| Tuesday, November 28, 2023 |
| Education: MSU fall graduation ceremonies set for Dec. 7, 8 | |
 | Mississippi State University graduates will complete their higher education with commencements on Dec. 7 and 8 in Meridian and Starkville. MSU President Mark E. Keenum will serve as the featured speaker for this year's ceremonies and will award bachelor's, master's, education specialist and doctoral degrees. The Meridian and Starkville campus ceremonies can be watched remotely via the MSU TV Center's livestream at https://utc.msstate.edu/mstv/. Starkville graduates are limited to eight guests, while Meridian graduates can bring up to six. There is no cost for the tickets emailed to graduates with instructions for downloading. Also, security screenings will take place upon entry. Guest seating is general admission. Graduates will be seated after checking in, but an entrance processional is not scheduled for the ceremonies. Humphrey Coliseum guests may leave when their graduate exits the stage by exiting through the main coliseum entrances on the east and west sides of Mize Pavilion. Complete logistical information for visitors planning to attend the ceremonies at Humphrey Coliseum can be found at www.registrar.msstate.edu/students/graduation. |
| Mississippi Rep. Banks gets probation on tax conviction and intends to remain in office | |
 | A longtime Mississippi lawmaker was sentenced Monday to two years of probation and has already paid nearly $85,000 in restitution, months after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of willfully making a false statement on a tax return. Democratic Rep. Earle Banks of Jackson was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves. Banks' conviction does not prevent him from continuing to serve at the state Capitol and he intends to remain in office, according to his attorney Rob McDuff. Banks, 69, is a funeral director and attorney. He has been in the House since 1993. When he pleaded guilty in May, Banks admitted failing to report more than $500,000 of income from the 2018 sale of real estate that had been in his family for many years, McDuff said. A federal charging document showed Banks claimed adjusted gross income of $38,237, even though he knew he had received more than $500,000 from the sale of real estate. Banks has paid restitution of $84,766, McDuff said Monday. Banks could have faced up to three years in prison for the guilty plea. Banks was unopposed for reelection this year in House District 67, which is entirely in Hinds County. |
| Public Service Commissioner Brent Bailey says challenge of loss to De'Keither Stamps unlikely | |
 | After a review of Hinds County election materials Monday, incumbent Public Service Commissioner Brent Bailey said he will likely not mount a challenge of his loss to state Rep. De'Keither Stamps in the Nov. 7 election. "At this point, it does not appear that we will file a petition to contest the election," Bailey said late Monday afternoon. "While we will continue the examination process and my team feels that some affidavit and absentee ballots were inappropriately accepted and some box security irregularities have been observed, we have weighed the time and expense of a petition to contest and feel resources would best be utilized elsewhere." The commissioner-elect, Stamps, on Monday urged Bailey to help with a smooth transition for the office, which regulates public utilities and sets the rates they can charge customers. The three-member, elected Public Service Commission regulates public utilities and the rates they can charge customers. If Stamps' victory stands, the commission will have three new members starting in January: two Republicans and one Democrat (Stamps). The other two PSC seats were decided in the August primary, with Republican state Rep. Chris Brown winning the northern district seat and Republican challenger Wayne Carr winning the southern district seat. |
| China commission calls for stronger tech export controls | |
 | Congress must act to create a stronger system to stop the flow of technology that can aid Beijing's military goals, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. "U.S. export controls toward China have expanded substantially, though they now face significant obstacles to enforcement" because China's civil-military fusion creates a seamless flow of technology between its commercial sector and military establishment, the commission said in an annual report released this month. The current restrictions on U.S. investments flowing to China's tech sector are "insufficient to stem the flow of U.S. and foreign technology expertise and capital into China's defense sector." Congress must examine the merits a unified export control system that combines the separate roles currently held by the Commerce and State departments, the commission said. The report's recommendations come as the Biden administration has steadily ramped up restrictions on exports of key technologies, including advanced semiconductors. President Joe Biden in August issued an executive order asking the Treasury and Commerce departments to draw up a plan to restrict U.S. venture capital funding flowing to China's tech sector. White House officials and members of Congress are concerned that access to advanced technologies and funding would enable China to build a sophisticated military that could allow it to take Taiwan by force. The Republican-led House created a bipartisan Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, led by Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., to examine and recommend ways that Congress can act to halt China's advances both in military and economic spheres. |
| Cyber Insurers Warn Catastrophic Hacks Will Require Government Help | |
 | A cyberattack that disrupts everyday life in the U.S. will likely cost more than the insurance industry can afford to cover, requiring government intervention, insurers and brokers said. The idea of a federal backstop to help insurers cope in the event of a catastrophic cyberattack has been examined by the government in recent years, but has gained momentum with tandem efforts at the Treasury Department, the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency over the past year. Government officials and the insurance industry plan to meet in April to work out exactly what such a program would look like. Federal support in the event of a catastrophic attack would undoubtedly be necessary, said John Keogh, president and chief operating officer of insurer Chubb. While the industry could absorb a major natural disaster, the effects of a cyberattack on a similar scale would quickly overwhelm its capacity to cover losses. "A $250 billion cyber event is beyond the ability of the insurance industry to respond to today," said Keogh, who was speaking at a recent conference organized by New York University and the U.S. Treasury Department in New York. In October, insurance and reinsurance marketplace Lloyd's of London predicted a successful cyberattack on a major financial-services payments system would result in global economic losses of $3.5 trillion over a five-year period. The scenario, which Lloyd's described as "hypothetical but plausible," would hit the U.S. hardest, at $1.1 trillion of damage. |
| Why do they give? Donors speak about what moves them and how they plan end-of-year donations | |
| What motivates people to donate to charities or causes they care about is often deeply personal. Donors name relatives or friends who have survived or died from illnesses. They recount tearful conversations with their children. They point to their aspirations for how their communities and the larger world could be improved. In advance of GivingTuesday, The Associated Press interviewed people from across the country with a variety of life experiences about why they give, which organizations they choose to support and how they plan their giving throughout the year. While not all will participate in GivingTuesday, which started in 2012 as a hashtag, the date has become a central part of nonprofit fundraising and a kind of last chance to meet their budget goals for the following year. The amount that Ruben Brooks, 56, will give each year varies, but what doesn't change are the causes he supports: financial literacy, scholarships and mentoring for young people in the African American community. "If you want a healthier society, if you want a more productive society, a safer society, then it probably behooves all of us to give in an effort to effectuate the desired result," said Brooks, who is the chief operating officer of Atlanta Beltline. Years ago, he volunteered as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, an organization that he continues to support financially, along with Junior Achievement of Georgia, where he is now a board member. While he has less time to volunteer nowadays, he has extended his network to students who receive scholarships through another nonprofit, the Ezekiel Taylor Foundation, sometimes hosting them at his home. |
| 'Humbling and inspiring': Thompson begins work as JSU's 13th president | |
| Dr. Marcus L. Thompson has taken his seat as the 13th president of Jackson State University. In a statement issued Monday -- his first official day as president -- Thompson said the support he's received from faculty, staff, students and alumni "has been humbling and inspiring." The State Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning named Thompson as the new JSU president Nov. 16. Thompson spent more than a decade at IHL, where he served as deputy commissioner and chief administrative officer. Thompson said that while at IHL, he worked closely with JSU's administrators and faculty. "I recognize that Jackson State's legacy is bigger than me or any one individual that may hold this title; and l am excited about the journey ahead to serve each of you and our beloved institution," Thompson said in the statement. "I am committed to leveraging every resource I have for the betterment of Thee I Love." Thompson said on his first day, he had lunch with a group of students. |
| UMMC sees rise in safety grade | |
| Members of the Mississippi Institution for Higher Learning's Board of Trustees recently heard from administrators at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) about an increase in the facility's safety score. The information was presented to the Board on November 15 by UMMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lisa Didion who told the members that the hospital currently holds a grade of B for the fall of 2023 as part of the Leapfrog Group's Hospital Survey. The grade is an increase from the previous grade of C issued in the spring of this year. According to Leapfrog's website, grades are issued based on results from a survey that gathers information on C-Section rates, safe health care practices, surgical volumes, ICU staff levels, rates of infections related to hospital care, and the use of barcode technology to reduce errors when administering medication. Results are compiled and compared with "national performance measures to evaluate individual hospitals on safety, quality and efficiency." Leapfrog says the data and findings from the survey provides consumers with potentially life-saving information on hospital quality. "So, how Leapfrog works is we actually get a numerical grade and then subsequently a letter grade to accompany it," Dr. Didion said. The letter grading system ranks hospitals from A to F, based on a numerical scale of 1.323 to 4.005. The highest grade for a B is 3.201, meaning the lowest grade for an A is 3.202. "Our numerical grade was a 3.1806. So, we are much closer to an A than we are a C. I'm very, very proud of this," she said. |
| International students find home away from home at UM | |
 | Ever-increasing enrollment is a sign that education at the University of Mississippi has become a coveted experience across the country. The desire to join the Rebel community has even reached across the globe, attracting potential students from all over the world. These international students traverse oceans in hopes of finding a new home in Oxford. Many students have found major success during their enrollment in Ole Miss. Fifth-year student Gauree Wathodkar, a mathematics major, is from India and was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the community has been. "I found that the people are very accepting here. In these five years, being a woman of color, I thought that I might face some discrimination, but I never did," Wathodkar said. "Everyone treated me with so much respect, and everyone was so accepting of me and so welcoming. Many professors in my department made me realize that I don't have to do anything extra to fit here, and it was a very nice feeling." Although the university helps international students thrive and find a career meant for them, many struggle with anxiety over the transition. On top of prioritizing their academic grades, social activity can be a bit intimidating for some students who fear they will not be included or culturally identified by their peers. Junior English major Kseniia Kataeva is from Russia and was worried her nationality would create problems for making new friends. |
| Auburn rings in the holiday season with annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony | |
| The holiday season has officially begun in Auburn. The university's annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony took place on Nov. 26 on Samford Lawn. Despite the rainy weather, a large crowd gathered to enjoy the holiday celebration. The event featured arts and crafts, Christmas caroling, holiday cookies, latkes and a hot cocoa bar complete with marshmallows and whipped cream. The main event, however, was the lighting of the campus Christmas tree and menorah. "We have the holiday tree lighting and menorah lighting today," said Maggie Jones, the director of campus traditions for the University Program Council (UPC). The event was sponsored by UPC, Student Involvement and Hillel at Auburn. "Every year we have this holiday lighting ceremony," said Nora Patterson, Hillel's faculty advisor. "It's a tradition for Hillel to work with UPC to bring in the holiday season together for the Auburn community and students. We lead dreidel games and we have latkes. We wish the community a happy Hanukkah and Aubie will light up the Christmas tree and the menorah at the same time." Hillel is Auburn's Jewish student organization. Patteron said that although they are a minority in Auburn, they feel very supported and enjoy sharing Hanukkah with the community. Along with UPC and Hillel students, there were many people from the community that attended the lighting ceremony. |
| Ben Sasse has been UF's president for nearly a year. Here's a look at his tenure so far | |
 | The University of Florida's 13th president was met with backlash, protests and skepticism when first brought on in February 2023. After he's been on the job nearly a year, some members of the UF community are still unsure if he's the right fit. Among President Ben Sasse's notable plans for the university is funding dozens of initiatives. He also has expressed a strong desire to dive into Artificial Intelligence (AI) on campus. Sasse's presidency was announced in October 2022 by a 15-member search committee that chose him as sole finalist after months of combing through 700 other candidates. No other finalist would come forward unless chosen as sole finalist, Rahul Patel, a UF trustee and chair of the Presidential Search Committee, previously told The Sun. During his inauguration speech on Nov. 3, Sasse said he seeks to encourage viewpoint diversity on campus, facilitating good faith agreements and conversations and rejecting extremism. He also pledged to defend tenure as a critical tool for UF, refine the core curriculum, and increase transparency and accountability at the university. Sasse emphasized the importance of AI and technology at UF but made no mention of its potentially negative results. "He doesn't go on to address the plans and methods of ensuring that no harm comes to creators, essentially, and other people that might be harmed by the use of AI," UF junior Lyn Allen said. "It feels like this is very much of him just trying to say something that's big and like new." |
| Texas A&M signs collaborative student exchange agreement with Taiwanese officials | |
 | Texas A&M students are expected to take a field trip next May. They'll need a suitcase and a passport to go, though. Top officials at the A&M University System and Taiwan's University Academic Alliance signed a student exchange and research agreement Monday. This memorandum of understanding (MOU) was created to leverage the United States' bourgeoning domestic semiconductor industry to collaborate with Taiwanese officials since Taiwan is an established worldwide leader in semiconductor manufacturing. The MOU was signed by A&M Chancellor John Sharp and President Wen-Chang Chen, coordinator of Taiwan's University Academic Alliance. The collaborative agreement is between the 11 A&M System universities and the 12 universities of the University Academic Alliance in Taiwan. This agreement also allows the two sides to collaborate on quantum technology, agriculture, the health sciences, engineering, space technology and the Mandarin language. Monday's signed MOU spans five years and can be renewed by mutual written agreement. "It's going to be a great deal for the students of our 11 universities and, I think, the students of their 12 universities, plus the faculty," Sharp said. "They have obvious expertise in semiconductors. We have semiconductor space and so many other things here that students are going to really benefit from and I think it's going to enhance the research portfolio of all of the universities that are involved in this." |
| Night School Bar offers college-level courses with a chaser | |
| At a bar in a college town, it's not unusual for the person pouring your drinks to also have a Ph.D. As academia overflows with aspiring professors, many turn to lower paying jobs as adjunct instructors, and they often work side gigs to get by. For some, it's bartending. A new bar in Durham, North Carolina is trying to bring those two worlds -- of bars and college -- together. Early on a Wednesday evening, customers trickle through the backdoor of a speakeasy. They grab a Oaxacan old fashioned or gin and tonic at the bar, then travel with their highball glasses to the informal classroom next door. There are vintage lockers on the wall, next to a poster of the periodic table. Bar owner Lindsey Andrews is there teaching a class on art and labor. Students sip their cocktails and get into a heady debate about art in the age of late capitalism. This is what Andrews had in mind when she first envisioned this business Night School Bar -- cocktails alongside college-level classes in art, film and literature. "I really just combined the two things I was doing already," she said. "I worked in restaurants for forever, and I've been in school for forever." Andrews used to teach English classes as an adjunct instructor at North Carolina State University by day and bartend at night. While she poured drinks, customers sometimes asked about her classes. "I would say, 'Oh, I'm teaching a class on science fiction, but we're reading all women writers, it's all feminist sci fi,' and they'll be like, 'Whoa, I never had a class like that,' or 'That sounds really awesome,'" Andrews recalled. "And I would think, 'This would be really, really fun to talk about with you -- the person who's here in front of me.'" |
| Recruiters move out of state to woo nonresident applicants | |
 | An increasingly diverse array of institutions is sending counselors far afield to woo applicants. Michael Harris, a professor of higher education at Southern Methodist University who co-wrote a 2016 paper on the expansion of nonresident recruitment, said much of that growth has followed demographic trends. As college-age populations in the upper Midwest and Northeast decline, more enrollment-hungry institutions are sending recruiters to the West Coast and deep South. Harris said the practice has expanded from highly selective privates to state flagships with funding challenges, and it has ballooned in recent years to include regional public campuses and small, little-known private colleges. "Historically this was a tactic used only by the most prestigious universities. But as enrollments got tighter, finances got tighter, state funding started to dry up, you saw more institutions in that next proverbial tier down -- liberal arts colleges and, most notably, state flagships -- start doing it," he said. "This strategy trickled down throughout the higher education sector, to the point now where I would imagine most four-year institutions are using it to at least some degree." The University of Alabama was among the first to make a nonresident recruitment push more than a decade ago, Harris said. The flagship in Tuscaloosa took advantage of the lack of state regulation to build a far-reaching recruitment operation unrivaled by other public universities. "It really started with Alabama and then spread throughout the [NCAA Southeastern Conference], where these public universities in red states often had less state funding or were experiencing heavy cuts in the early 2000s," Harris said. |
| Mother of Palestinian student shot in Vermont thought he would be safer in U.S. | |
 | When the war began in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants, the family of Hisham Awartani decided he should remain in the U.S., where he's a student at Brown University, rather than return home for the holidays to Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "My husband didn't want Hisham to come back for Christmas," says Awartani's mother Elizabeth Price. "He thought our son would be safer [in the U.S.] than in Palestine." On Saturday, Awartani, 20, was one of three men of Palestinian descent shot while visiting family in Burlington, Vermont. According to Price, her son was severely injured. "The doctors are currently saying it's unlikely he'll be able to use his legs again," Price tells NPR by phone from her home in Ramallah. "He's confronting a life of disability, a potentially irreversible change to his life and what it means for his future." Awartani is studying mathematics and archaeology at Brown. He's a graduate of the Ramallah Friends School, a Quaker-run K-12 school in the West Bank. "I think it's important for these boys to be seen as fully fledged people," Price says. Authorities haven't determined whether the shooting was a hate crime, but in a statement over the weekend, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said: "In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime." |
| Gaza Protests at Colleges Open a Generational Divide | |
| Three years ago, Erin Mullen arrived at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst exhausted by the pandemic and without any appetite for political demonstrations. Last month she sat in a holding cell in an Amherst jail with her hands cuffed behind her back, one of 57 students arrested while protesting the conflict in Gaza. Mullen is white, her parents were raised Catholic and she grew up in an upper middle class Boston suburb. Her political awakening -- along with those of tens of thousands of her generation now enrolled at college -- is fueling a surge of campus unrest not seen since the Vietnam War. A wave of pro-Palestinian protests has swept college campuses, leading to heightened tensions, counterprotests and, in some cases, violence. The conflict has also exposed a generational divide, with many older Americans surprised at the protests' scope and intensity. Mullen and other pro-Palestinian college demonstrators say their activism is rooted in a deeply held conviction that the world is divided between the oppressed and their oppressors. Today's college students entered elementary school as fire drills gave way to active-shooter drills and their parents navigated the 2008 recession. They came of age as the climate crisis gained attention and the 2016 election of Donald Trump polarized their communities. Their schools closed during the pandemic, then streets shut down for protests following the murder of George Floyd. Now they are struggling with high rates of anxiety and depression as they prepare to enter an economy in which income inequality is near all-time highs. |
| Can U.S.-China Student Exchanges Survive Geopolitics? | |
 | On a cool Saturday morning, in a hotel basement in Beijing, throngs of young Chinese gathered to do what millions had done before them: dream of an American education. At a college fair organized by the United States Embassy, the students and their parents hovered over rows of booths advertising American universities. As a mascot of a bald eagle worked the crowd, they posed eagerly for photos. But beneath the festive atmosphere thrummed a note of anxiety. Did America still want Chinese students? And were Chinese students sure they wanted to go to America? "We see the negative news, so it's better to be careful," said Zhuang Tao, the father of a college senior considering graduate school in the United States, Australia and Britain. He had read the frequent headlines about gun violence, anti-Asian discrimination and, of course, tensions between the United States and China, at one of their highest levels in decades. "After all, the entire situation is a bit complicated." Students have been traveling between China and the United States for generations, propelled by ambition, curiosity and a belief that their time abroad could help them better their and their countries' futures. The first Chinese student to graduate from an American university, Yung Wing, arrived at Yale in 1850 and later helped send 120 more students to America. The trickle became a steady stream: For nearly the past two decades, Chinese students have made up the largest share of international students in the United States. And for Americans, until the coronavirus pandemic, China was the most popular destination for study abroad outside of Western Europe, according to an annual State Department-funded survey. Students have been an anchor in the two countries' relations, even when political or economic ties have soured. |
| Where Do Colleges' Antiracism Centers Go From Here? | |
 | Three years ago, a handful of colleges opened centers devoted to combating systemic racism. As their newly tapped directors were still getting their bearings, the centers' founding principles quickly came under attack. College leaders announced these centers as part of their institutional response to the outrage that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Their missions and methods varied, but generally they aimed to confront racism and repair the harm it causes. Typically they were branded as "antiracism centers," following the model of the bestselling book How to Be an Antiracist by the historian Ibram X. Kendi. At the same time, right-wing leaders in states such as Ohio, Florida, and Texas began working to strike down mandatory diversity training and restrict instruction about critical race theory and African American history. Some conservative legislators claimed that teaching about how race connects to privilege and oppression was a form of indoctrination that pitted people of color against white people. Even as some centers came together, one institution, Pennsylvania State University, decided not to move forward with a planned racial-justice center; the university's new president questioned whether it was the best use of resources. The Chronicle spoke with half a dozen antiracism-center directors to get a sense of what the centers actually do and how effective they are. Their efforts fall under three main themes: interdisciplinary research, community partnerships, and public engagement. |
| Where Biden stands on his education campaign promises | |
 | President Biden had some lofty education goals during his 2020 campaign. The president made promises that included increased education funding and reforms to higher education and student debt. "Biden is proposing a bold plan for education and training beyond high school that will give hard-working Americans the chance to join or maintain their place in the middle class, regardless of their parents' income or the color of their skin," the president's 2020 campaign website said. Now, with three years on the books and less than a year until voters decide if he deserves another four in office, here is where he stands on fulfilling his education pledges. The campaign promise that has been under the biggest spotlight is universal student debt relief. While Biden on the trail did not go as far as his primary opponents, he did pledge at least $10,000 in student debt relief for borrowers making less than $125,000 a year. However, the plan was shot down at the Supreme Court in June, with the justices ruling that the provision Biden cited did not grant him the authority to cancel that much debt. Now, the administration is looking at making a new plan through a different process -- but it seems this version of loan forgiveness will not be universal but instead target certain groups. One of Biden's biggest education promises was to make two-year community college free for all students, a target that has remained out of reach. At this point, the goal is unlikely to be achieved by the end of Biden's first term. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State officially introduces Jeff Lebby as its 36th head football coach | |
 | Two weeks ago, Mississippi State director of athletics Zac Selmon announced a change in leadership within the football program would immediately begin hunting for the Bulldogs' next head coach. At that time, Selmon stated he was searching for someone with "winning qualities, winning traits and someone that knows what winning looks like at the highest level." On Monday evening, Selmon stood in front of a sea of MSU students, faculty, fans and alumni that braved the fridged temperatures in front of the Seal Football Complex and proudly announced the program's 36th head football coach, Jeff Lebby. "He's our guy," Selmon said before the throng of Bulldog faithful rose to their feet and erupted in applause. "Coach Lebby has an elite offensive mind," Selmon said. "He cares and develops his players and has a winning culture. That's a recipe for a lot of great success. I know that the best days are ahead for Mississippi State football." Although Lebby's first team won't take the field for another 10 months, just his arrival in Starkville has signified a new chapter for Mississippi State and also rejuvenated a fan base that is fired up for his brand of football in the fall. "It's a great time to be a Mississippi State Bulldog," Selmon said. "It will be electric. It will be dynamic. We will be resilient and dare I say, yeah, we'll be a little swaggy. That's what you can expect from Mississippi State football under coach Jeff Lebby." |
| 'We're going to be in a race against ourselves:' Jeff Lebby talks expectations for Mississippi State in opening press conference | |
| Both the personnel and style of play, at least on offense, are sure to be drastically different for Mississippi State in 2024 compared to 2023. New head coach Jeff Lebby made that quite clear Monday night in his introductory news conference. Coming off a 5-7 season and their first winter without a bowl game since 2009, the Bulldogs are in need of an offensive overhaul, and everywhere Lebby has gone, offensive excellence has followed. He said MSU has pieces in place already on the roster but will need to utilize the transfer portal, including at the game's most important position. "We'll be able to go get a guy we need. We're going to address (quarterback) through the portal," Lebby said. "We also have got a couple guys on campus who I am incredibly excited about, to be able to put us in a position to go compete and have a healthy competition this spring. As we move forward with the quarterback position, we want guys who can do both -- keep people honest with their feet and be able to throw it all over the yard." With four-year starter Will Rogers officially entering the transfer portal Monday, the Bulldogs still have former Vanderbilt transfer Mike Wright, who was recruited by Lebby while the coach was at Central Florida, as well as freshman Chris Parson. Lebby coordinated an offense at Oklahoma that averaged 43.2 points and 502.6 yards per game this year, both in the top five among all 133 Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Although he is now a first-time head coach, Lebby -- who will have a base salary of $4.51 million per year over four years with numerous performance-based incentives -- said he will continue to call plays at MSU while delegating other responsibilities to an offensive coordinator. |
| Mississippi State sends message with two-day celebration for new football coach Jeff Lebby | |
 | It was a crisp Monday night, a typical one where a drive on Highway 82 doesn't offer much light. But in the distance, a campus that is the soul of this Mississippi town glowed with the promise of a new beginning. On this night, the video boards across Mississippi State's campus illuminated the sky. Displayed on them was a graphic introducing football coach Jeff Lebby, but the Bulldogs didn't stop there in energizing the town for its new leader. The video boards were just part of a two-day event in Starkville, unlike most introductions for coaches. It started Sunday night when fans awaited Lebby's arrival at George M. Bryan Airport. To the tune of MSU's band and the fans' signature clanging cowbells, the former Oklahoma offensive coordinator made note of his desire to score points. Mississippi State took it a step further on Monday. Outside the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex, he was introduced to fans. Accompanied by university president Mark Keenum and athletic director Zac Selmon, Lebby spoke about his desire to make the expanded College Football Playoff, which starts in 2024. Mississippi State often has been viewed as a stepping stone for coaches. But with confetti and fireworks just to introduce a coach, MSU did its part to send a message to college football. "There is a great history of great players here," Lebby said. "You can get not good, but great players here to be able to go get it done." |
| Five Things To Know No. 21 MSU-Georgia Tech | |
| The first true road contest of the 2023-24 season awaits No. 21 Mississippi State as the Bulldogs travel to Georgia Tech for the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday at McCamish Pavilion. The Bulldogs (6-0, 0-0 SEC) enter this week's action as one of three SEC squads and one of 24 undefeated teams remaining in the country. State is joined by Baylor, Miami and Purdue as the only programs to own at least a 5-0 mark with at least a trio of Power 6 non-conference wins (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12) on the season. After entering the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls last Monday, the Maroon and White check in at No. 21 and No. 22, respectively, released earlier today. Georgia Tech (2-2, 0-0 ACC) has dropped back-to-back decisions, most recently at undefeated Cincinnati on 11/22. The Yellow Jackets have four players led by Miles Kelly (18.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.3 SPG). He already has provided a 27-point and 25-point performance on the young season. Kowacie Reeves (12.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.3 SPG), a Florida transfer, has posted double figures in three of four games. Tuesday's meeting marks the 30th all-time meeting between the former SEC rivals. The last time the two programs met on the hardwood was a home-and-home series during the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons with each team winning on the road. |
| Mississippi State prepares for first true road game against Georgia Tech | |
| Mississippi State, despite having dealt with a spate of injuries, has started the season as well as any fan could have hoped. Georgia Tech cannot say the same. After handily defeating Georgia Southern in their season opener, the Yellow Jackets edged Howard 88-85 on Nov. 9, then dropped a buy game to UMass-Lowell five days later. Georgia Tech then went on the road for the first time and suffered an 89-54 thumping at the hands of Cincinnati. The No. 21 Bulldogs (6-0) will make the trip to McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta on Tuesday night to try to add to the Yellow Jackets' woes. MSU got two more players back from injury in last Friday's win over Nicholls -- forwards Jaquan Scott and KeShawn Murphy -- and is now fully healthy with the significant exception of star post player Tolu Smith, who is still on track to return from his foot injury in January. "It was nice to have KeShawn back in uniform and available," head coach Chris Jans said Monday. "When you're coming back from that long of an injury, you'd like as a coach to tell them to ease into it and make the simple plays. It's easy to say and hard to do at times, but it was good to have him out there. And Jaquan, same thing. It had been a while since he's had some live game action and he's still getting comfortable with his injury and trusting it." The Bulldogs have played three neutral-site games already, but Tuesday's contest -- part of the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge -- is their first and only true road game in non-conference play. MSU plays Tulane back in Atlanta on Dec. 9, North Texas in Tupelo on Dec. 17 and Rutgers in Newark, N.J. on Dec. 23. |
| Women's Golf Announces 2024 Spring Schedule | |
| Mississippi State head women's golf coach Charlie Ewing announced the 2024 spring schedule on Monday. The schedule features four unique road tests for the Bulldogs, pairing them with some of the strongest teams in the country. The Bulldogs begin their march through the spring season at the Palos Verdes Golf Club in California for the Therese Hession Regional Challenge. This will mark the first time that State has competed in the challenge in its 28-year existence. The 16-team field features 12 top 25 ranked teams, with seven entering the spring ranked in the top 10. The schedule will continue into the Bahamas for the Dawgs, as they will play in the Nexus Collegiate in Nassau. The ladies will be making their first appearance in the Nexus Collegiate. However, this will not be Mississippi State's first time appearing in the tournament, as the men's team appeared in the 2022 edition. Up next on the spring slate will be the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate. Mississippi State will be making their fifth appearance in the tournament, their first since 2018. The tournament, originating from Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, will be broadcast on the Golf Channel. Out of the 16 teams, State will be joining 10 others entering as top 25 teams. State concludes their spring schedule at the Old Barnwell Golf Club for two days of match play. The tournament in Aiken, S.C. will mark the lone time the Dawgs compete in match play during the regular season. Postseason play will begin on April 12 with the SEC Championship. |
| Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko's arrival is a look to the future with a nod to the past | |
| Texas A&M threw a party Monday in honor of new beginnings. In front of a crowd of fans, university dignitaries and the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, new A&M head football coach Mike Elko made his debutante appearance, formally introduced by President Mark Welsh and athletic director Ross Bjork. Elko takes the role on a six-year contract that will pay a base salary of $7 million per year with a sliding scale of postseason incentives for every round of the 12-team College Football Playoff his teams achieve. Should the Aggies win the national championship under Elko's watch, he will earn approximately $10.5 million. "Coach Mike Elko is a modern-day and innovative football coach with a blue-collar mentality that fits perfectly here at Texas A&M," Bjork said during the welcome ceremony. However, for as much as Monday's starting line looked to the future of football in Aggieland, it continually harkened to the past. Throughout the process of making this hire, former A&M head coach R.C. Slocum has had a moment. When Bjork announced the firing of former head coach Jimbo Fisher on Nov. 12, he mentioned wanting to bring the next Slocum to College Station -- a defensive-minded coach that wins football games and becomes woven into the fabric of Aggie tradition. Sitting five rows back in a navy blazer, Slocum watched Elko take the podium in the Kyle Field media center for the first time as the first Aggie head coach since he left the post with a defensive background. |
| With Texas A&M rumors behind him, Mark Stoops focused on keeping Kentucky's best players | |
 | To hear Mark Stoops tell the story, the Saturday reports that Kentucky's football coaching wins leader was close to leaving Lexington for Texas A&M were significantly overblown. "Sometimes people pursue you," Stoops said on his final weekly radio show of the season Monday. "My concentration was on the Louisville game, as evidenced by the way we played. It was extremely important to end that way. Simply agreed to a conversation that night. "Yeah, I was pursued by another opportunity. I am right where I want to be with a great team, a bunch of players, an administration and a bunch of people that are aligned to do the right things and to win. I'm very happy." Stoops said he spent Saturday night celebrating the Louisville win with friends and several Kentucky assistant coaches, refuting speculation he had flown to College Station. Later in the show when a caller thanked Stoops for staying at UK and said he hoped no Kentucky fans had given Stoops any flack for considering the Texas A&M job, Stoops said the statement he tweeted shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday was designed to end any public speculation. Stoops' version of events runs contrary to multiple reports from College Station that he was on the verge of becoming the Aggies' next coach. Stoops' tweet came after hours of negative reaction to the potential hire from a vocal portion of the Texas A&M fan base on social media. Regardless of how close Stoops actually was to leaving Kentucky, he now has shifted his focus to building a roster for the 2024 season. |
| Pop-Tarts Bowl to Include First-Ever Edible Mascot For Winning Team | |
| In late December, the winner of the Pop-Tarts Bowl won't just win the game -- the team will get the icing on top too. The Pop-Tarts Bowl on December 28 will feature a first-ever edible mascot, the bowl game announced in a press release. The mascot will run around at the game, interacting with fans. However, at the final whistle, the winning team will be offered the chance to snack on the super-sized Pop-Tart as a symbol of its victory -- a feast of champions, surely. Although the flavor of the mascot is currently unknown, the promotional photos appear to show the classic Strawberry Pop-Tart flavor. The Pop-Tarts Bowl, previously called the Cheez-It Bowl, was renamed earlier this year after Cheez-It bought the naming rights for the Citrus Bowl. Both brands are owned by Kellanova (parent company of Kellogg's); both bowl games are held in Orlando's Camping World Stadium. The Pop-Tarts Bowl features the top ACC selection -- including Notre Dame -- outside of College Football Playoff selections against the second-best Big 12 team outside of CFP. Selections for the bowl will take place on December 3, when all bowl-eligible teams will be awarded a bowl game. |
| Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs boosts NASA profile with NFL success | |
| For Minnesota Vikings fans, the emergence of 28-year-old journeyman quarterback Joshua Dobbs these past few weeks has been exciting to watch, not to mention fodder for a fresh round of memes, the appearance of space-suit-themed outfits in the stands and the craze over the coolest new nickname in football: "The Passtronaut." But for NASA, Dobbs' meteoric rise has created a different kind of buzz. And while "The Joshua Dobbs Effect" might not be an actual scientific finding, there is some evidence that Dobbs, a quarterback and aerospace engineer who is now 2-1 with the Vikings heading into Monday night's game against the Chicago Bears, has generated a wave of new excitement -- in science. When NASA's Glenn Research Center in Ohio posted about Dobbs on X in early November, user engagement soared. The post received more than 3 million views, and the account's followers increased by 216% compared to the previous week's gain. In 2022, the center said, the average number of engagements per post was 176. And since Nov. 5, when Dobbs stepped in for injured rookie backup Jaren Hall and guided the Vikings to a 31-28 win at Atlanta, U.S. searches for phrases such as "Is Josh Dobbs an astronaut" and "Josh Dobbs NASA" have skyrocketed, according to Google Trends. Those in the space business have taken notice. "Nerds are cool," said Scott Colloredo, director of engineering at NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "Josh has made engineering cool. We want to ride this wave as long as we can." |
| Trump's walk across USC's Williams-Brice football field was Gov. Henry McMaster's doing | |
 | Former President Donald Trump's halftime walk across the field at South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium came thanks to the wishes of close ally Gov. Henry McMaster. A USC spokesman confirmed it was at McMaster's behest that Trump got access onto the school's turf at last weekend's USC Gamecocks-Clemson Tigers game with 80,000 people in attendance. It was the type of exposure a candidate can only dream of, and one where yells of support outweighed the boos. "The governor requested to come out to the field and requested to bring his guest," university spokesman Jeff Stensland told The Post and Courier on Nov. 27. University officials said the appearance prompted both positive and negative feedback for the school, including questions of whether the decision to feature a divisive political figure during an active campaign and an NCAA game was proper. "Any time there's a political person being recognized, people have strong opinions on both sides, and so we've seen that," Stensland said. McMaster's office defended the decision, saying it fit within a longstanding schedule of presidential visits to USC. "South Carolina's universities, colleges and HBCUs have a well-documented bipartisan tradition and history of welcoming current and former presidents, vice presidents and presidential candidates to their campuses for all kinds of events, including presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden," Brandon Charochak, a spokesman for the governor, said. |
| 'How'd it work out for the Gamecocks having Trump show up?' Clemson grad Haley says | |
 | Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley took a little jab at the University of South Carolina after her alma mater, Clemson, won the annual Palmetto Bowl, which featured an appearance by former President Donald Trump. "How'd it work out for the Gamecocks having Trump show up?" Haley jokingly said during remarks at a town hall event Monday in Bluffton. "Not so lucky for the Gamecocks, just sayin'. Go Tigers." Trump was the guest of Gov. Henry McMaster, a University of South Carolina graduate, during Saturday's game. Clemson won the game, 16-7. When Trump arrived at USC's Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, he handed out boxes of popcorn to people on the concourse and later watched the first half of the game in a suite. Trump was recognized during halftime of the game as he walked out to the 25-yard line and waved to the crowd alongside McMaster. Trump was mostly cheered by tens of thousands in attendance, but he did receive some boos, including from some members of the Clemson University marching band. Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, did not attend Saturday's game. But Haley, who is a Clemson trustee, has attended other games this season. Trump and Haley are vying for the Republican nomination for president in the 2024 election. Trump has a dominant lead, but Haley has become the clear second-place candidate in the early voting states of South Carolina and New Hampshire. |
| NCAA Warns of $4B 'Death Knell' in NIL Class Action Appeal | |
| Attorney Michael McCann writes for Sportico: If there's one case that could deliver a knockout blow to the NCAA, it's In Re College Athlete NIL Litigation. In a new petition to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the defendants -- the NCAA and Power Five conferences -- bluntly warn that losing could force them to pay over $4 billion in damages. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken recently certified the case, which was brought by Arizona State swimmer Grant House, former Oregon and current TCU basketball player Sedona Prince, and former Illinois football player Tymir Oliver, as a class action on behalf of more 14,500 college athletes. By preventing conferences from sharing broadcasting revenue with the players, depriving players of video game revenue they might have earned if the NCAA had allowed players to appear in video games and, until 2021, denying players NIL opportunities, the NCAA and Power Five conferences allegedly violated antitrust law. The defendants now seek a permissive interlocutory appeal, meaning an appeal before a final judgment in the case and one the appellate court can decline. A final judgment for In Re College Athlete NIL Litigation will occur when it's over on the merits. That won't happen for a while; the case isn't scheduled for a jury trial until 2025. Unfortunately for the NCAA and the Power Five, interlocutory appeals in class actions are rarely granted. |
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