| Friday, November 3, 2023 |
| MSU celebrates largest entering class in school history | |
 | More first-time students are attending Mississippi State University this fall than ever before. The university announced Nov. 2 an 11.4% increase in first-time students this semester, the largest entering class in the school's 145-year history. MSU also recorded its highest number of freshman applications, as the university remains the No. 1 college choice for Mississippi's high school graduates with 14,296 from the Magnolia State. This totals 63.1% of the student body. The growth in first-time students follows two years of record-setting graduations. Last year, MSU awarded 5,896 degrees across all levels -- the highest number of degrees ever awarded. The previous record was 5,623 degrees awarded in the 2021-22 academic year. "More than ever, students and their families are choosing Mississippi State University to earn a degree and prepare for the future while also being part of a truly special and unique college experience," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "We are well known as a friendly and welcoming campus where students can excel in the classroom, grow through hands-on research and service opportunities, and develop lifelong relationships. They can also enjoy all that our vibrant and growing community has to offer." Overall, MSU's enrollment remains strong with 22,657 students, eight more than the 2022 headcount. The Bulldog family hails from all 82 Mississippi counties, the 50 states -- and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico -- plus 85 countries around the world. |
| Mississippi sees increase in public university enrollment | |
 | Mississippi's public universities saw an increase in fall enrollment in 2023 compared to numbers from the same period last year. Fall enrollment for 2023 is 77,074 students, a 1.8 percent increase, partially due to record-breaking freshman classes at Ole Miss and Mississippi State. In 2022, enrollment stood at 75,739 for the fall semester. "Our students recognize that a university education continues to be a good investment for their future," Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education, said. "In these challenging economic times, it is encouraging to see more students pursuing an education that will pay dividends throughout their careers and build a strong workforce to fuel our economy." According to MSU vice president of strategic communications Sid Salter, the incoming freshman class in Starkville was just over 3,700 students -- an MSU record. "More than ever, students and their families are choosing Mississippi State University to earn a degree and prepare for the future while also being part of a truly special and unique college experience," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "We are well known as a friendly and welcoming campus where students can excel in the classroom, grow through hands-on research and service opportunities, and develop lifelong relationships. They can also enjoy all that our vibrant and growing community has to offer." |
| New culinary adventure launches in Mississippi | |
 | A new culinary adventure has been launched in Mississippi, which features locally and regionally grown and chef-curated foods from cultivation to presentation. The Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension, the Mississippi Tourism Association, the Mississippi Main Street Association, and the Mississippi Hills Heritage National Area launched the Farm to Fork Foodie Trail. The project's mission is to connect people to the community while supporting agriculture. The organization is working with small-scale farmers and producers to invite visitors and residents to savor the diverse and delectable local cuisine, experience local farms, and visit agricultural attractions such as farmer's markets and corn mazes while embracing the region's rich culture. Trail tools can be found online. It offers custom itineraries showcasing an array of culinary experiences, from farm-to-table dining to farmers' markets and special events as well as a filtered location finder. |
| Bad weather conditions lead to poor Mississippi pecan crop | |
| A late freeze, high summertime temperatures and a drought mean a poor pecan crop for Mississippi in 2023. Eric Stafne, fruit and nut specialist with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service, said weather stacked the odds against a good crop this year. "Despite the late freeze, some trees still set a decent crop, but the heat and drought caused poor nut fill and dropped immature nuts during the summer. The drought could have carryover effects into next year, too, by reducing development of fruiting buds," said Stafne. Max Draughn, president of the Mississippi Pecan Growers Association and owner of Bass Pecan Nursery and Pecan Hill Farms in Raymond, said the late freeze in March destroyed any blooms that were on the trees. "This affected the middle part of the state the most and resulted in a short crop for those areas. Overall, the quantity of nuts is there but quality is lacking," he said. Although rains were abundant early in the year, the drought from July on caused problems throughout the state. |
| Less than half of county candidates file campaign finance reports | |
 | With campaign fundraising seemingly lulled as the Nov. 7 general election approaches, a notable host of Oktibbeha County candidates failed to file their most recent mandatory reports. Of the 14 candidates required by law to submit campaign finance reports by 5 p.m. Tuesday, only six did. The eight that did not -- and still hadn't by press time Wednesday -- include John Rice, the Democrat running for sheriff; Erik Young, the Democrat running for District 1 supervisor; incumbent Democrat Joe Williams and Republican challenger Les Lindley, both running for District 5 supervisor; Brian Michael Lindner, the Republican running for District 3 justice court judge; William Ford, the Democrat running for District 1 constable; and both candidates -- Democrat Ronald Hannah and Republican James Lindsey -- running for District 3 constable. Candidates in state and local races must file periodic campaign finance reports and itemize contributions or expenditures of $200 or greater. The most recent reports due Tuesday covered the period between Oct. 1 and 29. |
| Change those clocks: Daylight saving time ends this Sunday | |
| Americans are being reminded to change their clocks ahead of this Sunday as most of the country will fall back an hour, marking the end of daylight saving time for 2023. On Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2 a.m. local time, millions of people across 48 states will welcome in an extra hour of sleep as sunset will now occur an hour earlier during the coldest months of the year. Is this the last year of clock-changing? The short answer is probably not. Congress has proved flat, so far, in its efforts to make DST permanent. A bill co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in 2022 would have put a stop to the clock-changing for good. "The process of having to reset our clocks is an irritatingly outdated practice that we should ditch," Hyde-Smith said at the time. "We should instead embrace DST as a critically important way to realign daylight time to Americans' most productive hours, while also improving public health and the American economy." Hyde-Smith cited a study that said permanent DST would result in more exercise for Americans as more sunlight would be available during waking hours. There is currently a similar piece of legislation introduced in the House but the chances of it making it to the president's desk by January are unlikely. |
| Jobs report today shows economy adds150K jobs; unemployment at 3.9% | |
 | Hiring slowed sharply in October as employers added 150,000 jobs, signaling that high interest rates and inflation may be taking a widening toll on payroll growth. The auto workers strike also dampened employment gains last month as manufacturing lost 35,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose from 3.8% to 3.9%, the Labor Department said Friday, the highest level since January 2022. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had estimated that 180,000 jobs were added last month. Another possible sign of a weakening labor market: Job gains for August and September were revised down by a combined 101,000, depicting a less robust picture of hiring in late summer than previously thought. Investors cheered the report on the hope that milder pay increases and a cooling job market would allow the Fed to continue to hold its key interest rate steady after hiking it aggressively from March 2022 to July 2023. In early trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 185 points to 34,024 and the S&P 500 index jumped 0.88% to 4,355. "The overall weakening in employment demand and wage growth supports our view that the Fed is done raising rates for this cycle," Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist of Nationwide, wrote in a note to clients. "Moreover, it supports our forecast for a mild recession to unfold in the first half of 2024." |
| Retail group predicts record holiday spending | |
| The National Retail Federation, a trade group, announced this week that it expects holiday spending to grow between 3% and 4% this year. That would be the smallest increase since 2019, but would still result in at least $957 billion in sales, a record amount. One reason consumers will likely spend more money this year? "Because they have it," said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for the National Retail Federation. He said shopping is part of the DNA of the American consumer, and the strong labor market means people feel pretty good spending what they're earning. "If you have a job and you feel secure about the future, that should be a confidence builder in spending," Kleinhenz said. Of course, things cost more now too. Prices for goods are up nearly 1% from a year ago, according to the latest personal consumption expenditures index. That means consumers are getting less metaphorical bang for their literal buck. "I think inflation is finally catching up with the shopper," said Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst with Forrester. She expects the higher prices will drive people to buy fewer items. Kodali said she expects spending to slow even more in 2024 as people deal with rising interest rates and prioritize other expenses. |
| Dems target northwest Mississippi with Tennessee lawmaker's help | |
| Democrats see an opportunity in northwest Mississippi's densely populated, fast-growing Memphis suburbs---not just to collect votes in next week's statewide election and years to come, but to launch a planned redistricting lawsuit seeking a second congressional "opportunity district" for Black voters inspired by a recent Supreme Court ruling in Alabama. Mississippi Democratic Party chair Rep. Cheikh Taylor and House minority leader Rep. Robert Johnson campaigned with rising-star Tennessee state legislator Justin Pearson at two DeSoto County stops and nearby Rust College on Wednesday. DeSoto Democratic Party chair Dr. Deborah Williams told the Daily Journal it was the first such coordination across state lines she could recall. The GOP has dominated DeSoto County in recent years. It controls most of the state legislative seats there. Republican incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves won DeSoto in 2019 with 60.9% of the vote, netting his third-highest vote tally of any county. He also won Tate County to its south. But state and national Democrats have plans in the region. Three of the five target Mississippi legislative races highlighted by the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) are there: two in DeSoto County, one just southeast straddling Tate, Union, Marshall and Lafayette counties. A fourth is also in north Mississippi, further south in Lafayette County, around Oxford. Brandon Presley's Democratic gubernatorial campaign has invested in the area. Even if his bid fails, Taylor said he will be "within striking distance" and demonstrate the party's viability. |
| Mississippi voter registration numbers remain steady heading into Tuesday's general election | |
 | Mississippi has seen a slight increase in the number of people listed on the rolls of active voters in the months leading up to the general election for governor and other offices, state records show. From April 1 through Oct. 1, roughly 33,000 people filled out voter-registration forms. About 300 were rejected, and more than 32,000 other voters were moved from active to inactive status -- something that happens when people do not cast a ballot in multiple elections. The active voter count increased by 334 or 0.02%. Mississippi had about 1.92 million active voters as of Oct. 1. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal obtained information about voter rolls from the secretary of state's office through a public records request. Another 40,000 voters who were on the inactive list were removed from the rolls. These could be people who died, moved or did not vote for other reasons. The general election for statewide, legislative, regional and local offices is Tuesday. Mississippi voters can check their registration at the secretary of state's elections website, yallvote.sos.ms.gov, or call 1-800-829-6786. |
| Johnson: House GOP looking at new twist to stopgap funds fight | |
 | Federal agencies, meet the "laddered" continuing resolution. Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that Republicans are considering a new approach to stopgap funding that would extend pieces of current appropriations for different time periods, effectively setting up a series of funding cliffs while avoiding a single deadline that could trigger a partial government shutdown for all agencies. With current funding for the entire government set to expire on Nov. 17, Johnson has proposed a CR to extend funding through Jan. 15, though that date is the federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. But the Louisiana Republican said at a press conference some GOP members raised the idea of a "laddered CR" to extend funding on a piecemeal basis. "I'll unpack for you what that means here in the coming days, but potentially you would do a CR that extends individual pieces of the appropriations process, individual bills," Johnson said. "We'll see how that goes. I think we can build consensus around it." The surprise proposal was the latest wrinkle in a delayed appropriations process for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, as some in a divided GOP conference seek additional spending cuts. But a laddered approach would complicate the funding process and could be difficult to implement, senior Democratic appropriators warned. "Well, [Johnson's] never served on the Appropriations Committee," said top Energy-Water Appropriations Subcommittee Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Ohio. "And I would have to study that because if it's going to cause all kinds of hiccups across the executive branch, that's not a very good way to govern." |
| The Brash Group of Young Conservatives Getting Ready for the Next Trump Administration | |
 | ne Friday afternoon in July, two dozen neatly dressed young people trickled into a narrow office on Pennsylvania Avenue, just a few blocks east of the U.S. Capitol. From the outside, the building looked the same as the other stately row houses that line Capitol Hill. But inside, there was the unmistakable ambiance of a frat living room. Along the far wall, a collection of half-empty liquor bottles sat atop a decorative mantelpiece, next to a glass shelf housing a stack of wooden cigar boxes and a Lego replica of the White House. Across the room, a free-standing keg cooler dispensed cold brew coffee into paper cups. The space was mostly devoid of furniture, save for the keg, a fridge, a folding table and a few plastic chairs. Yet the room's occupants, all interns from Republican congressional offices and conservative think tanks around D.C., weren't there to party --- or at least not exclusively to party. Instead, they took their seats in the rolling chairs, pulled notebooks and pencils out of their backpacks and readied themselves for the day's seminar. On the agenda: How to take over the federal government, one junior staff position at a time. Their host was American Moment, a small but scrappy organization that's quietly reshaping the conservative establishment in Washington. Founded in 2021 with the backing of now-Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the group is part of a broader movement that's underway in Washington to recruit right-leaning staffers to help the next Republican president -- whoever that may be -- wage war on the "deep state" and entrench the populist political revolt that began with the Trump administration. Now in its third year of existence, American Moment's long game is showing some signs of success. |
| The Fight Over Return-to-Office Is Turning Into a Disability Dispute | |
 | The return-to-office battle between workers and employers is entering a more combative phase. Workers are filing more charges of disability discrimination to federal and state agencies, and an increasing share of the charges are based on mental-health conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Though agencies don't disclose the events leading to the charges, the increase is driven partly by employers requiring that workers return to workplaces and denying some of their requests for exemptions, according to lawyers, government officials and disability advocates. The number of charges filed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging discrimination against individuals with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder rose by at least 16% for each condition from 2021 to 2022. Data from multiple state civil-rights agencies show that in recent years, disability charges -- encompassing a range of conditions including mental-health disorders, hearing impairments and autoimmune diseases---have overtaken previous top complaints, such as retaliation and race discrimination. "Mental illness is at an all-time high, and Covid was a huge contributor," said Hannah Olson, whose software firm, Disclo, helps employers manage the disability-accommodations process. "The other piece is return-to-office. People are asking for more things, and companies don't know how to manage this." |
| Fall 2023 enrollment increases at Mississippi public universities | |
| Fall enrollment for 2023 has increased at Mississippi's public universities when compared to Fall 2022. According to the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), Fall enrollment for 2023 is 77,074 for the system, compared to 75,739 students enrolled in Fall 2022, representing a 1.8% increase. "Our students recognize that a university education continues to be a good investment for their future," said Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education. "In these challenging economic times, it is encouraging to see more students pursuing an education that will pay dividends throughout their careers and build a strong workforce to fuel our economy." |
| Can Humanities Survive the Budget Cuts? | |
 | The state auditor of Mississippi recently released an eight-page report suggesting that the state should invest more in college degree programs that could "improve the value they provide to both taxpayers and graduates." That means state appropriations should focus more on engineering and business programs, said Shad White, the auditor, and less on liberal arts majors like anthropology, women's studies and German language and literature. Those graduates not only learn less, Mr. White said, but they are also less likely to stay in Mississippi. More than 60 percent of anthropology graduates leave to find work, he said. "If I were advising my kids, I would say first and foremost, you have to find a degree program that combines your passion with some sort of practical skill that the world actually needs," Mr. White said in an interview. (He has three small children, far from college age.) For years, economists and more than a few worried parents have argued over whether a liberal arts degree is worth the price. The debate now seems to be over, and the answer is "no." Not only are public officials, like Mr. White, questioning state support for the humanities, a growing number of universities, often aided by outside consultants, are now putting many cherished departments -- art history, American studies -- on the chopping block. They say they are facing headwinds, including students who are fleeing to majors more closely aligned to employment. |
| MUW students, faculty fly kites to celebrate Day of the Dead | |
 | A long-standing Day of the Dead tradition is to make Guatemalan kites to honor those who have passed on. Alexander Stelioes-Wills made his kite to honor his friend Mark Wood, who recently passed away. "I thought 'Well, that's probably who I should make my kite for because many of the kites are made as memorials to deceased loved ones.' So, I thought that's what I should do," Stelioes-Wills said. Dr. Beverly Joyce said the kites are a way of communicating with their loved ones. "The Mayans believed there were evil spirits disturbing the spirit world, and Flying the kites distracted those spirits so that the deceased wouldn't be disturbed," Joyce said. Professor Erinn Holloway said many may think of it as a fearful day, but it is a reunion. Holloway said her first Day of the Dead celebration was in 1999 in a small town outside of Mexico City. "I hesitated at first, and one lady said, 'What's wrong? I said, I'm not from here I'm from the United States, and I feel like this is a celebration of the Mexican culture, and she said, 'Have you ever had anyone in your family pass away or a loved one,' and I said yes, and she said, 'this celebration is for you too,'" Holloway said. |
| UM enshrines racist figures in campus buildings | |
 | Every day, thousands of students at the University of Mississippi attend classes in various buildings around campus. They walk in and out without ever knowing the history behind them. But how would students feel knowing that these buildings, the names of which are known throughout campus, are named after racists? While UM has no doubt taken strides towards diversity and inclusion, some things have been put on the backburner. In 2017, under former UM Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter, the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on History and Context issued a report "recommending campus sites, including monuments, buildings and street names, to be contextualized to better explain the environments in which they were created or named and how those environments compare to our core institutional values." Among these buildings were Paul B. Johnson Commons, Vardaman Hall, Barnard Observatory, Longstreet Hall, Lamar Hall and George Hall. Vitter supported multiple recommendations made by the committee report. The Daily Mississippian asked 10 students at random if they were aware of any racist histories connected to these buildings, and all 10 students said no. "I had no idea of the background and history of these buildings, and it is surprising that I have never even heard about it," Kimber Spelts, a junior business major, said. |
| Ole Miss provides Narcan kits on campus | |
 | The opioid epidemic is still sweeping across the country. College students are just some of the Mississippians that are affected. Many universities, like Ole Miss, are working to help. "One pill can kill," is a slogan straight from the Mississippi Attorney General's Office (M.A.G.O). Ole Miss is working with M.A.G.O. to help students understand the dangers of these substances. The university is providing life saving kits when necessary. The kits include fentanyl test strips, two doses of Narcan, and reading material. There's even a baggie where students can safely dispose of substances that show fentanyl. The college has handed kits out for just under a month and has already given away over 150 of them. "It's extremely reassuring to know that we have this resource in this tool for us on campus," student leader Mary Kate Nelson said. "I actually had an opportunity to use my Narcan last week during a medical emergency and I felt so reassured and just so encouraged to know that we have the opportunities for our students to potentially save lives on our campus." |
| UMMC aims to grow nurse-midwifery, tout its benefits | |
| As maternal mortality continues to rise across the country, barriers to comprehensive maternal care are particularly evident in Mississippi. With the highest infant mortality rate, preterm birth rate and low-weight births in the nation, the state is in dire need of solutions. In response, the University of Mississippi Medical Center is on a mission to increase and support the growth of nurse-midwifery throughout the state, beginning with the addition of two nurse-midwives to the UMMC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The department is drawing upon its historical legacy of leadership in the field of nurse-midwifery to offer a beacon of hope for the future. Dr. J. Martin Tucker, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology, recruited Janice Scaggs, certified nurse-midwife, to help integrate midwifery back into the system. Scaggs hopes to see the program grow and help change the public perception about midwifery. "Part of my job is to educate people on what a midwife is and specifically what my job as a nurse-midwife is because there are a lot of misconceptions," she said. "I think many people don't understand that nurse-midwives have graduate-level education --- and that's at the entry-level. A lot of us actually have doctorate degrees. Another misconception is that we only practice home birth and don't support women in hospitals. Over 90% of nurse-midwifery attended births in the U.S. are in hospitals, 8% in free-standing birth centers and less than 1% in homes." |
| Southern Miss, DAR honor veterans, celebrate nation's 250 years | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi honored veterans and service members and celebrated the nation's freedoms Wednesday at a ceremony outside the Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families. The event was co-hosted with the Hattiesburg Twentieth Star Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, whose members Susan Perry and Norma Williamson brought the idea last year to university President Joseph Paul. "About a year ago (they) burst into my office unannounced, saying we're going to do this tree thing, and you're going to support it," Paul said jokingly. Perry and Williamson co-chaired the Give Me Liberty! Meet Me at the Tree!" event. On a more serious note, Paul said every day is a great day to celebrate the privilege of being an American. An elm tree, representing the original Liberty Tree that was planted in Boston in 1646, and a DAR America 250 Patriots Marker were dedicated during the ceremony. "Now, our chapter and the center will be forever linked, and this is a high honor for us," Williamson said in a news release. "The mission of DAR is to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism, and that includes honoring our veterans, past and present, who have given so much so our country can be free." |
| USM pairing Christmas and opera | |
 | Pay attention, fans of opera and Christmas, because the University of Southern Mississippi has quite the package deal. USM will be debuting its production of the holiday classics, "Amahl and the Night Visitors." The opera tells the story of the three kings going to see Jesus on the night of his birth, and is told from the perspective of a young boy and his mother. The opera will be presented by the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and will feature members of the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company as part of their 104th season. "This is one of our first, big-staged operas back in a while," said Kassidy Chandler, USM vocal performance student. "It's a well-known opera throughout the community. A lot of people love it and it's a story everyone knows. And it's getting kind of timely, too. We're getting close to the Christmas season." The show debuted Thursday night at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium. |
| Jackson leaders address homeless problem; JSU report finds 652 homeless people in the Capital City | |
| Two members of the Jackson City Council held a town hall meeting to discuss the growing number of homeless people in the city. Melinda Todd, an associate director for urban research at Jackson State University, said the most recent report showed that there are about 652 homeless people in Jackson, and that number is going up. "We have a high homeless population, and I've not seen it this bad in all my life," Todd said. Jessica Archie and Sasha Eaton said they have been staying at the Jackson Resource Center, which is one of the only long-term homeless shelters in the city. They said they are working toward a better life. "It's very important for people to realize that not all homeless people are not trying," Archie said. Archie said she's appalled at the outcome of Thursday's meeting, which was held by Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley and Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes. "I feel kind of like it was a witch hunt toward the homeless people," Archie said. "To say, 'We don't want you here.' And it's a different type of homeless people here. There are not just homeless people trying to get their lives together. And most of the shelters have lots of rules." Hartley said the meeting wasn't intended to disrespect the homeless population. He said it was to help the constituents in Jackson who have increased property taxes due to the building of shelters, like the one presented at the meeting. |
| Blue Mountain Christian University celebrates 150th anniversary | |
| Blue Mountain Christian University is celebrating its 150th anniversary with two days of festivities starting Friday, Nov. 3. The celebration will begin with a "Founders Day Chapel" held Friday morning and will move on to concerts, sporting events, reunions, and more. According to a university press release, "All activities are free and open to the public." "We are just happy to welcome folks to come and be a part of our celebration," BMCU president Barbara McMillin told the Daily Journal. The university's first classes were held Sept. 12, 1873, so that is generally considered the anniversary of the school's founding, McMillin said. But Founders Day is always celebrated on the first Friday of November. BMCU was originally founded as Blue Mountain Female Institute, an all-women college, according to the university website. In the aftermath of the American Civil War, founder and "village preacher" Gen. Mark Perrin Lowrey "felt that the South's recovery would be enhanced by the educating of its young women," the website reads. "He and his two oldest daughters, Modena and Margaret, (composed) the first faculty." In 1920, the Lowrey family turned control of the school over to the Mississippi Baptist Convention. The school became fully co-educational in 2005, at which point it was known as "Blue Mountain College." Its name was changed to "Blue Mountain Christian University" on Nov. 4, 2022, at last year's Founders Day Celebration. |
| Brigadier General Billy L. Pierce to Keynote Annual Military Appreciation Breakfast | |
 | East Central Community College in Decatur will honor current and retired military veterans at its annual Military Appreciation Breakfast on Friday, Nov. 10. Retired Brig. Gen. Billy L. Pierce of Decatur will be the keynote speaker. The event begins with a complimentary breakfast at 7 a.m. in the Gold Room of Mabry Cafeteria. All community veterans and military personnel are invited to attend. Pierce, a lifelong resident of Decatur, is a graduate of Decatur High School and East Central Junior College. He received a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master's degree in school administration from Mississippi State University. He also holds a master's degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. After 36 years of service in the Mississippi National Guard, he retired as a brigadier general in 2004. In 2005, he was inducted into the OCS Hall of Fame at Fort Benning in Georgia. He has received numerous awards and decorations throughout his military career. He is a member of the State Veterans Affairs Board representing the Third Congressional District. |
| 20th annual conference on ADHD, other related concerns held at William Carey University | |
| To make attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other related concerns easier to understand and treat, parents, teachers, caregivers and others gathered in Hattiesburg for a conference on the subject. The event's primary purpose was to present more information on students, children and adults who have ADHD or other related concerns. William Carey President Dr. Ben Burnett said he's seen how helpful a conference like this can be. "The first 28 years of my career, I spent in K-12 education, so I saw first-hand the impact that training like this can help teachers and parents make a better life for children," Burnett said. Many of the attendees were looking for information from experts on how to better manage children who have been diagnosed. Dr. Jonathan Shook is with Hattiesburg Clinic Connections, and he said that learning to support those with ADHD is very helpful. "Kids are dependent on the adults around them, not only to teach them, but to support them and encourage them and take care of their mental health and well-being as they're growing up," Shook said. |
| Ben Sasse formally inaugurated as U. of Florida's 13th president | |
 | University of Florida President Ben Sasse was officially inaugurated into his role nearly nine months after he started during a ceremony held in the University Auditorium Thursday afternoon. Sasse took to the stage to recognize and thank his supporters in the UF student community, the Board of Trustees, government representatives and UF faculty and staff members. "I wasn't looking for some university presidency, in general," he said. "Instead, I was persuaded. I was pursued and moved ... telling me that this was not just a place, but a cause that I needed to join." In his inaugural address, Sasse pledged to make practical majors "even more practical," refine the core curriculum, vigorously defend tenure as a critical tool for UF and increase transparency and accountability at the university. "Too much of higher education wants to resist change. Too many institutions are complacent," Sasse said. "This place has somehow been relatively insulated against complacency and self-satisfaction, and that's darn attractive." Sasse, who has faced backlash from some students and faculty for his conservative political views, also said he seeks to encourage viewpoint diversity on campus, rejecting zealotry and facilitating good faith agreements and conversations. |
| Texas universities seeking top research status will have a clearer path under new rules | |
| An elite club in higher education reserved for the top research universities in the country will change its rules of entry in 2025, which could mean a clearer path for Texas universities to obtain the coveted status. The American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced this week they are revising the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. It is a tiered system that classifies schools based on the caliber and breadth of their research activity. Most notably, they are drastically simplifying the qualifications for schools to earn the title of a "R1" research university to just focus on two factors: annual research spending and the number of doctorates a school awards in a year. The changes will give universities in Texas and across the country that are striving to reach that status a clearer understanding of how to earn a spot in the upper echelon of research institutions, a highly-desired title viewed by university leaders as an important step to help recruit high-quality faculty, obtain more prestigious research grants and grow the national reputation of their campuses. Starting in 2025, a university can reach R1 status if it spends $50 million on research and awards at least 70 research doctorates annually, slimming the qualifications down from the current 10 metrics that schools must meet to gain the designation. |
| U. of Missouri seeks ways to create diverse campus despite Supreme Court ruling on race in admissions | |
 | Measures the University of Missouri is taking to respond to the June U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting consideration of race in awarding scholarships dominated discussion at Wednesday's Fall General Faculty Meeting. The meeting was in Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union. The court ruled that benefitting some students necessarily comes at another students' expense, said Paul Maguffee, in the University of Missouri System's general counsel's office. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey after the ruling directed institutions to end their use of race-based standards to make decisions about things like admissions, scholarships and employment, Maguffee said. "It is not unlawful to pursue diversity, equity and inclusion," he said. Applications must not refer to race, he said. "We can still try to build a house," Maguffee said. "We just can't use that particular hammer." Applicants can voluntarily refer to their race and personal backgrounds on applications, but the university can't ask about it, he said. A simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid could result in 1,500 more students eligible for Pell grants at MU, said Emily Haynan, director of student financial aid. "That's our initial projections," Haynan said. Private scholarships aren't affected by the Supreme Court decision, but financial aid can't tell students about the private scholarships, Haynan said. |
| U. of Missouri's new Hellbender takes a 'byte' out of supercomputing | |
 | Hellbender is roughly the size of a two-door compact Smart car. It needs 4,000 gallons of water per hour and uses about the same amount of electricity as 140 single-family American houses. Although the name might sound familiar, no, this Hellbender is not an endangered salamander species native to Missouri. So, what is Hellbender? It's a computer, and a super one at that. Conceptually, Hellbender is a means to launch University of Missouri System research into the future. Since it was brought online in April, the new supercomputer, or high-performance computing environment, has enabled university researchers to transfer, analyze and store data far faster than past systems allowed. "Being able to push that work out the door faster means that those researchers are deriving insights into their data more quickly," said Lyndon Coghills, director of the MU's Bioinformatics and Analytics Core. "Which also means that they're producing outcomes which can have real impacts on real people." More literally, Hellbender is three extra-wide, extra-deep black cases housed in the telecommunications building on MU's campus. It's maintained by a team of 12 computer and data science experts called the Research Support Solutions team. Each tall rectangular case contains several pieces of hardware, primarily central processing units, graphics processing units and data storage. Hellbender has around 14,000 CPU cores, which is double what MU's previous supercomputer system had. In total, MU invested $7 million into Hellbender as part of MizzouForward, a larger grant initiative by the university to advance research, student success and to attract more "world class faculty" to its campuses. |
| Can microcredentials bring learners back to college? | |
 | A recent survey of students who stopped out of college suggests that giving them the opportunity to earn microcredentials and academic credit for prior learning could lure them back to higher ed. The survey of roughly 1,100 former students ages 18 to 64 was conducted in June by StraighterLine, an online course provider, and UCPEA, an association that focuses on professional, online and continuing education. The resulting study, released this week, explored when and why students left college and what factors could prompt them to return. The study comes at a time when the number of American adults with some college credits but no credential has grown to a whopping 40.4 million, according to 2021 data from the latest National Student Clearinghouse Research Center report. The central question behind the study was "Is there any incentive an institution can do to get this some credential but no degree or credential population back into their educational journey, whatever that journey looks like?" said Amy Smith, chief learning officer at StraighterLine. The goal was "to understand the motivations, the true lived experience and the perceptions from the students' voice and the students' mind." "They really want an additional layer of value," she noted. "That became loud and clear." |
| What you need to know about President Biden's new student loan forgiveness plan | |
| It's been four months since the Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt for most people with federal loans. Now, the administration has come out with a new, very different student debt relief plan. It's still in the early stages and will need to go through a whole rule-making process, but if some version of it is finalized, it could offer a new path to loan forgiveness for a lot of people. This new forgiveness plan would not apply to everyone with federal student loans. "The Department [of Education] is basically focusing on providing relief to five broad categories of borrowers," said Adam Minsky, a lawyer who works with student loan borrowers. Those categories include "borrowers who owe a lot more now than what they originally borrowed, perhaps due to interest, accrual and fees over time," he said. Also, "people who attended certain institutions that basically saddled them with unreasonable amounts of debt and didn't provide them with a clear pathway to generating income through employment." The new forgiveness plan would also include borrowers who have been paying on their student loans for more than 25 years, people who should qualify for existing student loan forgiveness programs but for whatever reason haven't applied, "and finally, there's sort of like a catch-all category for borrowers who might be experiencing some sort of extreme financial hardship, said Minsky. For now, that's really all the detail there is. It's unclear, for instance, whether people who fall into one of those categories would get all of their remaining student loans forgiven or just some. |
| House approves resolution condemning support of Hamas, Hezbollah on college campuses | |
 | The House approved a resolution Thursday condemning the support of Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations at higher education institutions, a rebuke of the uproar that has taken place at college campuses in the wake of Hamas's attack on Israel last month. The resolution -- which the chamber cleared in a 396-23 vote -- took aim at colleges that have been embroiled in controversy over responses to the Israel-Hamas war, declaring that the support of Hamas and Hezbollah on campuses "may lead to the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff." It also calls on campus administrators to condemn antisemitism on college campuses; ensure Jewish faculty, students and guests are able to exercise free speech rights guaranteed to others without intimidation; and urges the enforcement of federal civil rights laws meant to protect Jewish students. "Today, the People's House sent a clear message to the nation: We firmly reject evil, we strongly support Israel, and we will root out the rotten ideologies found in our higher education system," Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), the sponsor of the resolution, wrote in a statement Thursday. The legislation lists a number of examples across multiple campuses where either professors or students expressed support for Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, after it launched its attack on Israel on Oct. 7. |
| Cardona 'appalled,' 'horrified' at antisemitic incidents on campuses | |
| Education Secretary Miguel Cardona pledged to protect Jewish college students in his first public remarks on the harassment and violence that have roiled campuses since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. "I'm not Jewish, but I'm appalled and horrified about what I'm hearing across the country. I want to tell you directly we've got your back," Cardona told a group of about two dozen Jewish students and campus leaders during a Thursday roundtable at Towson University. "The Department of Education is going to do everything we can to make sure you're safe on campus and that you get to celebrate the beauty of your culture without any fear," he said. The roundtable, which included students from Johns Hopkins University; Goucher College; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Towson, is the latest in a series of Education Department school visits as part of the Biden administration's antisemitism awareness campaign. Students told Cardona and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden that they feel isolated on campus, and they're worried about potential threats to them in person and on social media because they are Jewish. They called on the department to release guidance that could push college leaders to disavow antisemitism on campuses and criticized their campus leadership's statements for being "neutral" about antisemitic incidents. |
| A Free, Online National University Is Trump's Latest Higher-Ed Idea. Here's What Experts Think. | |
 | Former President Donald J. Trump is adding his voice to the many who are calling for "free college," with a few twists, of course. In a campaign video on Wednesday, Trump proposed creating the "American Academy," which would offer "a truly world-class education to every American," without "adding a single dime to the national debt." To be sure, this is not the kind of "free college" proposal that was floated by both President Obama and President Biden -- essentially, two years of tuition-free community college. Instead, Trump's "academy" would be entirely online, he said, and offer "an entire universe of the highest-quality educational content covering the full spectrum of human knowledge and skills." "Whether you want lectures, or ancient histories, or an introduction to financial accounting, or training in a skilled trade," Trump said, "the goal will be to deliver it and get it done properly using study groups, mentors, industry partnerships, and the latest breakthrough in computing." The idea has gotten some attention because Trump is currently the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. But even if he is elected, the proposal is unlikely to make it far in Congress, where partisan gridlock has prevented any updates to the federal Higher Education Act for more than a decade, said James S. Murphy, deputy director of higher-education policy at Education Reform Now, a nonpartisan think tank that advocates for public education. Trump said his online college would be paid for with "billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private-university endowments." |
SPORTS
| A Little Extra Motivation: State faces Kentucky on a special homecoming night | |
| Jett Johnson has been a Bulldog all his life. So, it should come as no surprise that the Mississippi State linebacker seems to be pumped up about having the chance to wear a throwback uniform honoring one of the greatest MSU teams of all time on Saturday for State's 6:30 p.m. homecoming battle against Kentucky. "Those are cool," Johnson said of the vintage look that'll feature the iconic interlocking MSU logo worn by State's 1998 Southeastern Conference Western Division championship squad. "That team obviously had a lot of success [and was] a really good team to win the West. It's a big accomplishment, and [honoring them] should give us some extra motivation. Those guys will be there, I'm sure, and you want to put on a good show for them and move in the right direction." Johnson's two-part objective would be an ideal scenario Saturday for Mississippi State. A victory would surely put smiles on the faces of the '98 legends in attendance, but it'd also be a strong positive step forward for the current bunch of Bulldogs as they look to get back over the .500 mark. A triumph against the Wildcats would be huge. Aside from the positive vibes winning brings, it'd also put State just one win away from bowl eligibility with three opportunities left to get it. The Dawgs would be in a strong spot to extend their bowl streak to 14 consecutive seasons with a postseason game. State is currently one of only seven programs in the country that have gone to a bowl game every year since 2010, and MSU has the third-longest bowl streak in the SEC, behind only Alabama and Georgia. |
| Mississippi State football vs Kentucky: Score prediction, scouting report | |
 | While it's his first year in the SEC, Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary is no stranger to playing at Davis Wade Stadium. Leary lost to Mississippi State football in 2021 when he was starting at NC State. On Saturday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network), after transferring to UK in the offseason, he makes his return to Starkville. "He's got an unbelievable arm," MSU defensive coordinator Matt Brock said. "I remember in the NC State game, he threw one shot. He didn't complete it, but it sailed forever it felt like. You watch him right now, some of his incompletions are not missed throws. He throws it so hard, guys can't catch it at times. You look at what he did against Tennessee, he was on fire. He's a great quarterback. He has mobility, which is always a fear." As Leary looks to pick up his first win in Starkville, Kentucky (5-3, 2-3 SEC) is looking to snap a three-game losing streak. Mississippi State (4-4, 1-4) is looking to defeat its cross-division rival while picking up its second SEC win under coach Zach Arnett. The home team has won every matchup between MSU and UK since 2014. |
| Kentucky vs. Mississippi State football gameday guide: Wildcats look to snap losing streak | |
| When analyzing film of Mississippi State's defense, multiple candid descriptors came to mind for Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen. "Pain in the butt," for one. "Annoying" is another. Coen couldn't recall another defense he's faced, in the NFL or college, that runs a similar flavor of the 3-3-5 scheme the Bulldogs utilize. UK will go up against the Mississippi State defense at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, when the teams square off in Starkville, Mississippi. "There (have) been other variations of 3-3-5 or 4-2-5 structures that we've seen, but not with the every snap movement and rotation of defenders and who's where," Coen said. "You really can't say, 'Well, (No.) 44 is the Mike linebacker.' He plays out at nickel. He plays at Will (linebacker). He plays all over the place. "So everything's got to be spotted. You try to give the kids enough information to not overwhelm and not overload them to be able to go out and play." The every-down challenge the Bulldogs' defense presents unveiled itself during Kentucky's Tuesday practice. "There was frustration," Coen said. "I said, 'Guys, this is the intent of the defense. That's what it does.' So we have to reset --- hard reset --- after each snap, and go play the next play to the best of our ability." The Wildcats' defense has its own problem to prepare for: not knowing which quarterback will start for MSU. Will Rogers, who ranks among the SEC's all-time leaders in numerous passing categories, is dealing with a shoulder injury. Mike Wright, formerly Vanderbilt's starting signal caller, replaced Rogers last week in Mississippi State's loss to Auburn. Then on Monday, MSU coach Zach Arnett didn't tamp down speculation that freshman Chris Parson potentially could be QB1 come Saturday night. |
| Can Kentucky football rediscover 2021 magic to bounce back from three-game losing streak? | |
 | Kentucky football's season may feel like it's on the brink, but the good news is the Wildcats do not need to look far for proof a turnaround is possible. Just two years ago, Kentucky started the 2021 season with six consecutive wins before a three-game losing streak. The Wildcats then rallied in time to win their final three regular season games and the Citrus Bowl. "I hope so," UK coach Mark Stoops said this week when asked if there are lessons from the 2021 turnaround that can be applied to the current team. "I think the big thing for us is to continue to really focus on that improvement. ... For me, I look at the preparation: Did we have a good plan, was the team ready to play, are we in a good mindset? Hopefully, our team will continue that because they have been working really hard. We need to stay on that path." While Kentucky's game at Mississippi State this week brings its own challenges since the Wildcats have not won in Starkville since 2008, it does look like another opportunity to build momentum against a struggling team. The Bulldogs' only SEC win was a 7-3 victory over an Arkansas squad that has yet to win a conference game. Mississippi State has already lost to South Carolina and Auburn, which have not beaten another SEC team. |
| No. 18 Bulldogs Drop Top-20 Battle to No. 10 Arkansas in SEC Semifinals | |
| Thursday marked a new chapter in the history of Mississippi State soccer. When the No.10 Razorbacks (14-4-2, 8-2-1 SEC) and Np. 18 Bulldogs (10-5-5, 5-3-2 SEC) lined up to kick things off, it was the first time that State had competed in the SEC Semifinals. After a hard fought 90 minutes, State fell to Arkansas 2-0, ending their time in Pensacola Beach. The Razorbacks got on the board early in the match when a service from Kiley Dulaney led to a bouncing ball in the box that found the foot of Ava Tankersley who sent it into the top right corner of the goal for her seventh goal of the season. Following the opening strike, the match was back and forth as the Bulldog's defense kept the Razorbacks at bay throughout the remainder of the first half, heading into the locker room down 1-0. The second half started with a flurry of offense from the Bulldogs, specifically Maggie Wadsworth who fired off five shots with three of them being on frame. Wadsworth had five of State's seven shots and all three shots on goal for the Bulldogs. Arkansas added another goal late in the second half as Morgan White capitalized an attacking chance with service from Bea Franklin and Makenzie Malham to put the Razorbacks up 2-0. No. 18 Mississippi State will now turn their attention to the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, November 6th at 3:00 PM to await their postseason placement. Fans are encouraged to tune in to www.NCAA.com to watch with the Dawgs as the postseason continues. |
| Bulldogs Wrap Fall Slate In Hawaii | |
| No. 16 Mississippi State concluded its fall slate with a ninth-place finish at the Kapolei Invitational. The Bulldogs shot a 12-under 276 on Thursday and finished the tournament at 34-under 830. That score stands as the sixth-lowest 54-hole team total in program history and State's second-lowest total this season. All six MSU golfers recorded par or better rounds for the second consecutive day. Harrison Davis turned in a career day, shooting a 6-under 66. That matched his career-low round and his best round against par. It lifted him to a 10-under 206 overall performance that stands as his best career 54-hole total and best tournament against par. "It was nice to see us have a couple of low rounds today," head coach Dusty Smith said. "We had it set up to have a special round but lost some momentum mid-round. I am proud of the fall season we had, but there is a lot of improvement that needs to take place if we want to be a championship team come the spring. It all starts with our toughness and our ability to look in the mirror and take ownership of the areas we need to get better." The Bulldogs' competition now comes to a pause. State will not play again before the spring semester, and returns to action at the Watersound Invitational in Panama City Beach, Florida, beginning on February 19. |
| Former Mississippi State players earn rings as Texas Rangers win World Series | |
| The 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) season has come to a close with two former Mississippi State players earning rings. Nathaniel Lowe and Chris Stratton were part of this year's world-champion Texas Rangers team. The Rangers ousted the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games to win the franchise's first-ever title. Lowe, the team's starting first baseman who played for the Bulldogs in 2016, had hits in three games, including a Game 3 double. He finished the season with a .262 batting average with 17 home runs and 82 runs batted in. Stratton, a pitcher with Mississippi State from 2010-11, entered two games in relief against the Diamondbacks, allowing two hits and two runs on 1.1 innings of work. The Tupelo native finished his first season with the Rangers with a 3.92 earned run average and 81 strikeouts. |
| Peggy Prescott lives on through Dak and his loved ones, 10 years after Cowboys QB lost her | |
| After each of his four touchdowns last Sunday, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott brought his right hand to his lips. He kissed his index finger. He tilted his head back. Then, Prescott looked up and pointed skyward. To say the motion is muscle memory would simultaneously underemphasize how deeply Prescott has incorporated it into his life, and undervalue how meaningful a gesture it remains to him. He cherishes every chance to honor his late mother, Peggy Prescott, who died of colon cancer at 52 years old on Nov. 3, 2013. Every chance to celebrate, mourn and navigate with her the milestones that have unfolded in the decade since Dak lost her. Prescott has directed a kiss upstairs to celebrate after each of his 218 professional touchdowns, playoffs included; he pointed skyward, too, as he was carted off the field in 2020 after a gruesome compound fracture and dislocation of his ankle. When he jogs out onto the field before games? He briefly closes his eyes, kisses and points. And when Prescott took the NFL Honors stage last February to accept the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, he was sure to "acknowledge the person who has had the biggest influence on my life: my mother, Peggy. My mother was and still is my moral compass." Friday marks 10 years since Dak and his family lost their mother, sister, best friend and closest confidante to cancer. It also marks 10 years since Peggy began to continue -- so palpably, so poignantly -- to live on through Dak and his loved ones. |
| Florida State becoming independent is 'not a true option' as it considers conference future, AD says | |
| Independence in football is "not a true option" for Florida State, athletic director Michael Alford told The Athletic. There's been a great deal of speculation about Florida State's future either as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference or elsewhere, were the Seminoles to figure out a way out of the league's grant of rights, which binds the schools to each other and the ACC through 2036. Alford said that FSU is "still analyzing what our options are," but independence does not appear to be one of them. "I don't think it's an option because of scheduling and everything that comes along with that, and where media contracts are now," Alford said Tuesday. "But I'm not going to lie to you and say I didn't spend 10 minutes on it. ... I have a great staff that knows that I want to look at things and know what all my options are but also have analytics and not just throw something up there. It needs to have some support behind it so we can look at it. "Is that a true option? No, it's not a true option." Notre Dame is independent in football but an ACC member in all other sports that the conference offers. The Irish have continually expressed their desire to remain independent, assuming they have access to the national championship and a satisfactory media rights deal that supports the athletic department. But they're the last of a dying breed, as Army announced last month it will be joining the American Athletic Conference and forgoing its football independence, bringing the number of FBS independents down to three: Notre Dame, UConn and UMass. Washington State and Oregon State, the two remaining Pac-12 members, are also in the process of figuring out how they're going to build a football schedule for next season. Independence -- or quasi-independence -- can be challenging. |
| Sources: ADs offer support but tell commish Big Ten must 'step up' | |
| Big Ten athletic directors met with commissioner Tony Petitti on a video call Thursday without Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel present, and sources told ESPN the call about Michigan's alleged sign-stealing operation took on a distinctly different tenor than when they met a week ago. Sources said the athletic directors left the call with the notion that Petitti is taking the Big Ten's ability to punish Michigan over the allegations more seriously than before. While no potential punishments were discussed, Petitti acknowledged speaking with the NCAA about its investigation, although he refused to divulge any details of that conversation, sources said. One of the issues Petitti brought up with the athletic directors was that he couldn't make a decision on Michigan this season based on a whim, that he would need a set of facts to go off. Petitti said on the call he needs to still speak with the Big Ten presidents on the matter, have deeper discussions with officials at Michigan and potentially speak again with the NCAA, per sources. That left no decision imminent, but Big Ten officials stressed a different tone. The athletic directors made it clear they were there to support Petitti, who has been in office since April, and help guide him through. While the coaches showed flashes of anger Wednesday, the athletic directors were more measured. "The athletic directors provided more guidance for a path forward," said another source familiar with the call. "The coaches spoke from a point of high emotion." |
| Inside the bitter split between the SEC and CBS: 'They just dug their heels in. They would not move' | |
| As he does nearly every fall Saturday afternoon, Roy Kramer will settle into his seat within the living room of his Tennessee home to watch a now 27-year-old tradition -- one that he helped start. Promptly at 3:30 p.m. ET, bursting from the speakers of his television, the religious experience begins. High-pitched horns and rumbling snare drums. Sixteen defining notes and a choir of voices. The melody builds into a spine-tingling crescendo of percussion and brass as side-by-side acronyms flash onto the screen: SEC on CBS. To call it theme music is a disservice, almost disrespectful to so many who for nearly three decades have watched their beloved Southern college football teams battle on the gridiron. This is the anthem of SEC football. And soon, it's going away. "There's a certain feeling of emptiness in seeing the CBS logo leave the SEC," said Kramer, the former SEC commissioner. "But times change. The conference has made a strong step into the future. As one looks back over that period of time, the association between the SEC and CBS was significant for both." On Saturday, over an eight-hour stretch, the network will air its final SEC doubleheader. It's a doozy: at 3:30 p.m. ET, Georgia hosts Missouri with the SEC East Division lead on the line; at 7:45 p.m., Alabama hosts LSU with the SEC West Division lead on the line. Nearly 30 years ago, the SEC, burgeoning as a football power conference, and CBS, dabbling its toe in the college game, struck one of the most valuable partnerships in the sport's history -- each of them using the other to evolve into a powerful pairing within the industry. So, why is it ending? |
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