations," Meg Annison, spokeswoman for the Lottery Corp., said in an email. Enthusiasm for the instant-win tickets extends across the county and industry, Annison said. "Players love them. They enjoy the feeling of instantly knowing if a ticket is a winner." But talk does turn to the drawings like Mississippi Match, Powerball and Mega Millions whenever a jackpot begins to swell significantly. At that point, Annison said, "Players who don't normally play become intrigued and want to join in on the fun." The money generated has allowed state lawmakers to contemplate a 6-month gas-tax holiday. The plan, supporters say, is to offset losses of the state's 18.4-cents a gallon motor-fuel tax with $80 million in lottery funds designated annually for road and bridge needs. More retailers equal more ticket sales, Annison said in explaining why sales are strongest in Mississippi's more densely populated counties such as Rankin, Hinds, Harrison, Jackson and Lee. They "have consistently been the top selling counties," she said. |
| States Challenge Biden Administration's Mask Mandate for Public Transportation | |
 | A group of 21 states filed a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to stop the Biden administration from requiring travelers in the U.S. to wear masks on airplanes, trains, taxis, buses and other forms of public transit. Travelers and commuters in the U.S. have been required to wear masks over their mouths and noses on nearly all forms of public transportation and inside transportation hubs since early last year. The Transportation Security Administration, at the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has extended the mandate at least until April 18, after it previously was due to expire in March. The lawsuit, filed by 21 Republican state attorneys general in federal court in Tampa, Fla., argues the mandate is an unlawful and heavy-handed precaution that is out of step with a recent easing of pandemic restrictions amid declining rates of Covid cases and hospitalizations. It is the latest in a series of legal efforts by Republican state leaders targeting broad Covid public-health measures by the Biden administration. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody are spearheading the suit. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia have also joined as plaintiffs. Airlines have also pressed the White House to do away with the mask requirement. |
| Collins will support confirming Jackson, delivering Biden bipartisan SCOTUS vote | |
 | Republican Sen. Susan Collins will support Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court, delivering President Joe Biden a bipartisan vote for his first high court nominee. The Maine senator is the first -- and could be the only -- Republican to back Jackson's confirmation. She was widely viewed as the most likely GOP vote for Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the high court, and Biden had lobbied Collins for her support, calling the senator to discuss the Supreme Court vacancy at least three times. In a statement Wednesday morning, Collins said Jackson "possesses the experience, qualifications, and integrity to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court" and praised her "sterling academic and professional credentials." Collins added that while she and Jackson did not always agree on some of the issues raised during her confirmation hearing, that wasn't disqualifying. "In my view, the role the Constitution clearly assigns to the Senate is to examine the experience, qualifications, and integrity of the nominee," she said. "It is not to assess whether a nominee reflects the ideology of an individual Senator or would rule exactly as an individual Senator would want." The New York Times first reported Collins' decision. |
| Biden Signs Bill to Make Lynching a Federal Crime | |
 | President Biden on Tuesday signed a bill making lynching a federal crime, for the first time explicitly criminalizing an act that had come to symbolize the grim history of racism in the United States. "Lynching was pure terror to enforce the lie that not everyone, not everyone belongs in America, not everyone is created equal," Mr. Biden said, speaking to civil rights leaders and others in the Rose Garden of the White House. Moments after Mr. Biden signed the law -- named for Emmett Till, the Black boy who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955 -- he described the atrocity that he said was carried out against 4,400 Blacks between 1877 and 1950. The president's signature ended more than 100 years of failed efforts by the federal government to specifically outlaw lynching. The bill, which makes lynching punishable by up to 30 years in prison, was passed by the House in February with only three lawmakers opposed, and passed the Senate without objection on Monday. Mr. Biden said he hoped the law would help in the fight against hate and racism in the country. But he acknowledged that it would be an ongoing fight. "Hate never goes away," he said. "It only hides. It hides under the rocks. Given just a little bit of oxygen, it comes roaring back out, screaming. What stops it is all of us, not a few. All of us have to stop it." |
| VP Kamala Harris is headed to Mississippi | |
| Vice President Kamala Harris is headed to the Magnolia State. According to a press release Tuesday, Harris will travel to Greenville on Friday, April 1, to highlight the Biden-Harris administration's "historic investments in small businesses and communities." Her visit comes nearly a year after First Lady Jill Biden visited Jackson in order to promote the coronavirus vaccine. Vice President Harris' Mississippi visit was announced the same day President Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, which makes lynching a federal hate crime. Till, a Black teenager, was murdered in Mississippi in the summer of 1955. Two men, Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, were accused of the killing, but acquitted by an all-white-male jury. Mayor Errick Simmons says he and the city of Greenville are ready to welcome the vice president and Chairman Bennie Thompson to the city. |
| 'The world will feel the impact': Former SC governor David Beasley needs help to feed millions in Ukraine | |
 | David Beasley had a difficult job feeding some of the world's most desperate people before the invasion of Ukraine. Now the former S.C. governor and director of UN World Food Programme has an even bigger problem feeding millions of people displaced by the Russian-led war in Eastern Europe, and the potential disruption to the world food supply from fighting in a major agricultural exporter. On Tuesday, Beasley spoke in front of the S.C. State House to raise awareness of the scale of the Ukraine crisis, and asking the public to contribute the money needed to meet the challenge. Beasley served as the state's Republican governor from 1995 to 1999. He took over leadership of the United Nations-run WFP in 2017 on the recommendation of Nikki Haley, then-U.N. ambassador and a fellow former S.C. governor. "When he was named to lead the World Food Programme, people didn't know what that was or what it could accomplish," said former New York Gov. George Pataki, who joined Beasley in appealing for help in feeding displaced Ukrainians. "Last year, they won the Nobel Peace Prize because of David Beasley." Beasley and Pataki were joined by former S.C. Gov. Jim Hodges -- the Democrat who defeated Beasley in the 1998 election -- and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to highlight the WFP's work in responding to the latest crisis. "It's good when you can combine a Democrat and a Republican," Beasley said, "but when a Northerner and a Southerner come together, it's a miraculous day." Not only is the war a danger to those in Ukraine, but the war threatens to disrupt global food supplies, since Ukraine is also a major exporter of agricultural staples. That could not only increase food prices here at home, but also destabilize other countries where WFP is active, and reliable food sources are in short supply. |
| US astronaut ends record-long spaceflight in Russian capsule | |
| A NASA astronaut caught a Russian ride back to Earth on Wednesday after a U.S. record 355 days at the International Space Station, returning with two cosmonauts to a world torn apart by war. Mark Vande Hei landed in a Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan alongside the Russian Space Agency's Pyotr Dubrov, who also spent the past year in space, and Anton Shkaplerov. Wind blew the capsule onto its side following touchdown, and the trio emerged into the late afternoon sun one by one. Vande Hei, the last one out, grinned and waved as he was carried to a reclining chair out in the open Kazakh steppes. "It's beautiful out here," said Vande Hei, putting on a face mask and ballcap. Despite escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Vladimir Putin's war with Ukraine, Vande Hei's return followed customary procedures. A small NASA team of doctors and other staff was on hand for the touchdown and planned to return immediately to Houston with the 55-year-old astronaut. Before departing the space station, Shkaplerov embraced his fellow astronauts as "my space brothers and space sister." "People have problem on Earth. On orbit ... we are one crew," Shkaplerov said in a live NASA TV broadcast Tuesday. The space station is a symbol of "friendship and cooperation and ... future of exploration of space." |
| Clock is ticking on contract between UMMC and Blue Cross & Blue Shield | |
| As the end of the month approaches, so could the contract between the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. BCBS is the state's largest private medical insurer while UMMC is the state's largest health care provider, yet the insurance giant is refusing to agree to a new contract with UMMC. Why though? According to Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs, the standstill has come over UMMC's request for a reimbursement rate increase of "not even what other academic medical centers are being paid in other states." The increase that UMMC is requesting is comparable to what academic medical centers in Birmingham, Memphis, and New Orleans are currently receiving. "Blue Cross takes the stance -- and I've been told this directly to my face -- that our hospital is the same as everybody else's and our doctors are the same as everybody else's," Woodward explained on a recent episode of The Gallo Show. "And the comment was made that 'we're not going to pay you any more as you're not different than anyone else.'" On top of being the state's lone academic medical center and safety net hospital, UMMC is home to the state's only Level 1 trauma center, children's hospital, pediatric emergency room, OB/GYN emergency room, and bone marrow transplant unit. "My counter to [BCBS] is 'my goodness, the proof is in the transfer log,'" Woodward said. "Every single day, day after day, to the tune of more than a thousand a month, we take transfer patients from hospitals all around the state of Mississippi because they need a higher level of care." |
| UMMC planning $64.5M 'multidisciplinary campus' for Ridgeland | |
| A 67,500-square-foot medical educational facility, complete with 36 exam rooms, 6 operating rooms, and three multimedia classrooms could be in the works for Ridgeland. The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) has submitted an application to the Mississippi State Department of Health to construct a nearly $64.5 million "multidisciplinary campus" on Highland Colony Parkway. The development would be located on property north of Colony Park Boulevard and west of I-55 near the cell tower shaped like the Washington Monument, said Ridgeland Public Works Director Alan Hart. The Ridgeland mayor and board of aldermen recently approved a petition from UMMC, the Highland Colony Land Company, and Kerioth Realty Company to vacate certain unimproved and unused streets in that area to make way for construction. According to documents obtained by WLBT, the project would include the construction of a 67,500-square-foot "multidisciplinary, educational campus, consisting of a medical office building, multispecialty ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, and multimedia classrooms." UMMC told state health officials that the university had expanded its graduate medical program by 8.7 percent over the previous five years and that it was planning to increase enrollment in its nursing program by 25 percent to help address shortages in the state. The development also would address changes in insurance policies, which "encourage providers to perform a growing list of surgical procedures in ambulatory surgery centers rather than hospital outpatient departments." Marc Rolph, executive director of UMMC's Office of Communications and Marketing, said "nothing is finalized with that project and we are not commenting on it at this time." |
| William Carey medical school receives top national rankings | |
| The U.S. News & World Report ranked the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) first in the nation for graduate placement in rural areas. WCUCOM also placed fourth for graduate placement in at-needs areas and for graduates choosing to work in primary care. William Carey officials held a press conference on March 29 to announce the recognitions to the public. "We are making history not just for William Carey but for the state of Mississippi," said Italo Subbarao, WCUCOM Dean. "Our strategic goal for William Carey University College of Osteopathic medicine is to graduate servant physicians. Physicians with compassion and empathy. Physicians who will practice where others refuse to go. These are areas in Mississippi and the Gulf South where patients are the sickest and the doctors are the fewest. That is our mission: to train and educate Carey graduates and inspire them to practice in primary care in rural and underserved communities of Mississippi and the Gulf South. Today, I am proud to say that we have been recognized among the best medical schools in the nation at meeting that mission." William Carey President Tommy King said that the COM school is on-track to be officially named the largest medical school in Mississippi next year, surpassing the University of Mississippi Medical Center. |
| 5 top U. of South Carolina trustees facing 'strong political headwind' in keeping their seats | |
 | Five University of South Carolina trustees -- including the chairman and vice chairman -- are facing a tough fight to win reelection by state lawmakers after criticism about recent presidential searches, coach contract buyouts and alienating major donors. State Rep. Kirkman Finlay, who sits on a legislative panel that screens college trustees, said he plans to visit the five later this week and ask if they want to continue staying on the board considering "a very strong political headwind" against them. If the trustees don't step aside on their own, the screening commission could not recommend them for a vote by the full Legislature, ending their tenures in overseeing South Carolina's largest college. "I will ask, 'Are they really up for this?' " Finlay, R-Columbia, said. "I don't think anyone has been comfortable with the results of the past two or three years." USC trustees were quizzed aggressively March 28 by the legislative college trustee screening panel about going through two tumultuous presidential searches, approving contracts that led to $16 million in buyouts to fire two head coaches and alienating two of the school's three largest donors who have contributed more than $100 million combined to their alma mater. "It doesn't seem to want to end. We need some relief," Finlay said March 29. "It has been chaos, and it feels like there have been losses and no wins. Look at other universities around us. They seem to be on the upswing." |
| How Tennessee's bill banning diversity training affects colleges | |
 | The authors of a Tennessee bill targeting "divisive concepts" in colleges maintain the bill is not reaching into classrooms or stripping students and professors of their rights to free speech and academic freedom. But a legal expert says there's a portion of the bill that's unconstitutional, and academic freedom advocates and faculty members say its consequences could put Tennessee universities at a competitive disadvantage. The bill prevents universities from forcing students and staff to commit to current hot-button ideas around certain topics described in the bill or to participate in training about the "divisive concepts." Concepts in the bill include ideas around privilege, stereotyping and scapegoating based on race or sex. Several faculty members at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville say the bill's authors are searching for problem that doesn't exist, which forces them to question the intentions behind the legislation. "Students would have every right to complain if that were going on. We don't require our students to believe this or that. We're not a church," said Mary McAlpin, a French professor at UT and president of the university's chapter of American Association of University Professors. Critics see the bill as an attempt to create a chilling effect on academic conversations in the guise of "protecting students" and say the fallout will harm efforts to recruit students, faculty and nontenure staff to Tennessee universities. |
| This University President Is Focused on Performance and Productivity. That Worries the Faculty. | |
 | The University of Missouri's system office used to have a staff of 10, including two vice presidents. Now only two people are left. That's been an intentional choice, to curb administrative costs, said Mun Y. Choi, president of the Missouri system and chancellor of its flagship, in Columbia. During a visit to The Chronicle's headquarters on Monday, Choi said the university reduced spending on administrators by 13 percent, totaling about $25 million between 2016 and 2021. The administrative cost-cutting is part of a larger effort Choi said he is leading across the Missouri system to measure performance and investment return in every unit and department. Choi noted that he's not just making cuts. This month, he announced a $1.5-billion initiative called Mizzou Forward, which includes a faculty-recruitment push and $500 million in performance-based raises for faculty and staff members over the next five years. The system is also touting its NextGen Precision Health institute, an effort to improve health outcomes and access to care across the state. But some faculty leaders have questions. Where is all that money coming from? Where is the money going? How are decisions about cuts being made? How is faculty performance being measured? Theodore Koditschek, president of Mizzou's AAUP chapter and a professor emeritus of history, said in a phone interview that they haven't yet gotten satisfactory answers. |
| U. of Memphis bumps pay for incoming university President Bill Hardgrave | |
| Incoming University of Memphis President Bill Hardgrave will earn a base salary of $650,000 when he begins the position Friday, an increase compared to the current base presidential salary. Hardgrave signed a 5-year contract with the university including benefits similar to outgoing President M. David Rudd's most recent contract, signed during the pandemic. The recent Auburn provost will come to the U of M as a full professor of business information and technology. While Hardgrave's contract allots for an annual performance bonus, it does not stipulate an amount threshold, but leaves the discretion to the U of M board. Rudd's final contract stipulated board-determined performance bonuses up to 50% of his base pay, which rose to $525,000 in the summer 2020. Rudd regularly received the maximum bonus amount. Hardgrave's contract includes a one-time relocation allowance of $100,000. At $65,000 a year, Hardgrave's annual allowance for housing and transportation is about double similar allocations to Rudd. Hardgrave made about $516,000 over the last year as Auburn University provost, according to payroll information at the school. The pay bump, both for Hardgrave and the U of M, places the salary just above the base pay of University of Tennessee-Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman, who makes $600,000 annually, university data show. |
| U. of Richmond removes controversial building names | |
 | When the University of Richmond announced this week that it would remove the names of slaveholders, eugenicists and other known racists and supporters of white supremacy from six campus buildings, some Black current and former students were caught off guard. One alumnus called it "a nice surprise." A student leader on campus said, "It was a shock, to be quite honest." Their reactions reflected the low expectations many in and around the private university in Virginia had about the efforts and potential results of a commission formed a year ago to examine how and for whom campus buildings should be named. Just a year ago, university leaders had declined to rename two buildings named for the Reverend Robert Ryland and Douglas Southall-Freeman, despite repeated calls by some students and faculty to do so. The commission was created as a response to the controversy over that decision, and the body had promised to "[undertake] a thorough review of naming issues, seeking to engage every member of the University community in the process." It released a list of "naming principles" last Friday, and the university's Board of Trustees and president, Kevin Hallock, announced the news of the name removals Monday. The decision to pull the names off the buildings caps a three-year battle with university administrators, led by Black students and alumni and non-Black allies and supporters, over honoring prominent people in the university's history whose legacies are rooted in enslavement, segregation and racial violence. Buildings and statues that honor people with racist pasts were already polarizing issues on many college campuses, especially those in the South. But after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 and the national racial justice protests that followed, buildings and monuments of problematic historical figures became lighting rods for campus culture wars and sources of conflict across the country. Many college campuses have since or are still undergoing soul-searching similar to the University of Richmond's. |
| Safe Spaces or Free Expression? A New Toolkit for College Theatre | |
| The Dramatists Guild Legal Defense Fund (DLDF) has published a new toolkit, Dramatic Changes: A Guide to Producing Live Stage Works on College Campuses in Turbulent Times. The toolkit is aimed at students, educators, and administrators, and is intended to prepare those involved in producing theatrical work in academic settings to address potential conflicts between free expression and the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. In a statement, DLDF president John Weidman said the creation of the toolkit was catalyzed by "an increase in attempts to shut down stage productions on college campuses. These attempts differed from such incidents in the past, not only in number, but in kind -- in the complex and nuanced issues which they raised." Weidman continued to explain that the goal of the toolkit is "to make a useful, balanced, and informed contribution to what are certain to be the ongoing debates around these college cancellations going forward." The toolkit was developed by a working group of educators, activists, nonprofit organizations, and dramatists to study and address the many compelling concerns raised by the issue of school theatre cancellations. The group spent more than two years examining a series of case studies to see how and why these cancellations occurred, the key moments in the process that caused the cancellations, and the similarities among the cases. The working group also conducted interviews to provide the legal context in which productions are produced and canceled and to offer guidance at every step of the theatrical production process. |
| Students feel pain of state anti-LGBTQ+ bills | |
| State lawmakers have proposed a record 238 anti-LGBTQ+ bills so far this year, according to an analysis by NBC News -- nearly six times as many as in all of 2018. They range from a proposed school library ban on books about sexual or gender identity in Oklahoma to legislation prohibiting scholars from publicly discussing or teaching "LGBT issues or lifestyle" in Tennessee. Much of the legislation is aimed at K-12 students, including Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. But the deleterious effects of these legislative efforts are seeping into higher education, normalizing antagonism toward LBGTQ+ students on some campuses and creating additional pain and stress for a population that already bears more than its fair share. "Any time you have any type of extreme anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, it impacts not only young people in K-12, but by having this climate where the news and media are all focused on this very antitrans and antiqueer perspective with oftentimes demeaning language,18- to 24-year-olds are also impacted," said Shane Mendez Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride, a national nonprofit that works to create more LGBTQ+-inclusive campuses. And anti-LGBTQ+ legislation affects students beyond the campus where they live. "It does impact the perception of safety within the state, because as a student at Florida -- whether it be Florida State or University of Central Florida, or any of the other campuses across the state -- students there live in the communities; they don't just live on the campus," Windmeyer said. The spate of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has produced an unintended positive consequence: on some campuses, allies are stepping up to show their support for their LGBTQ+ classmates. |
| New Title IX rules set to assert rights of transgender students | |
 | Discrimination against transgender students would be a violation of federal civil rights law under proposed regulations the Education Department is expected to finalize in the coming weeks. Title IX bars discrimination on the basis of sex in education, and the new rules would make clear this includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among other things, according to two people familiar with a draft of the proposed regulation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly comment on the subject. Regulations carry the power of law. The rules, if finalized, would set up a clash with state laws that bar transgender women from competing in women's sports. Those statutes are already being challenged in the courts. A spokeswoman for the Education Department declined to comment on what will be in the proposed regulation, which the administration has said it expects to publish in April. The regulations would also rewrite, for the third time in three administrations, complex rules for universities and K-12 schools in adjudicating allegations of sexual harassment and assault. The Trump administration's version included more due process rights for the accused, and the new version is expected to be friendlier to those leveling the accusations. National debate over gay and lesbian rights has quieted, but there remains a storm of controversy around transgender rights, often focused on bathroom use and, in more recent months, participation in sports. |
| China tightens restrictions and bars scholars from international conferences | |
 | The international conference was supposed to gather some of the most promising and most established Asia studies scholars from across the world in lush Honolulu. Instead, at least five Chinese scholars based in the People's Republic of China (PRC) were prevented from attending virtual events via Zoom, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. They said Chinese security officers and education officials directly intervened, citing education regulations published during a global coronavirus pandemic which require all Chinese scholars to receive university permission to attend any international event in-person or online. "After years of encouraging and funding PRC scholars to participate internationally, the intensifying controls of recent years are now full-scale, and academic work, at least on China, is to be quarantined from the world," said James Millward, a history professor at Georgetown University who attended the conference. "The doors have slammed shut fast." The conference, which ended last weekend, was an annual gathering organized by the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), one of the largest membership-based organizations in the field. For emerging scholars as well as more senior academics, the conference is an opportunity to network and to hear the latest research on Asian countries across a variety of disciplines. Academics say these controls will further deplete the already-sparse exchanges between China and the rest of the world while hobbling the careers of young Chinese scholars. |
| War creates financial woes for Russian, Ukrainian students | |
| Viktoriia Yevtushenko, a freshman at Pace University, is caught between two worlds. Back home in Ukraine, her country is under siege from hostile Russian forces, which prompted her family to flee, losing their home and business in the process. But in the U.S., life continues as normal on Pace's New York City campus, thousands of miles from the war. "It's like living in two different realities. There's a war and people are dying. But at the same time here, everything is fine," Yevtushenko said. "Everybody is smiling, and everything is OK." While the war may seem distant, its challenges have reached Yevtushenko in the U.S. When her family lost their home and business, her financial situation changed almost overnight. "My family had money to pay for this semester, including my housing and meal plan," Yevtushenko said. "Right now, I'm OK. I know that I can be here through May. But after May, I don't know." With her family now in Germany, Yevtushenko faces an uncertain financial future. Many other Ukrainian students in the U.S. are grappling with the same issue, their financial situation suddenly and violently changed by a Russian invasion that has devastated cities and families. Many Russian students in the U.S. have also seen their financial positions change rapidly as well, thanks to the sudden devaluation of the ruble. According to the 2021 Open Doors report from the Institute of International Education, there were 4,085 Russian and 1,739 Ukrainian students in the U.S. for the 2020–21 academic year. Of the Russian students, 2,022 were undergraduates, 1,663 were graduate students, 317 were studying on nondegree tracks and 803 were in optional practical training programs. For Ukrainian nationals, IIE counted 877 undergraduates, 529 grad students, 48 on nondegree tracks and 285 enrolled in OPT. Now thousands of those students need help. |
| Taking on the mighty Facebook | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Can local social media succeed? My company is going to try. Should be interesting. No one else in the world is trying. There's no doubt social media has succeeded on a global scale. Facebook is one of the richest companies in the world. Whether this can succeed locally remains to be seen. Technically, we've done it. Our local Facebook competitor, Friends, is up and running on northsidesun.com and 22 other websites. You can easily post text, images and videos. You can invite friends to join via text and email. We recommend friends of your friends. We do all the things a social media app should do. Just go to our website and click Friends from the menu. When the first printing presses were invented, there were only a few. But by the middle of the 20th century there were a million printing presses worldwide. Could the same thing happen with social media platforms? We hope so because Facebook's monopoly is dangerous. ... One important distinction with our local social media. We don't track you for advertising purposes like Big Tech. There's no secret code under the hood. Another big benefit of local social media is local accountability and oversight by our team of local journalists. ... People may think this is far afield from printing a local newspaper, but I disagree. This is very much in keeping with the local, community tradition of local news. |
| Candidate John Arthur Eaves didn't win, but had few rivals as a populist campaigner | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Like Ross Barnett, Jim Buck Ross, Robert "Blowtorch" Mason and J.P. Coleman before him, highly successful trial lawyer John Arthur Eaves Sr. was a master of populist political campaigns and always made of most of his 10-minute speaking slot at the Neshoba County Fair, the Jacinto Courthouse and other Mississippi venues where people liked hearing old time "stump" speeches. Eaves, 86, died March 18 at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson after a battle with cancer. ... Despite not claiming the gubernatorial prize in three attempts, Mississippi politicos will recall the fervor of the Eaves campaigns and how John Arthur could forevermore "hold forth" under the tin roof of the pavilion under the old oaks on Founder's Square at the Neshoba County Fair. Eaves gave one of my all-time favorite political speeches in Neshoba County Fair's long history on July 30, 1987. Eaves did not engage in racial demagoguery in his speeches, but he knew how to deliver what Louisiana Gov. Huey Long once called "high popalorum and low popahiram." Eaves' infamous "air conditioner" speech was given by the flamboyant, white-suited Winston County native when he was running for governor on the issue of bringing Mississippians a $10 car tag. |
SPORTS
| Robert Bell, one of Mississippi State's first Black football players, has died | |
 | Robert Bell, who along with the late Frank Dowsing Jr. became the first Black football players at Mississippi State, has died, according to a news release from MSU. "The Mississippi State University family is deeply saddened at the passing of the great Bulldog football defender Robert Bell," said Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum. "Robert played a pivotal role in bringing change to our state and our university through his courage, character and zeal to compete." The Dowsing-Bell plaza at Davis-Wade Stadium was named after Bell and Dowsing in 2017. There is also a Dowsing-Bell award given by the M-Club that honors male athletes whose determination to overcome obstacles shows exceptional character. "We are saddened by the loss of Robert Bell," said MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen. "Robert helped pave the way for other African-American student-athletes at Mississippi State. We are forever indebted to Robert and know that his legacy will live on. We share our deepest sympathy with Robert's family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone touched by Robert's groundbreaking life." |
| MSU Trailblazer Robert Bell Passes Away | |
 | The Mississippi State family lost one of the university's legendary Bulldogs, trailblazers, and historical figures with the recent passing of Robert Bell. "The Mississippi State University family is deeply saddened at the passing of the great Bulldog football defender Robert Bell," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "Robert played a pivotal role in bringing change to our state and our university through his courage, character and zeal to compete. I was honored to be a part of the 2017 effort to appropriately honor Robert and his teammate Frank Dowsing, our university's first African-American student athletes, with the dedication of Dowsing-Bell Plaza at Davis Wade Stadium." Bell enrolled at MSU in 1969 and joined the late Frank Dowsing Jr. to become the Bulldogs' first African-American football student-athletes in 1970. Robert Barnes, Chair of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association Black Alumni Advisory Council, said: "Robert was not only a pioneer. He was a friend, husband, and father. We are praying for peace and comfort for his family. He loved Mississippi State and longed to visit in his final days during his illness." |
| Mississippi State football barrier-breaker Robert Bell dies | |
| Robert Bell, one of two Mississippi State football players to break the color barrier together, has died. Bell, of Meridian, and Tupelo's Frank Dowsing became MSU's first African-American football players in 1970. Dowsing, one of three black students to integrate Tupelo High School prior to his time at MSU, died in 1994. Bell earned three letters and graduated in 1973 with a degree in business administration. Bell played on the defensive line, Dowsing as a defensive back. "The Mississippi State University family is deeply saddened at the passing of the great Bulldog football defender Robert Bell," MSU president Mark Keenum said. "Robert played a pivotal role in bringing change to our state and our university through his courage, character and zeal to compete." Mississippi State honored both players prior to the 2017 Egg Bowl with the dedication of the Dowsing-Bell Plaza at the north end of Davis-Wade Stadium. |
| Chris Lemonis' ejection sparks Mississippi State offense in win at Memphis | |
| Chris Lemonis chased after home plate umpire Brandon Bennett as he was fleeing from the spot he ejected the Mississippi State head coach Tuesday night. Bennett shuffled down the first base line while his base umpires formed a wall to slow down Lemonis. The skipper pointed at base umpires Tim Cooper and Todd Henderson as if to remind them of the role they played in the check swing he felt went against MSU before turning attention back toward his main target. Bennett got another earful, not flinching or turning toward Lemonis throughout the process, before Lemonis finally appeared to give up. But before he returned to the dugout, Lemonis needed one last move to spark an uninspiring effort from a Bulldog squad down 3-0 in the fifth -- and eventually 4-0. So Lemonis swung off his maroon M over S hat and threw it to the ground, right where Bennett would return to moments later. With it, Lemonis left some pop for his team to pick up in the batter's box the next inning. His lineup responded immediately, en route to a six-run sixth and a 10-4 win at AutoZone Park. Assistant Jake Gautreau was prepared to ignite his hitters some more when they returned to the dugout following the ejection, but it turned out he didn't need to. "(Lemonis) got the boys pretty fired up on his own," Gautreau said. |
| Chris Lemonis' ejection takes Mississippi State from 'sleepwalking' to scorching hot in win at Memphis | |
 | Chris Lemonis slammed his maroon cap into the dirt behind home plate. Irate over a check-swing call in the bottom of the fifth inning of Wednesday's game against Memphis, the Mississippi State head coach was ejected before he ever stepped out of the dugout to argue the decision. But Lemonis made sure to get his money's worth. He strode onto the field and screamed at home plate umpire Brandon Bennett, who ruled that Memphis shortstop Ben Brooks held up on a 3-2 pitch from the Bulldogs' Drew Talley and did not check with first-base umpire Tim Cooper. Lemonis spiked his hat, picked it up and exited from whence he came as the Daniel Powter song "Bad Day" began to blare through the AutoZone Park speakers. Once he left, Mississippi State finally showed up. Fueled by their skipper's early departure, the Bulldogs (16-10) struck for six runs in the top of the sixth en route to a 10-4 win over the Tigers (12-9) on Tuesday. "I think we kind of woke up a little bit," catcher Logan Tanner said. "We were kind of sleepwalking there at the beginning." Mississippi State was held without a hit through five innings but changed that before Memphis could even record an out in the sixth, hitting two home runs and walking three times in the big inning. The Bulldogs were able to keep much of their usual relievers fresh ahead of this weekend's series at No. 2 Arkansas. The three-game set begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Fayetteville, Arkansas. |
| Kamren James an example of MSU baseball's success recruiting Memphis | |
| Kamren James showed Tuesday why Mississippi State baseball, the defending national champions, should continue to recruit out of the Memphis area. James, a junior infielder and Southaven native, sparked a six-run, sixth inning with a two-run home run to help the Bulldogs (16-10) defeat Memphis 10-4 at AutoZone Park. "It's always nice to come here and play well in front of our fans," said Mississippi State assistant coach Jake Gautreau, who filled in for Chris Lemonis who was ejected in the fifth inning. Prior to Lemonis being ejected, the Bulldogs struggled to get any offense going -- James' home run was the Bulldogs' first hit of the game against the Tigers (12-9). The Tigers managed to capitalize early, jumping out to a 4-0 lead through five innings. Then Mississippi State got going, especially James. "That got us going and good for him," Gautreau said of James' home run. Along with James, sophomore right-handed pitcher Cade Smith, also from DeSoto Central, are key members for the Bulldogs. James leads the team in batting average (.340) and has three home runs and 13 RBIs. "He's been working his tail off," Gautreau said of James. "He's had a really good year so far, but we all know he's not quite the (Kamren) he could be." |
| State Opens Road Trip At Middle Tennessee Wednesday | |
| Mississippi State softball is hitting the road. The Bulldogs open a five-day road trip through the state of Tennessee with a midweek matchup at Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, March 30. First pitch against the Blue Raiders (15-18, 2-4 C-USA) is set for 4 p.m. CT on C-USA.tv. The game was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. start, but with inclement weather expected, the game was moved up two hours. The Bulldogs (22-10, 4-2 SEC) enter the matchup as winners of six straight and 12 of their last 15 contests. MSU is among the top 30 teams nationally in doubles, home runs, homers per game, slugging percentage, looking strikeouts and stolen bases allowed. MSU's defense has been much improved over their recent hot streak. After averaging 1.24 errors per game in their first 17 contests, the Bulldogs have cleaned things up. They have committed 0.67 errors per game in the last 15 games and allowed just four unearned runs as opposed to 17 in the first 17 games. State is now among the top five teams in the SEC in runs allowed, hits allowed, ERA and strikeouts. In SEC play only, the Bulldogs are a top-three team in runs allowed, hits allowed and walks allowed. Mississippi State resumes conference play at No. 11 Tennessee on April 1-3. The Friday series opener is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT, and the Saturday game is set for 1 p.m. Both games will air on SEC Network+. The series finale on Sunday will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network at 11 a.m. |
| Continuity proving worthy amidst coaching role changes for Mississippi State football | |
| Mike Leach wanted continuity. He wanted familiar faces inside Mississippi State's football facilities, around recruits and on his sidelines. So when he saw flaws within his staff and had an inside receivers position to fill, he didn't look too far out of his area code. He promoted Drew Hollingshead to inside receivers coach from offensive assistant and shuffled his playing cards. Zach Arnett remained defensive coordinator but shifted his priority from linebackers to safeties. Jason Washington took over running backs. Eric Mele got special teams. Matt Brock received full reign on linebackers. Outside receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. added pass game coordinator to his plate while offensive line coach Mason Miller became run game coordinator. Through it all, not a single new name was added. Leach enters his third season at Mississippi State with a staff meshed together coaching a roster much the same. "You wanna be developing guys within your system as you go," Leach said in February. Arnett is very matter-of-fact when speaking to reporters, so his view on the coaching shuffle was one of little concern. Having already been defensive coordinator the last two seasons, he knew the safety group well, though it wasn't his top priority. Now it is, and he has an experienced foundation of players who know him just as well. |
| Southern Miss, Marshall, Old Dominion reach separation agreement with Conference USA | |
 | Southern Miss, Marshall, and Old Dominion will leave Conference-USA, the league announced Tuesday. The terms of separation are finalized, but not expected to be made public, according to ESPN. All three schools will be joining the Sun Belt. "Conference USA, Marshall University, Old Dominion University, and the University of Southern Mississippi have reached a resolution that allows the schools to withdraw as members at the end of the academic year," the conference said in a statement released on Tuesday. "The Universities will compete as members of the Sun Belt Conference." The three schools were originally supposed to leave the conference in June 2023. All three, however, announced in February their intentions to leave one year earlier than expected. In the meantime, both the Sun Belt and Conference USA included Southern Miss, Marshall, and Old Dominion on their 2022 football schedules. With the news of their departure, C-USA is expected to release a revised, 11-team schedule in 2022. |
| MUW baseball team fundraising for field | |
 | The Mississippi University for Women Owl's Baseball Team wants a field of its own. MUW Athletic Director Jennifer Claybrook made the pitch Tuesday. to business and community leaders in Columbus. Fundraising for a baseball stadium on The W's campus was announced in early 2020, but COVID hit before the ball could get rolling. The original proposal has a price tag of 5 million dollars. Since they first took the field in the 2018 season, the Owls have been playing home games at Columbus High School and Heritage Academy. "We feel like we are in a position to start strategic planning for fundraising. We are very early in the process. Ultimately, right now, it's just identifying potential donors that are passionate about baseball, passionate about student-athletes, and are passionate about 'The W'," Claybrook said. |
| Who's making most money from NIL? Women's hoops near top | |
| Paige Bueckers posted a video of herself dancing to Lil Yachty's "Coffin" on TikTok that has garnered 2.6 million views. The star Connecticut guard has nearly 1 million followers on Instagram and recently gifted each of her teammates with new sneakers through a partnership with StockX. South Carolina all-American Aliyah Boston has a deal with Bose, and Stanford's Haley Jones, the most outstanding player of last season's NCAA tournament, is on the Beats by Dre roster. As the Final Four descends on Minneapolis with some of the biggest names in the game competing for the national title, women's basketball continues to be the surprise winner in the first year of college athletes being allowed to cash in on their name, image and likeness. The sport ranks second to football in total compensation, according to a study by NIL company Opendorse, as marketers have found immense value in these women with massive reach through their social media endeavors. "I cannot tell you how many times we heard: 'Women will get nothing. Women will be on the back burner,' " said Corey Staniscia, director of external affairs at Dreamfield, an NIL engagement platform. "Everything that the naysayers said, none of it has held true." Women's basketball has been a marketer's dream. Staniscia argued that NIL may be the largest emerging market in the United States, with hundreds of thousands of athletes as potential clients across the country. |
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