| Monday, February 5, 2024 |
| Bulldog Bash honored with CVB Crystal Pineapple Tourism Award | |
 | Mississippi State University's Bulldog Bash was honored with a major award at the Feb. 1 Greater Starkville Development Partnership banquet. Alongside other prestigious community recognitions, Bulldog Bash took home the Convention and Visitors Bureau Crystal Pineapple Tourism Award for the event's impact on tourism and economic vitality in Starkville. The annual event presented by the MSU Student Association and held in historic downtown Starkville has grown to be Mississippi's largest free outdoor concert. More than 35,000 attendees were counted in 2022 in the Main Street venue that has hosted numerous Grammy winners and Billboard chart-toppers over the years. "Bulldog Bash is part of the fabric of Mississippi State and the City of Starkville," said MSU Vice President of Student Affairs Regina Hyatt, noting that the concert draws excitement and support from students, community members and visitors. Mayor Lynn Spruill called Bulldog Bash "the premier event in the City of Starkville for a number of reasons. It is one of those joint events that we hold with the university, and that makes it very special." |
| MSU-Meridian to open Behavioral Health Care Clinic | |
 | Delivering on its mission to provide access and opportunity to the state's diverse populations, Mississippi State University-Meridian is opening a community behavioral health center to help meet local mental health care needs and graduating students to fill rural health care provider gaps statewide. The MSU-Meridian Behavioral Health Center, scheduled to open late this summer in downtown Meridian, is coming to fruition at a crucial time, said Kim Hall, MSU associate dean of academic affairs who oversees MSU-Meridian's Division of Education. A $4.5 million grant from the Broadhead, Riley and Phil Hardin foundations is funding the clinic, the pinnacle effort of new mental health programs recently introduced on campus. This past year, the funding established Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology and Educational Specialist in School Psychology degrees, along with a Doctor of Psychology in Combined Health Service Psychology. "We also are currently in the process of proposing an addictions counseling program for the community that will enhance our clinical mental health and school counseling degree programs," Hall said. MSU-Meridian educators also are ensuring the new clinic will complement health care education, with the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program well underway, and faculty now anticipating IHL accreditation of a much-needed Master of Science in Nursing program in February. Terry Dale Cruse, MSU-Meridian associate vice president and head of campus, said the opening of the community behavioral health clinic will bolster the number of health care providers and services in the 80 of 82 counties federally designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas by HRSA. |
| Musical line-up announced for 18th annual Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival | |
 | The stage is set for a premier showcase of musical talent during the 2024 Charles H. Templeton Sr. Ragtime and Jazz Festival, taking place Feb. 22-24 at Mississippi State. MSU Libraries and the Charles H. Templeton Sr. Music Museum are hosts for this 18th annual event, promising an unforgettable experience with a stellar line-up of both returning favorites and exciting new performers. The three-day event will include two major concerts, mini concerts, talks at the piano and more. Attendees will have the chance to learn about this year's performers, and what inspires their music. The always-popular silent movies performance will again be included, according to Festival Co-Chair Stephen Cunetto. "This year all daytime events on both Friday and Saturday are free to the public," Cunetto said. "We are excited that grant funding has made this possible. These daytime sessions really provide insight into the music and musicians." The Charles H. Templeton Sr. Ragtime and Jazz Festival is financially assisted by the National Endowment for the Humanities, through the Mississippi Humanities Council, and a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and Mississippi Arts Commission. Other sponsors include the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Rick's Café American, MSU offices of Public Affairs and Student Affairs, La Quinta Inn and Suites, 4-County Electric, MaxxSouth Broadband and numerous individuals. |
| MSU students create art collective to encourage city's music scene | |
| Sometimes, when you want changes to happen, you have to do it yourself. At least, that's the approach Mississippi State University students and musicians Lishman Heathcock, Josh Whitfield and Max Hyche take with Starkville DIY, a grassroots art and music collective that has been operating in the city since 2022. "I've always noticed that Starkville has had a lot of arts and events and all that, but it always felt very top-down instead of bottom-up," Heathcock said before a demo release concert for Whitfield and Hyche's band Sludgelung on Jan. 27. Heathcock, a senior at the university, started the Starkville DIY group in August 2022, as he felt there was a gap in the music and art scene of Starkville. He was inspired by similar DIY groups he had seen operating in Hattiesburg, where he grew up. With the help of other musicians in the area, Heathcock started building a network to connect artists in the city. Using social media and other more traditional methods, he started putting out the message that the group would be booking concerts and shows for local bands in the area. |
| Study: Street conditions in Starkville middle of the road | |
| How can Starkville save money on road maintenance? The plan is simple -- maintain good roads while they're good, not after they deteriorate. "That's how you get ahead," City Engineer Cody Burnett told The Dispatch Friday. "It's not waiting until you fail." Burnett, along with Dan Cordell of Southaven-based Civil-Link, presented results of a Civil-Link study on the city's roads to the Starkville Board of Aldermen at its Friday work session. The study, approved in October, gathered data on all the city's roads by taking pictures and videos and calculating variables such as road age, condition and traffic volume. It also assigned a 1 to 10 rating for each 50-foot segment of road. A score of 1 noted the need for total repair, while a 10 described a road in brand-new condition. Starkville's average was 5.5, Cordell said. He compared maintaining roads to maintaining a house. He said painting walls and simple upkeep is far preferable to rebuilding walls and repairing roofs. The prior approach, Burnett explained, was to build a road and leave it alone until it needed a major repair, such as a new overlay of asphalt. "You're wanting to get the roads out of the loss category and prevent other roads from getting into that category, because that's where you lose money," Cordell said. Civil-Link's approach, Cordell said, is for the city to repair all roads with structural problems while also keeping good roads in good condition with maintenance-style repair. |
| Sexual harassment in the workplace: Restaurant waitstaff describe culture of sexual comments and touching from customers | |
| It's a typical day at the Columbus restaurant where Mac Ludy works as a server. Her regulars, the men at least, take a particular liking to her red hair. "Gingers are better," they will say, or various versions of that. By now, she's come to expect it. Between serving tables, her manager asks her to clean the baseboards. As she bends to start the task, one regular customer interrupts her with a not-so-unusual request: a hug. Not wanting to compromise her tip or make the customer upset, she obliges. "You'd go over there and give them a hug and feel their hand slip lower and lower to the point where you're kind of frozen in place," said Ludy, who was a teenager and working her first restaurant job at the time this happened. "... There was (another) instance where a (male customer) waited for me to get off work, and that was a four-hour time span," she said. "He just sat there and waited. I could feel him watching me every time I'd go up to my tables. And I was getting off of work and going out to my car, and there he was following me out to my car." Ludy worked at three restaurants over four years before she stopped waitressing in January. But she carries memories of sexual comments and advances from customers. It's an experience shared by virtually every current or former wait staff interviewed for this story. With the exception of Ludy, all servers interviewed for this story requested anonymity due to fear of losing their jobs or other retaliation for speaking out. The Dispatch interviewed 14 servers as they told their stories of sexual comments and harassment on the job. Eleven servers interviewed were female, while three were male. |
| WCBI takes over Fox affiliation from WLOV | |
| The Fox network has a new home. Columbus-based WCBI has secured the local Fox affiliation, which was previously held by West Point-based WLOV. "It is a natural fit for us," WCBI General Manager Derek Rogers said. "Having CBS, Fox pairs very well because of the areas in which we can do extra newscasts and having more local programming. The fit was perfect for us." Only the network affiliations are changing, Rogers said. The stations did not change ownership or merge. "We did not buy WLOV," he said. "You can't own two stations with major affiliations in the same market. We just flip-flopped affiliations." This shift in network affiliation has caused a shuffle in channel listings for customers who still take their TV over the airwaves via antenna," Rogers said. "All those positions are really only important to those viewers who use an antenna," Rogers said. "On cable and satellite, as best I have been able to track so far, the networks are where they were previously. The cable viewers, especially, won't notice a change." On DirectTV, Fox and the CW have flip-flopped, Rogers said. CW will be on channel 27 and Fox on channel 5. On Dish Network channel placement has not been determined. |
| Mississippi selects new Episcopal bishop in historic election | |
 | The Rev. Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells was selected Saturday as the new Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi in an historic election at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Ridgeland. Wells was selected on the fourth ballot and becomes the first woman and first Black person to become the Episcopal Bishop of Mississippi. This continues a trend in Mississippi as Sharma Lewis was elected as the first Black woman to become bishop of the Mississippi United Methodist Church in November of 2022. Wells will replace Brian Seage, who led the diocese through the COVID-19 pandemic and Jackson water crisis. Seage was elected in 2014 and succeeded Bishop Duncan Gray in 2015, upon Gray's retirement. "This is a historic moment and this marks a new chapter in our history," Seage said. "It's the first time we have elected a woman and the first time we have elected an African American as the bishop of the diocese. I think this speaks dramatically for this movement within our church." Wells, who will become the 11th bishop in the Mississippi diocese, is Rector of St. George's Episcopal Church in Germantown, Tennessee and is chaplain of the church's preschool. She has been there since 2013. Wells is a native of Mobile, Alabama. Wells graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis with a degree in vocal performance. She also has a juris doctorate from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. Her Master of Divinity is from Memphis Theological Seminary and her Doctor of Ministry degree is from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. |
| Driver's education, officer pay and training, top DPS commissioner's legislative agenda | |
 | Saving the lives of teenage drivers and increasing pay and certification standards for law enforcement top this year's legislative agenda for the state's Department of Public Safety. In an exclusive interview with WLBT, DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell outlined the agency's agenda, which includes mandating driver's education for teens, improving minimum standards and training for law enforcement officers across the state, and raising pay for officers who fall under the DPS umbrella. Tindell said his top issue is driver's education. He'd like to see the state mandate that training for all teenagers before they get a license. "What we've seen in trends, particularly with teenage fatalities in Mississippi... [is] we routinely rank as No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation," he said. "The importance [of having a] mandatory driver's education program is there." He's hopeful lawmakers also agree it's time to give pay raises to DPS law enforcement. DPS has approximately 900 officers in various agencies, including the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Capitol Police, and others. Tindell says additional pay is also needed to attract more young people and college graduates to the field. One policy change on tap for the Highway Patrol is requiring troopers to have at least an associate's degree for promotions to master sergeant or above. "If you look at it statistically, those [who] have college degrees are less likely to be involved in incidences of excessive force. And then, I think it also gives them a more rounded, well-rounded perspective on people that they're dealing with," he said. |
| Legislature: House bill calls for change in the Mississippi wildlife commission | |
| Although the 2024 Mississippi Legislative Session is in its early stages, it could be a significant session for hunters, fishermen and wildlife enthusiasts in the state. Rep. Timmy Ladner, R-Poplarville, has reintroduced a bill dealing with the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks that failed to gain traction last year, but he said it has a better chance of passage now. "There seems to be more public interest this year than there was last year," Ladner said. "It just seems to have more interest, so I think it has a better chance of moving forward." House Bill 188 calls for change in the structure of the commission. Currently, the commission consists of five members appointed by the governor. Each represents a Congressional district as they existed before 2000. Ladner said the requirements to serve are a concern. While commissioners currently are required to be active outdoorsmen, little else is required. Ladner said members with background in wildlife and conservation would be helpful. "The complaints I've been getting about deer seasons and the deer population -- I thought it would be beneficial to have people with education or backgrounds on the commission," Ladner said. To some people, regulating fish and wildlife would seem to only affect people who participate in hunting, fishing and wildlife watching, but the economic impacts are far-reaching. "It is a huge economic impact," Ladner said. |
| Women's Bill of Rights could impact transgender individuals | |
 | A controversial bill may impact transgender individuals -- Women's Bill of Rights. The bill has not been proposed or brought to the floor in this session, but a previous version of the bill that died in committee in 2023 defines men and women by their biological sex at birth and "distinguishes the difference between sexes." In a statement to WDAM, Gov. Tate Reeves said: "Let me state this as clear as possible: a man can't become a woman and a woman can't become a man. In Mississippi we have the ability to define what a woman is, and in this session we should do exactly that." State Sen. Joey Fillingane (R) said this bill will protect women's rights in certain spaces like restrooms and locker rooms. "So, I think what this bill is saying, in Mississippi, if this becomes law, a female that's born female will be considered a female for those types of spaces and a male will be considered a male for those types of spaces, and beyond that, identify how you like to identify; that's your business," said Fillingane. Mickie Stratos with the Spectrum Center of Hattiesburg, a non-profit that provides support to LGBTQ individuals, said this proposal infringes on the rights of transgender individuals. "Of course, it's really scary to hear about more of these anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills being introduced," said Stratos. |
| Fitch says Fentanyl crisis makes every state a border state | |
 | Fentanyl. Human trafficking. Sextortion. Domestic abuse. Child abuse. Online predators. Those aren't easy topics to talk about. But for Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, they are all topics that the public needs to be talking about more so that law enforcement can to put a stop those types of crimes. "These are all hard topics," Fitch said. "But we all have to work on them together." Fitch was the guest speaker at the Horn Lake Chamber of Commerce quarterly luncheon this week, and spoke about the many ways her office is working with federal, state, and local law enforcement -- as well as the public -- to combat those crimes in Mississippi. Fitch said many of those crimes are drug-related. With record amounts of the deadly opioid Fentanyl pouring over the border into the United States, Fitch said every state in America including Mississippi is now a border state. Last year, the Drug Enforcement Agency seized enough Fentanyl to kill every single American. "The cartels are running the border and guess what? Those drugs are here in our state within 48 hours after they come across the border," Fitch said. "That's absolutely alarming. So let me tell you something. We are all border states now." Fitch said nationally last year 112,000 Americans died from Fentanyl overdoses, including 237 who were Mississippians. That's why her office last year launched its 'One Pill Can Kill' public awareness campaign to educate Mississippians about the dangers of Fentanyl, how to identify it, and the resources available to save lives. Fitch has been traveling the state speaking to students on college campuses, law enforcement, mental health centers, and to civic groups to try to raise awareness of the crisis and distributing Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kits. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves joins GOP governors in Texas to push for more border security | |
| As Texas and the federal government continue to be at odds over immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and 12 other Republican governors joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to further push Abbott's ongoing border security operation. During the news conference held at Shelby Park -- a key city-owned stretch in Eagle Pass that the Texas National Guard has seized and blocked Border Patrol from apprehending and processing migrants -- the GOP leaders called out Democratic President Joe Biden for what they consider an "invasion." "A state can defend itself and its citizens to protect their safety from the imminent danger that we are facing and from an invasion from millions of people coming across the globe into our country, who are unaccounted for whatsoever," Abbott said, promising to take control of other parts of the border. The state-federal standoff has been escalated by recent data from the Biden administration that shows December was a single-month high for the number of migrants crossing the border. The report from the president's office also showed that the flow of migration dropped by more than 50 percent over the first two weeks of January. Nonetheless, professor of political science at Mississippi College Glenn Antizzo explained that the numbers will rise again if additional policy is not put in place. |
| Reeves supports Texas governor at border press conference on immigration | |
| Republican Gov. Tate Reeves attended a conference Sunday with other conservative leaders at Shelby Park in Texas to support the Lone Star State in a border dispute with the federal government. Reeve's told the Clarion Ledger via text Sunday evening that Democratic President Joe Biden's latest border policies, as well as his attitudes toward southern border security, have weakened the country. "It is clear that our country cannot survive another four years of Joe Biden," Reeves said. "He's weakening America's national security and putting your personal safety at risk, all because of politics. It's long past time to put a stop to this insanity." The press conference was held by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who hosted Reeves and Republican governors from other states including Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia and Montana, among others. Abbott told those in attendance the Texas National Guard is working to "secure" the border around Shelby Park, and that Biden has failed in his duties as president to keep illegal immigration out of the country. Last week, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch also wrote a letter to the Biden Administration condemning the "opening" of the border, and her support of Texas. |
| Air Force preps for mega overhaul with an eye toward China | |
 | The Air Force is putting the final touches on a major structural shakeup that would remake the force as part of the Pentagon's push to keep up with China's military buildup. Within the next few weeks, the service will announce it is consolidating some of its major three- and four-star commands, integrating fighter jets and bomber aircraft into single units, and beefing up its budget and planning shop, according to six people familiar with the plans. The goal, the people said, is to streamline the Air Force's lumbering bureaucracy and meet China head-on. The overhaul involves reorganizing how the service plans for, budgets and designs new aircraft, while likely kick-starting new uncrewed aircraft and fighter plane projects in an era when defense budgets are expected to increase slightly or stay relatively flat. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has been working on the plan -- called "Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition" -- since September. The people who spoke to POLITICO -- a Space Force official, three congressional aides and two Air Force advisers -- were granted anonymity to discuss plans not yet made public. All have been briefed on the project. "It will be a really big deal," said one of the advisers who is regularly briefed on Pentagon modernization plans familiar with the effort. The Air Force is expected to announce its plans on Feb. 12 at the Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium in Colorado. |
| 'Open mic night' at the Supreme Court? Don't expect Donald Trump to let loose at the marble palace | |
 | Donald Trump has confronted judges, disparaged opponents and giving hallway speeches during recent trials, employing his legal battles as an extension of his presidential campaign. But don't expect provocations and off-the-cuff drama when the Supreme Court hears arguments Thursday about whether Trump should be on Colorado's ballot. Trump, who has shown up at two of his civil trials recently, hasn't announced whether he'll attend the Supreme Court arguments, scheduled for the same day as Nevada's GOP presidential caucuses. But the high court updated its rules in 2013 to codify the practice that only lawyers can present arguments. The justices sometimes get a spectacle. When Larry Flynt, publisher of the pornographic Hustler magazine, was blocked from arguing his own case decades earlier, he shouted obscenities at the justices and was ejected. Protesters have been arrested in rare outbursts inside the courtroom. This kind of bombast isn't expected Thursday. The high court conducts its arguments much more strictly than the lower courts do -- making it less likely Trump will be the star of a similar courthouse drama. At the lower courts, a New York judge scolded Trump for giving campaign speeches from the witness stand in one trial. In another, a federal judge threatened to eject him for making disparaging comments about his opponent that could be heard by the jury. And that was before Trump marched out on his opponent's closing arguments. Decorum at the Supreme Court also dictates a somber setting. Audience members have been arrested in rare protests inside the chamber. |
| Trump says 'they'll probably be some changes made' at RNC | |
 | Former President Donald Trump offered a warning to the chair of the Republican National Committee Sunday morning, saying in an interview that, "they'll probably be some changes made." Trump had been asked by Fox News host Maria Bartiromo about Ronna McDaniel, who has been facing withering attacks from some Trump allies, including the group Turning Point, which was part of an unsuccessful effort to oust her last year. "I think she did great when she ran Michigan for me. I think she did OK, initially, in the RNC. I would say right now, they'll probably be some changes made," Trump said on FOX News Channel's Sunday Morning Futures. Trump was also pressed on the party's finances following campaign disclosures released this week that showed the RNC had just $8 million in the bank and $1 million in debt. "So I have a lot of money," Trump said in the interview that aired Sunday, arguing that "people are not looking at the RNC. They want changes." "You have to understand, I have nothing to do with the RNC. I'm separate," he added. The comments come as Trump and his allies have been pushing the party to get behind him and effectively end the primary, even though he still faces a final major rival, his former U.N. Ambassador, Nikki Haley. McDaniel was criticized last month for saying Haley had no path to the nomination after Trump won the New Hampshire primary, telling Fox News: "We need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is going to be Donald Trump." An effort by Trump allies to have the RNC this week declare Trump the "presumptive nominee" was withdrawn after he came out against it. |
| Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis confirms relationship with Trump prosecutor | |
| District Attorney Fani Willis on Friday acknowledged she was in a "personal relationship" with Nathan Wade, one of the top prosecutors on Fulton County's election interference case, but said there was no conflict that justified removing her or her office from prosecuting Donald Trump and 14 others. The admission was included as part of Willis' highly-anticipated written response to allegations of impropriety that have rocked the Trump case for the last month. In the 176-page document, Willis said the accusations made against her and Wade were designed mainly to garner media attention -- and didn't carry much legal weight. "(T)he motions attempt to cobble together entirely unremarkable circumstances of Special Prosecutor Wade's appointment with completely irrelevant allegations about his personal family life into a manufactured conflict of interest on the part of the District Attorney," the filing said. "The effort must fail." The claims against Willis and Wade first surfaced in a Jan. 8 court filing from defendant Michael Roman. The former Trump campaign official alleged that Willis, through her romantic relationship with Wade, has a financial interest in the case that should disqualify her and her office from prosecuting it. Roman said it also meant the felony charges against him should be dropped. Steve Sadow, Trump's lead Atlanta attorney, said Willis omitted key information from her response, including relevant financial details and an explanation of why Wade filed for a divorce the day after he was hired on the Trump case. |
| Nikki Haley makes surprise appearance on SNL, mocking Donald Trump and Joe Biden | |
 | Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has made a cameo appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live, making jibes at former President Donald Trump over his age and mental competency. The former South Carolina governor has been campaigning ahead of her home state's Republican primary later this month in an effort to close the gap in polling between herself and Trump. Haley appeared in a comedy sketch set at a fake CNN Town Hall, where Trump, played by cast member James Austin Johnson, was being asked questions by an audience. Making an unannounced appearance, Haley was introduced halfway through the sketch as "someone who describes herself as a concerned South Carolina voter." Haley then asks, "My question is, why won't you debate Nikki Haley?" The fake Trump then replies "Oh, my God, it's her! The woman who was in charge of security on Jan. 6... Nancy Pelosi!" with a nod to Trump's recent seeming confusion over Pelosi and Haley. "Are you doing OK, Donald? You might need a mental competency test," Haley says. Haley has pitched herself as a younger, more capable alternative to both Trump and the Democratic frontrunner, President Joe Biden. Haley also delivered the NBC show's signature opening line "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" at the end of the skit. |
| Ted Cruz wants lawmakers to get security escorts through America's airports | |
| Viral photos of politicians jetting off to a tropical hideaway during a deadly cold wave might become a lot rarer under legislation being pushed by Sen. Ted Cruz. The Texas Republican -- infamously photographed by a gawker while en route to Cancún in 2021 -- is proposing a bill amendment that would offer lawmakers a dedicated security escort at airports, along with expedited screening outside of public view. That could make it much less likely that the politicians' comings and goings would become fodder for embarrassing news reports and late-night comedy mockery. The measure would also provide the same special treatment to federal judges and Cabinet members, as well as a limited number of their family and staff. Cruz is trying to attach the amendment to a major aviation policy bill, S. 1939, that is expected to be marked up in the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday. Asked about the need for his amendment, Cruz told POLITICO that it's about ensuring that political VIPs aren't endangered as they pass through public spaces in airports. But the head of a nonprofit representing airport police said Cruz's proposal would be "a burden to airport police agencies," especially because federal budgets already do not adequately fund airport police units. It would also divert police from "crime suppression and security functions at airports, which is our fundamental duty," said Kevin Murphy, executive director of the Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network. The proposal comes at a time when threats against lawmakers are on the rise. |
| Secret history: Even before the revolution, America was a nation of conspiracy theorists | |
| A brutal conflict in Europe was fresh in people's minds and the race for the White House turned ugly as talk of secret societies and corruption roiled the United States. It was 1800, and conspiracy theories were flourishing across America. Partisan newspapers spread tales of European elites seeking to seize control of the young democracy. Preachers in New England warned of plots to abolish Christianity in favor of godlessness and depravity. This bogeyman of the early republic was the Illuminati, a secret organization founded in Germany dedicated to free thinking and opposed to religious dogma. Despite the Illuminati's lack of real influence in America, conspiracy theorists imagined the group's fingerprints were everywhere. They said Illuminati manipulation had caused France's Reign of Terror, the wave of executions and persecutions the followed the French Revolution. They feared something similar in America. From the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, to fears of the Illuminati, from the Red Scare to the John Birch Society to QAnon, conspiracy theories have served as dark counterprogramming to the American story taught in history books. If a healthy democracy relies on the trust of its citizens, then conspiracy theories show what happens when that trust begins to fray. "The more things change, the more things seem to come back," said Jon Graham, a writer and translator based in Vermont who is an expert on the Illuminati and the claims that have surrounded the group for centuries. "There's the mainstream narrative of history. And then there's the other narrative -- the alternative explanations for history -- that never really goes away." Just like today, these bizarre stories often reveal deeply rooted anxieties focused on racial and religious strife and technological and economic change. |
| Population decline concerns Mississippi universities | |
| Mississippi, and the nation, is facing a population decline. State universities are concerned it will result in fewer students enrolling in higher education. That was the message shared with the Mississippi Senate's Universities and Colleges committee this week. The Magnolia State's population characteristics, which are trends in the numbers of births, deaths and those moving in and out of a state, are predicted to accelerate the decline in population. Those trends are a significant concern to institutions of higher learning. Fewer people graduating from high school translates to fewer people enrolling in college. According to information presented by Dr. John J. Greene, a professor at Mississippi State University, in 2010 Mississippi's births totaled 40,000 while there were about 30,000 deaths that same year. Twelve years later, those figures reflected 35,000 births and more than 35,000 deaths. The trend of less births is being seen nationwide. The COVID-19 pandemic played a part in the increasing number of deaths, Greene said. "When we have more deaths than births this is a demographic phenomenon called natural decrease. And without being offset through in migration, it results in population decreases. And this lowers the number of potential in-state college students over time when we think about Mississippi in the long run," Greene outlined. According to data compiled by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and presented by Dr. Noel Wilkin, Research Professor at the University of Mississippi, the nation's high school graduate population will peak in 2025 or 2026. After that time, there will be a decline in the number of people graduating high school and subsequently considering higher education after high school. |
| Ole Miss among 200 institutions worldwide collaborating on neutrino study | |
 | Researchers are a step closer to having the technology to unravel one of the most mysterious particles in the universe after the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced Thursday (Feb. 1) that excavation on three giant caverns in South Dakota is complete. In a former gold mine, more than 1,400 scientists and engineers representing 200 institutions, including the University of Mississippi, and 36 countries are building the world's largest neutrino detection facility. The goal is to better understand the mysterious "ghost particle," which is approximately 1,000 times smaller than an electron. Ole Miss is among the institutions partnering on Fermilab's Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, or DUNE. Gavin Davies, principal investigator for DUNE's Mississippi group, said the completion of the excavation is a significant step toward better understanding the physics and interactions of neutrinos. "This is going to be a new dawn for neutrino physics," said Davies, an assistant professor of physics who has worked with Fermilab for more than 13 years on the NOvA Project. "The possibilities are endless in my mind for what we can do with a better understanding of neutrinos." |
| USM students explore historic Columbus home | |
 | For you, what makes a house a home? To Robert Thompson, it's the rich history that lies within the streets. Thompson came to Columbus from New Orleans and sitting on the front porch of the place he now calls home, Thompson and his wife saw potential in the house across the street. "The structure has got so much history," Thompson said. "The front part of it is from the 1870s, it's better documented. The part were in at the moment, was sort of an add-on. This has little written history, but it has much to say about our cultural history." Students from the University of Southern Mississippi decided to see if they could uncover some of that history by studying the home's building material. It's a scientific technique known as dendrochronology -- the study of tree rings. Dr. Clay Tucker said they will match the tree rings to the samples they have in the lab, and match those to living samples near Columbus. Tucker said one of the things that struck him about Columbus's history, is the number of people that take pride in their homes. And that holds promise for coming back and dating other homes within the community. "I've already met people across the street who also have homes that are pretty old so, dating one structure is cool, dating the community is even cooler," Tucker said. |
| Tree ring data may reveal a Southside house's history | |
| A Southside house filled with clues about its own history may have more to tell about its own construction. Students from Clay Tucker's dendrochronology class at the University of Southern Mississippi visited the Spiers-Laws-Kaye house on Seventh Street on Friday to collect core samples of the timber used to construct the home. Dendrochronology is a scientific method for dating events, environmental changes and artifacts using annual growth rings found inside trees. The samples will be analyzed for tree ring data that may provide insight on when the wood was harvested with the goal of determining when the home was built. Robert Thompson bought the home with plans to restore and resell it. During the renovation, contractors have found several clues that offer suggestions about when the house was built and how it has changed, like whitewashed studs behind the siding of one room that indicate it was a later addition to the home. An architect who previously owned the home believed it was built sometime in the 1830s. The marker in front of the home dates its construction back to 1880. Thompson assumes it was an antebellum home, but he said it could have been built even earlier as a two-bedroom pioneer structure. He said some early maps indicate the home was an out-building of the Cartney-Hunt house up the street, but there's no way of knowing for sure. At least until Tucker's class came along. |
| Mississippi colleges share Gulf Coast research grant | |
 | A $5 million grant shared among the state's public research universities will be used to fund projects to monitor water quality and conduct oyster research along the Gulf Coast. The Mississippi-based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (MBRACE) funds the grant. MBRACE focuses on science, technology and understanding of natural effects within coastal ecosystems and how best to bring about positive change in a sustainable way. The grant will fund research at Jackson State University (JSU), Mississippi State University (MSU), the University of Mississippi (UM), and The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Lead investigators include Jerry Wiggert, professor of marine science at USM, Kamal Ali, professor of computer engineering at JSU, Adam Skarke, associate professor of geology at MSU and Marc Slattery, professor of pharmacognosy and environmental toxicology in biomolecular sciences from Ole Miss. Chris Wells, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), said the research will provide valuable data for future restoration projects, bringing about a more sustainable and livable Gulf Coast. "The investment of RESTORE Act funds for this research provides important support for ecological restoration efforts, which also ultimately provides economic benefits for our state," Wells said. |
| JSU president responds after 2 leaders of Office of Academic Affairs receive no-confidence vote | |
| Jackson State University President Marcus Thompson is responding after the university faculty senate declared no confidence in the Office of Academic Affairs, and specifically, Provost Alisa Mosley and Associate Provost Brandi Newkirk-Turner. This is the second no-confidence vote for Newkirk-Turner. The first vote took place in January 2023. The university faculty senate said in the past year, she has failed to address issues surrounding her leadership. The concerns that led to the vote include lack of timely progress in completing the faculty handbook, failure to address complaints and grievances, no movement in the overall mission of the university, limiting faculty participation in town hall meetings and unprofessionalism. "I am very disappointed to learn that the Faculty Senate has taken the drastic step of issuing a vote of no confidence against the Office of Academic Affairs 66 days into my administration," Thompson said in a statement. "Proper assessment of a large higher education institution takes time." The Office of Academic Affairs dismissed the faculty concerns, saying the concerns are true for only a few faculty members. Thompson said the faculty senate's concerns will be considered and acknowledged that the body is free to express its opinion. |
| Community funds tuition for Jackson State University student | |
| A Jackson State University student wanting to finish school was willing to do whatever it took, offering to do manual labor and more. He offered to work through crowd-sourcing and in hours met his goal. "It's always been, hey can I work for this? Can I earn this," said Terrion Mayo. The Jackson State University junior turned to social media to offer his services to pay a nearly $4,700.00 balance owed to the university. "I was getting into detailing like for as far as cleaning cars, doing lawn work," said Mayo. "Anything, just any type of labor that would help me get to my goal." The Sonic Boom of the South member stayed out of school for a year working to earn enough money to complete his degree in music technology. He said he humbled himself to ask for help. The Little Rock native turned to crowd-sourcing, appealing to earn money. "I'm just really grateful and thankful for everything honestly," said the Arkansas native. "I was expecting the goal to be done by June or July, and it happened like within three to four hours." Mayo plans to enroll in September for his senior year and graduate in the Spring of 2025. |
| U.S. Senate commemorates 150th anniversary of Blue Mountain Christian University | |
| The U.S. Senate has approved a resolution commemorating the 150th anniversary of Blue Mountain Christian University. The resolution, introduced by Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), recognizes the university for its success inside and outside of the classroom. "For 150 years, Blue Mountain Christian University has afforded so many the opportunity to complete their studies, as well as grow their faith," Hyde-Smith said. "This resolution honors the huge impact this small but mighty college has on students, staff, and the surrounding community." Wicker echoed Hyde-Smith's sentiments, adding that he cannot wait to see how the Baptist liberal arts school excels in the future. "Blue Mountain Christian University has dedicated itself to ministry, service, and academic excellence," Wicker said. "This resolution is a small way to honor their legacy. I wish them the best on the next 150 years." Blue Mountain Christian University, formerly known as Blue Mountain College, was founded in 1873 as a women's institution made up of 50 students. Now, it is nearing its second full decade as a coeducational institution, teaching more than 500 students and fielding 18 NAIA-level athletic teams. |
| In the Battle Over Early Algebra, Parents Are Winning | |
 | San Francisco's public school district set off a yearslong fight with parents when it decided to prevent students from taking algebra until high school, an attempt to combat racial inequities in math by waiting until more students were ready. Parents in favor of letting students start in middle school launched petitions, a ballot measure and a lawsuit, sparring with school officials over questions of equity and privilege. Now, it appears the parents who are pushing for eighth-grade algebra are winning. The San Francisco Unified School District said Friday that it would reverse its decade-old policy, a move that comes after a similar recent change by the school system in Cambridge, Mass., home to Harvard University. When to start students on algebra is a contentious topic because the subject is the gateway to a series of math classes culminating in calculus, which many see as crucial for STEM careers and selective college admissions. Students aspiring to take calculus before graduating have traditionally begun this sequence in eighth grade. "A lot of the attention to eighth-grade algebra is based upon the feeling that that's the point at which the race is won," said Thurston Domina, an education professor at the University of North Carolina. A study by Stanford University researchers released in March 2023 found that San Francisco's policy largely failed in its equity goals, with the proportion of Black and Latino students enrolling in Advanced Placement math courses hardly moving. |
| 'Simply Stunned': A Sudden Financial Crisis Has Left Arizona's Flagship Fearful of What's to Come | |
 | Once flush with cash, the University of Arizona in November announced a large -- and unexpected -- budget deficit. This week, administrators unveiled some aspects of the financial-recovery plan, which includes cost cutting: They predict layoffs, along with cuts across a wide array of departments and academic divisions. Cuts in athletics, too, are a real possibility. "We're not going to do across-the-board layoffs," the university's interim chief financial officer, John Arnold, told The Chronicle. "But if we can find ways to be more efficient, we're going to take steps to do that." The university says that out of 81 budget units, 61 have been operating at a deficit. It has already implemented a freeze on hiring and salaries, and employee travel restrictions. The facilities department has been centralized, and the human resources and IT departments will be centralized in March. Academic units have been asked to submit three slimmed-down budget scenarios: a five-percent cut, a 10-percent cut, or a 15-percent cut. As university leaders work to regain the confidence of both students and employees, the university's projected $177-million budget deficit remains shocking not only because of its size, but because of its embarrassing explanation: Simply put, the university says it lost track of its rampant spending, due to both inaccurate budget-forecasting models, and poor communication between central administration and individual academic units. |
| Fallout From a FAFSA Fiasco | |
 | A week after the Education Department announced that colleges and universities would not receive student financial aid information until mid-March, institutions are beginning to adjust their own timelines accordingly. The vast majority of colleges use May 1 -- traditionally known as National College Decision Day -- as the deadline for accepted students to commit. But since financial aid offers aren't likely to go out until April, thanks to the latest and most disruptive delay in a rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid riddled with such hiccups, a growing number of institutions has pushed their commitment deadlines to June or suspended them indefinitely. They hope to give students -- and their own beleaguered financial aid and admissions offices -- some time and flexibility. Only a handful of colleges have announced extensions so far, but the list kept growing throughout last week and into the weekend. A few hours after the delay was announced Tuesday, the University of Illinois at Chicago became the first institution to push its commitment deadline to June 1; Oregon State University followed close behind on Wednesday. Other colleges are loosening their deadlines for making formal financial aid offers to accepted students. Officials fear that sending offers out before they receive students' FAFSA information could result in serious inaccuracies -- a possibility exacerbated by the new form's significantly altered student aid calculations. |
| No, our tax code does not favor the wealthy at the expense of the poor | |
| Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: President Joe Biden routinely argues that "rich" people "need to start paying their fair share." Closer to home, kindred spirit Bobby Harrison contends that "Mississippi's tax structure favors the rich and hurts the poor." This kind of rhetoric is predictable among folks who want ever bigger government, particularly if the expense of Leviathan's insatiable appetite falls almost exclusively on someone other than them. "The rich" are an easy target. They are in the minority and envy is a powerful emotion, easily manipulated by the unscrupulous. But the idea that higher income earners are not paying their fair share, whether nationally or in Mississippi, is utter nonsense. Not only do higher income earners pay the overwhelming majority of taxes collected at all levels of government, but low income earners receive the overwhelming benefit of those taxes in government transfer payments. People arguing otherwise nearly always: (1) focus on rare exceptions instead of the norm; (2) highlight one type of tax at one level of government instead of accounting for the broader tax system; and (3) ignore entirely the flow of taxpayer-funded government benefits to low income individuals. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves ditches his past rhetoric while recruiting economic development projects | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: During a nasty 2023 campaign, incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves derisively criticized his Democratic opponent Brandon Presley for taking campaign contributions from his "solar panel buddies ... that have tried to run the oil business out of America." What a difference a few months make. Reeves, now in his second term as governor after prevailing in that reelection contest, stood proudly at a news conference in the Mississippi Capitol last week and boasted of providing millions in tax breaks and state cash to a company that embraces green or renewable energy, including -- gulp -- solar energy. A key part of his plan that landed Amazon Web Services is solar farms that will help fuel the electricity-dependent data centers the company will build in Madison County. Amazon, the company that legislators provided millions of dollars to entice them to locate in Mississippi on the recommendation of the governor, is the world's largest user of renewable energy and has a goal of being powered solely by renewable energy in the near future. The difference in Reeves' past rhetoric and his recent comments and action when announcing two historic economic development projects for the state is breathtaking. And it highlights the conflict conservative leaders like Reeves face in recruiting companies that often have different positions on policies than they do. |
| Roses and thorns: 2-3-24 | |
| The Dispatch Editorial Board writes: A rose for programs that help inform and celebrate Black contributions to our nation during Black History Month. Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University in Ohio first proposed Black History Month in February 1969. Seven years later, Black History Month was being celebrated across the country in educational institutions, centers of Black culture, and community centers, both great and small, when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976. Mississippi State will produce 14 separate programs on Black history during the month of February while Mississippi University for Women's month-long celebration will feature eight. For more information visit msstate.edu and muw.edu. We encourage everyone to take advantage of these opportunities as well as visiting your library to find Black History Related materials. ... A rose to Starkville's Rotary Classic Rodeo which will reach a milestone with this year's event, scheduled for Feb. 9-10 at the Mississippi Horse Park. From its humble beginnings the rodeo has grown not only in attendance but in the caliber of competition it attracts. The biggest winners, however, are right here in our community. The rodeo is Starkville Rotary Club's biggest fundraiser, bringing in more than $20,000 each year. Those funds support local organizations such as the Starkville Boy Scouts of America, Starkville Strong, Habitat for Humanity and Oktibbeha Young Leaders. The rodeo is not only great entertainment, but a great way to help worthy causes in the community. |
SPORTS
| Barnum's 22 Points Leads Mississippi State Over Texas A&M, 74-63 | |
| Mississippi State earned its fourth-straight victory with a 74-63 road win over Texas A&M inside Reed Arena on Sunday. Graduate student forward Erynn Barnum dominated inside all afternoon with 22 points on 9-11 from the field and 4-6 from the free throw line, in addition to six rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes. The point total for Barnum was her first 20-plus point contest of the season and surpasses her previous Mississippi State high. Senior guard Jerkaila Jordan added her 10th career double-double and sixth of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 35 minutes, while senior guard Darrione Rogers turned 18 points and five rebounds in 30 minutes. With the win, Mississippi State swept a three-contest week and improved to 19-5 overall and 6-3 in the SEC. The Bulldogs have now won six of their last seven contests. Mississippi State returns to action inside Humphrey Coliseum when it hosts Georgia on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. CT. |
| Women's Basketball: Barnum leads charge as Bulldogs win at Texas A&M to complete perfect week | |
| Mississippi State would have had every excuse available had the Bulldogs not won Sunday's game. Tired legs. A well-rested opponent. An arena where that opponent, Texas A&M, had won 11 of 12 games, with the Aggies' only home loss coming to defending national champion LSU. But MSU, which stared down a nine-point deficit less than four minutes after the opening tip, went right to work. The Bulldogs used an 18-2 run to end the first half and scored 10 straight points in the middle of the fourth quarter to pick up a 74-63 win, their fourth consecutive victory and third in the last seven days. Forward Erynn Barnum, a graduate transfer from Arkansas, led MSU (19-5, 6-3 Southeastern Conference) with a season-high 22 points, 14 of which came in that fourth quarter, on 9-for-11 shooting. Barnum's big day was more than enough to overcome a lackluster performance from her frontcourt partner, Jessika Carter, who was just 2-for-10 from the floor and finished with eight points. "It's not going to be my night every night," Barnum said on the SEC Network broadcast after the game. "(Head coach Sam Purcell) says (there's) enough for all of us to eat. Every night it could be (Jerkaila Jordan), (Lauren Park-Lane), (Carter), me. Just playing together and pouring into each other's cup is what we've been focusing on all season." MSU returns to Humphrey Coliseum for back-to-back home games in the coming week, with Georgia visiting Starkville on Thursday night and Florida coming in next Sunday afternoon. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball wins at Texas A&M, extends winning streak to four | |
| Outside of No. 1 South Carolina, Mississippi State women's basketball is the hottest team in the SEC. With Sunday's 74-63 win at Texas A&M, MSU has won four straight, with three of those wins coming away from Humphrey Coliseum. As has been the case throughout the winning streak, role players were a big reason for the Bulldogs' success against the Aggies (15-6, 3-5 SEC). MSU coach Sam Purcell got contributions from players outside of guard Jerkaila Jordan and center Jessika Carter throughout the afternoon. Darrione Rogers scored five of her 18 points in the second quarter to help MSU (19-5, 6-3 SEC) build an eight-point lead at halftime. Erynn Barnum, after A&M out-scored Mississippi State by five in the third, scored the first eight points for MSU in the fourth en route to a 22-point outing. Lauren Park-Lane, who attempted just three shots, recorded eight of her 10 points in the final five minutes to close things out. After losing back-to-back contests against Vanderbilt and South Carolina to open conference play, Mississippi State has won six of seven. The Bulldogs are now tied with LSU and Ole Miss, two teams MSU has beaten, for third in the SEC standings. |
| State Closes Out Six-Match Homestand Undefeated | |
| Mississippi State women's tennis saw matches come down to a critical third set on the final court on consecutive days this weekend. And in both instances, it was the Bulldogs that came out on top. MSU downed UAB 4-3 on Saturday with Chloé Cirotte coming up clutch to clinch the match. On Sunday, it was Maria Rizzolo's turn to provide the heroics in helping the Bulldogs defeat Belmont 4-3. Rizzolo spit her first two sets on Court 1 with Mariia Hlahola 4-6, 6-1 and saved match point in the third to send it into a tiebreaker with the match knotted 3-3 between the two teams. The junior from Palm Gardens, Florida was able to send the crowd gathered inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion home happy with her 7-6(4) victory in the tiebreaker that pushed MSU to 6-0 on the year. "It felt great," Rizzolo said. "I've never been in that situation before, so I was shaking a little. But after I won and having all my teammates come running towards me and hugging me was the best feeling." Sunday's win closed out an undefeated six-match homestand for State. The Bulldogs will now venture out on the road for the first time with Hooshyar, traveling to Memphis on Feb. 11 for a noon match against the Tigers. |
| Mississippians show out in Reese's Senior Bowl | |
| Despite South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler grabbing MVP of the 2024 Senior Bowl on Saturday, four Mississippi-based players had good showings during the annual all-star game in Mobile, Ala. Nathaniel Watson (Mississippi State), McKinley Jackson (Texas A&M/Lucedale), Cedric Johnson (Ole Miss), and Jaden Crumedy (Mississippi State) -- all suiting up for the American team -- combined for 11 tackles, two for loss, and one pass break-up. Watson led the group with a game-high seven tackles. "I look to take advantage of all the opportunities that are given to me," Watson said after the game as he continues to try to boost his NFL Draft stock. "It's just like a family down here, just like when I went to Starkville." Although Watson finished with most of the stat line, Jackson and Johnson used their large frames to force a few quarterback hurries and consistently close running lanes. Crumedy was crucial to his team on a handful of possessions. While a handful of players used Saturday's opportunity to further impress scouts, others will have some ground to make up when the combine comes around on Feb. 29 in Indianapolis. The 2024 NFL Draft is set for April 25-27 also in Detroit. |
| With CFP still undecided on future format, SEC and Big Ten express doubts in commitment | |
| Almost one month ago, leaders of the College Football Playoff gathered in Houston ahead of the national championship game expecting to adopt a change in format to the expanded 12-team playoff. However, they left the meeting without a decision, as one conference delayed a vote -- another hurdle in what's been multiple years of similar challenges to find consensus in the CFP governance room. The latest delay casts more doubt on the future of the playoff beyond 2025, the final year that the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame are contractually bonded together through the CFP's television deal with media partner ESPN. Though the CFP is in the midst of negotiations with ESPN to extend the deal, there is currently no contractually bound playoff starting in 2026. In an interview with Yahoo Sports earlier this week, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, for the first time publicly, expressed doubts in their commitment to the future of the CFP if leaders can't "get right" a litany of issues. It comes on the heels of an announcement Friday that the leagues were forming a joint advisory board to study the future of college athletics. Asked if he was committed to the CFP beyond 2025, Sankey said, "Yep, but we've got a lot to get right. The commitment is we want to see this get right." The CFP Management Committee, made up of commissioners from the 10 FBS leagues and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick, meets on Monday and Tuesday in Dallas for what is expected to be two days of work toward key decisions over the playoff's long-term future. |
| Big Ten, SEC form advisory group as conferences' bond tightens | |
| The Big Ten and SEC have formed a joint advisory group of university presidents, chancellors and athletic directors to "address the significant challenges facing college athletics" and how to improve the student-athlete experience, the conferences announced Friday. The move is significant because it reflects a growing relationship between the two largest and wealthiest conferences and their respective commissioners as the balance of power continues to tilt in their favor in the evolving collegiate landscape. Sources have told ESPN that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey have been working closely together -- more than their predecessors had -- at a time when conference expansion has further separated their leagues from the other FBS conferences. The SEC will welcome Oklahoma and Texas this summer, while the Big Ten will add Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA from a Pac-12 that is on the verge of extinction. "There are similar cultural and social impacts on our student-athletes, our institutions, and our communities because of the new collegiate athletics environment," Sankey said in a statement. "We do not have predetermined answers to the myriad questions facing us. We do not expect to agree on everything but enhancing interaction between our conferences will help to focus efforts on common sense solutions." |
| In reform efforts, SEC and Big Ten rightly move toward taking wheel from NCAA | |
| Step back and assess the mountain of legal threats facing the NCAA: As of Friday afternoon, it is confronting more than a half-dozen lawsuits and two National Labor Relations Board cases that would radically reshape the college sports enterprise. The message increasingly emerging from membership in recent weeks, especially at the Power Four conference level, is that the NCAA's efforts to stave off further legal challenges are not working -- and not working fast enough. The association has failed to gain sufficient traction – and it's not because of lack of effort – on Capitol Hill, as lobbying efforts continue in pursuit of a federal bill that would provide some antitrust protection and codify that athletes are not employees. A Congressional lifeline is still viewed as a Hail Mary. At the same time, there has been pushback on elements of NCAA President Charlie Baker's reform proposal for several reasons, sources tell On3, including the fact that it does not go far enough to thwart further legal threats. It's against this backdrop -- with the NCAA failing to make enough headway on Capitol Hill and a forward-thinking proposal that is not viewed as progressive enough -- that the two super conferences, the SEC and Big Ten, are stepping onto center stage. Amid massive industry disruption that has created this unsustainable middle ground of chaos, the two leagues with the most leverage, the most money and the most clout, are moving toward taking control of the wheel from the NCAA -- as is necessary. |
| NCAA wants judge to deny motions by Tennessee and Virginia that invite 'chaos' to college sports | |
| The NCAA says the states of Tennessee and Virginia threaten to throw college sports into "disarray" if granted the temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction sought as part of their lawsuit arguing the group's name, image and likeness rules violate antitrust law. The organization asks a judge to deny both motions in its 25-page response filed Saturday with the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Tennessee. A judge on Feb. 13 will hear a request by the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia for a preliminary injunction. "There is no reason to upend this process, invite chaos on a moment's notice, and transform college sports into an environment where players and schools match up based primarily on the dollars that can change hands," the NCAA wrote in asking that both motions sought be denied. "Requests for radical change require sound deliberation." Chancellor Donde Plowman revealed in a scathing letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker released Tuesday that the NCAA was investigating Tennessee and The Vol Club, an NIL collective run by Spyre Sports Group. Tennessee's recruitment of five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava from California and his NIL contract with Spyre is among the deals receiving scrutiny from the NCAA. Attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia followed Plowman's letter by filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA on Wednesday challenging its ban on the use of NIL compensation in the recruitment of college athletes, and in response to the association's investigation of Tennessee |
| Rick Pitino says NCAA enforcement arm 'of no value anymore' | |
| With legal disputes escalating over the use of name, image and likeness compensation in the recruitment of college athletes, Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino believes it's time for the NCAA to stand down when it comes to policing member schools. "It's a very difficult time in college basketball, because it's free agency," the first-year St. John's coach said Saturday. "And now I think what's going to happen is, they're going to say everybody can transfer, and then if they don't like it, they're going to take 'em to court. "So I think the NCAA enforcement staff just should be disbanded. It's a joke. Not because I dislike them. But they're of no value anymore. Because just, Tennessee now will take 'em to court, Virginia will take 'em to court." Pitino, 71, volunteered his thoughts on the NCAA following his team's 77-64 loss to top-ranked UConn at Madison Square Garden. His comments came at the postgame news conference in response to a reporter's question about stoking a renewed rivalry with the powerhouse Huskies, the defending national champions, as he rebuilds the St. John's program. "The enforcement staff needs to go away," Pitino said. "We need to stop all the hypocrisy of NIL. We need to stop it. Because they can't stop it. Whether I'm for it or against it doesn't matter. They are professional athletes. Get professionally paid. It's not going away." |
| Auburn Board of Trustees approves new video board for Jordan-Hare Stadium's north end zone | |
 | The Auburn University Board of Trustees has given project approval to replace the existing scoreboard in Jordan-Hare Stadium's north end zone with a new video board. The project, which is expected to be financed entirely by athletics department funds, was proposed by the university's athletics department at the board's Friday meeting on the Auburn University at Montgomery campus. Neither a budget nor a timeline for completion was presented at the meeting, but a key element of the new video board's supporting structure, Auburn University Associate Vice President for Facilities Dan King said, is for it to be "compatible with any future project that might occur in the north end zone." Following its approval, Auburn's athletics department officially announced the news, complete with a rendered drawing of the proposed video board, which will be 47 feet high by 154 feet wide with 7,238 square feet of LED space, according to the department's release. The project is also expected to break ground in the summer of 2024 to be completed in time for the 2025 football season. "We are appreciative of the Auburn Board of Trustees for its continued support of Auburn Athletics and the Auburn Family," Auburn athletics director John Cohen said in the release. This facility update has been a priority for Cohen, who said in November that it was the department's next big facilities project. |
| Auburn star apologizes to Morgan Freeman after thinking actor was Ole Miss fan trying to rattle him | |
| Auburn's Johni Broome met one of his favorite movie stars -- and apologized to Morgan Freeman for how it happened. Broome, who scored 15 points in the 16th-ranked Tigers' 91-77 victory over Mississippi on Saturday night, tried to save a ball from going out of bounds in the second half when someone in the front row grabbed his jersey. Thinking it was an Ole Miss fan trying to rattle him, Broome brushed the person's arm away. It turned out it was Freeman, the Academy Award-winning actor who is a big Mississippi fan and attends many Rebels games. "I kind of got his hand off," Broome told reporters. "I saw who it was and I'm a big movie guy. I probably watched one of his movies on the plane coming here." "But I realized it was him and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm a big fan. I'm sorry.' He said, 'Just keep playing.'" Broome, calling a personal foul on himself, went back over to Freeman during the game. "I'm just like, 'I'm sorry, again,'" Broome said. "He said, 'You all good. Just keep playing.' He's a very good guy. Love him." Broome and his Auburn teammates erased a 13-point deficit in the first half with a dominating second half to power past Freeman's favorite team. The Tigers improved to 18-4 overall and 7-2 in the Southeastern Conference, while the Rebels dropped to 18-4 and 5-4 in league play. |
| Will Mexican national soccer team play exhibition game at Kyle Field? | |
 | The Mexican men's national soccer team has announced plans to play a game at Kyle Field as a warm-up for this summer's Copa América tournament, according to a spokesperson with the national squad. However, Texas A&M officials said Friday the deal is not done. "The request remains under review. No contract has been signed nor has a final decision been made," said Kelly Brown, A&M's associate vice president of marketing & communications. El Tri has international friendlies already scheduled against Uruguay and Brazil on June 5 and June 8, respectively, leading up to a June 22 opening of the Copa America tournament against Jamaica. The time and location of both friendlies are to be determined. Texas A&M tried to bring a soccer match to the state's largest-capacity stadium in 2017, vying for a friendly between English Premier League giants Manchester United and Manchester City, according to a report from the Dallas Morning News. The exhibition match never came to fruition. El Tri traditionally brings a following to its matches in the United States, including 56,872 to a friendly against Nigeria at Arlington's AT&T Stadium May 28 of last year. |
| Kiffin Lawsuit Win Reflects a Fading College Sports Landscape | |
| In dismissing Ole Miss defensive tackle DeSanto Rollins' lawsuit against Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin over alleged anti-discrimination and disabilities laws violations, a federal judge Wednesday reaffirmed the extensive and longstanding power of college football coaches over their players. It's the kind of ruling we could have seen in 1984 or 2004 -- but perhaps won't in the coming years. U.S. District Judge Michael Mills determined the school and Kiffin were exempt from many of Rollins' claims. He also reasoned "although Kiffin's conduct in the meetings was certainly offensive and imprudent" the law doesn't recognize mere "immature insults and indignities" as illegal acts. The ruling comes at a time when college athletes are inching closer to recognition as employees and union membership. In a world where college football players have a union, Rollins v. Kiffin probably wouldn't be heard in court. The union and school would have instead negotiated a dispute resolution process. College players, meanwhile, would have collectively bargained job protections while coaches who act in "certainly offensive and imprudent" ways might run afoul of obligations to treat players as professionals. Rollins v. Kiffin comes at a time when the legal relationship between college sports and its athletes face potentially tectonic changes via litigation and NLRB charges. So long as college athletes lack the recognition of employees, their rights to challenge their schools and coaches are very limited. |
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