| Thursday, February 29, 2024 |
| MSU's Music Maker Productions presents Saturday 'Blues Night' with award-winning blues artist Watermelon Slim | |
 | Mississippi State's Music Maker Productions is hosting "Blues Night" this Saturday, March 2, featuring award-winning blues artist Watermelon Slim and a night filled with music, food and blues history. Open to the public, the free event will begin at 5 p.m. in Starkville's Fire Station Park at 503 East Lampkin Street. Watermelon Slim will take the stage at 6 p.m. and opener Brother Drew at 5:15 p.m. Guests may bring coolers, blankets and chairs. Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans is a two-time Blues Music Award winner, an Independent Music Award "Blues Album of the Year" winner, Canada's Maple Blues Award "International Artist of the Year" winner and more. The activist and Vietnam War veteran has been featured in national and international publications for his twangy slide guitar and voice. Along with classic blues music, the concert will feature a "History of Blues" pop-up and a food truck. Part of MSU's Division of Student Affairs, MMP works to provide contemporary entertainment for the university and Starkville communities. For more information, visit www.msuconcerts.org/ or contact MMP at msummp@gmail.com. Follow MMP on Instagram @msu_mmp and Facebook @MSUConcerts. |
| Mary Means Business: Charcuterie platters business open in Starkville | |
 | Zack James, along with his business partner Catherine Smith, just kicked off their new business in Starkville. It's Charcuterie Y'all is an independent business operated out of James's restaurant Next Round Wine and Bourbon Bar on Starr Ave. With the bourbon and wine bar, James wanted to expand and offer Starkville individual or party platter charcuterie boards. Folks can choose from three types: vegetarian and cheese, fruit and cheese, or meat and cheese. Individual trays are priced at $15. "It's a cool, little concept for Starkville," James said. "... We're excited to offer this to everyone." It's Charcuterie Y'all launched last week, and you can find all their information and how to order gift boxes and party platters on their Instagram. |
| Medicaid expansion proposal advances through Republican-led Mississippi House, will go to Senate | |
 | Mississippi's Republican-led House passed a bill Wednesday that would expand Medicaid benefits to hundreds of thousands more residents in one of the poorest states in the U.S. -- a landmark shift after state leaders refused to consider the policy for years. The bill's passage was greeted by applause in the House chamber following a bipartisan 98-20 vote. It now heads to the state Senate, where its fate remains uncertain as lawmakers are expected to introduce a competing proposal that could serve as a foundation for further negotiations. The move follows years of opposition from Republicans, including Gov. Tate Reeves, to the expansion allowed under the Affordable Care Act, a 2010 federal health overhaul signed by then-President Barack Obama. The bill's Republican sponsor, Rep. Missy McGee, said lawmakers had a "moral imperative" to put ideology aside to improve Mississippi's poor health outcomes. "It is a topic that should transcend politics and economics. For at its core, it's about the well-being and dignity of every Mississippian," McGee said. "Sometimes, it's OK to do the right thing, because it's the right thing." |
| Mississippi House Passes Speaker White's Medicaid Expansion Bill | |
 | The Mississippi House of Representatives has passed Medicaid expansion as put forward by Speaker Jason White. Republicans in the chamber under former Speaker Philip Gunn grew to hold a supermajority in the House. They, along with Governor Tate Reeves, have rejected calls to expand the welfare program for a decade. Now, just two months into White's tenure, only 20 Republicans voted against the new Speaker's expansion legislation, leaving it to pass the chamber by a vote of 96-20. In an interview with Magnolia Tribune on Tuesday, Speaker White said there is a Medicaid coverage gap, and an answer must be provided addressing it. His bill includes direction to the Division of Medicaid to negotiate with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to obtain approval for a work requirement that would limit participation to those actively employed or enrolled full-time in an education program. State Rep. Missy McGee (R), chair of the House Medicaid Committee and co-author of the measure, presented the bill to the members, saying it was "a moral imperative." She said lawmakers "need to feel" the weight of the state of the healthcare system in Mississippi. "No one has presented a better and more affordable way. And no is not a policy that has helped or will help low income, working Mississippians," McGee told the chamber. No questions were posed to McGee and a vote was demanded from the floor as soon as she finished presenting the legislation. |
| 'Moral imperative': House overwhelmingly passes Mississippi Medicaid expansion | |
| Medicaid expansion, which for more than a decade has been blocked by legislative leaders, passed the House Wednesday 98-20 in less than 15 minutes and now advances to the Senate. House Medicaid Chair Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, explained the policy as a "moral imperative" and said it "should transcend politics." She also said that lawmakers have yet to propose a viable alternative to expansion to deal with Mississippi's lack of health care access and poor health outcomes and that "'No' is not a policy that has helped." No questions followed McGee's explanation of House Bill 1725. The bill passed with more than the two-thirds majority needed to override a potential veto from Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who for years has opposed Medicaid expansion and reiterated his opposition multiple times during his successful reelection campaign last year. The measure now heads to the Senate, which is also working on its own version of an expansion bill, as lawmakers consider making Mississippi the 41st state to expand Medicaid. Every lawmaker who voted against the measure was a Republican. Rep. Jill Ford, R-Madison, said, "It was an easy No vote for me ... I represent one of the most conservative constituencies in the state, and my constituents do not support this. This was not about me. It was about the will of my constituents." |
| Prominent Business Leaders Call on Mississippi Legislature to Pass Universal School Choice Bill | |
| House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson filed HB 1449, the Mississippi Student Freedom Act. The bill, as written, would phase in a universal school choice program that would allow every child in Mississippi the option of attending the school of their choice within five years of passage. Sixty prominent business leaders from across the state have sent a letter to Governor Tate Reeves, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, Speaker Jason White, and legislative leadership in support of the legislation, and more broadly, empowering families to make decisions about what is best for their children when it comes to education. Signatories including the likes of C Spire CEO Hu Meena, former Ambassador Mike Retzer, William Mounger II, Wirt Yerger III, and Chip Crane, among others. Several of the people listed in the letter have not only built some of Mississippi's most successful companies, but also have been pivotally involved in building and supporting the Republican Party in Mississippi. Letter organizer Abb Payne runs the Payne Companies. "States all over the country, especially the South, are moving to give parents more education options and we just didn't want to see Mississippi left behind," Payne told Magnolia Tribune. "If Mississippi is improving at a slower rate than our neighboring states, we're losing." Payne said he got involved because he realized the business community had not been engaged in the conversation on school choice. He explained that his family had been fortunate to have education options to help his daughter, who has dyslexia, and he believes every family should be empowered with those type of options. |
| Senate Proposes Its Own Change to MAEP | |
| Last week, House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson (R) unveiled his bill that would change how the state's K-12 education system is funded, replacing the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, or MAEP, with the Investing in the Needs of Students to Prioritize, Impact and Reform Education (INSPIRE) Act. Also this month, Senate leaders introduced their own plan to revamp MAEP, tweaking the way Mississippi's public schools are funded using the framework of the current system. Last year, State Senator Dennis DeBar (R), Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, offered proposals to change the MAEP model but his proposals did not make it through the House of Representatives. This year, even as new House Speaker Jason White (R) appears to support a change to the model, just as did his predecessor, across the Capitol Senator DeBar is trying again with SB 2332. The 2024 Senate legislation is very similar to the one that overwhelmingly passed the chamber in 2023. The bill tweaks the current MAEP formula to provide a clear path for superintendents to plan for the hiring of teachers and covering other expenses, according to DeBar, while leaving in place average student attendance to calculate the base student rate for funding. |
| Voter initiative would be hard to use under bills moving in Legislature | |
| If Mississippians are allowed to vote to enact a new initiative process to allow citizens to bypass the Legislature and place issues on the ballot, it is likely to be much more restrictive than the process that was deemed invalid in 2021 by the state Supreme Court. On Wednesday, the Senate Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee passed a proposal to restore voters' initiative rights. But the Committee proposal is significantly more restrictive than the one first enacted in the early 1990s and used until the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. The Senate AET proposal would require double the number of voters' signatures to put something on the ballot, and limit the issues that voters can take up. The AET Committee measure most likely will be taken up in the coming weeks by the full Senate. Earlier this session the House passed a proposal, now pending in the Senate, that also is more restrictive than the old process. If the Legislature does pass a proposal to finally renew the initiative, it still must be approved by the voters before it will be valid. But voters will have to accept or reject what the Legislature offers. They cannot change it. Senate AET Chairman David Parker, R-Southaven, said any procedure allowing citizens to bypass the Legislature and change the state's laws should be "onerous" and safeguards should be taken to limit out-of-state influence on the process. |
| Lawmakers move bill to eliminate 5-day period to count mailed ballots | |
| The Senate Elections Committee on Tuesday advanced legislation to eliminate the five days local elections workers have to count mail-in absentee ballots. The majority-Republican committee passed Senate Bill 2579 with little debate, sending it to the full Senate. "In my opinion, when we have votes that are being counted after Election Day like this, whether there's any bad intent or not, it's not received by the public well," Senate Elections Committee Chairman Jeremy England, author of the bill, said. To address concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the GOP-dominated Legislature passed a law to allow local election workers to count mailed absentee ballots for up to five days after the election date, but only if the ballots were postmarked by the election date. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill into law. The legislation comes at a time when the Republican National Committee, the Mississippi GOP and the Libertarian Party of Mississippi have filed federal litigation against Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson and several local elections officials to prevent the five-day timeframe from being used in federal elections. A veterans advocacy group and a disability rights organization are currently attempting to intervene in the litigation to argue the lawsuit should be dismissed. U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. has not issued any substantive rulings on the suit. |
| Taylor Named New AccelerateMS Executive Director | |
| Earlier this month, the news came that AccelerateMS Executive Director Ryan Miller was stepping down to take another opportunity, having led the agency since its inception. It was later announced that Miller would be heading up the Oxford Lafayette Economic Development Foundation as its new CEO. Miller's departure left a vacancy at AccelerateMS at a critical time as Governor Tate Reeves and lawmakers continue to push for increased workforce and economic development in the Magnolia State. On Thursday, that vacancy was filled. The State Workforce Investment Board has confirmed Dr. Courtney Taylor as the new Executive Director for AccelerateMS. She will begin her new role on March 16th. Taylor, who joined AccelerateMS in November 2021 as deputy director for strategy and programs, served in higher education for over 15 years, most recently as the vice president for workforce and economic development at East Mississippi Community College. Before that, she was the regional director of workforce and economic development for the Alabama Community College System and served as the director of workforce solutions at Calhoun Community College, among other previous roles. "Over the past four years, we've overhauled our approach to workforce development in Mississippi," said Governor Reeves in a statement. "Thanks to those efforts, we've seen record investment in high-quality training programs, better coordination amongst our state partners, and thousands of high-paying jobs created for Mississippians. I'm pleased the State Workforce Investment Board selected Dr. Courtney Taylor as the next Executive Director of AccelerateMS." |
| Mississippi ex-governor expected stake in firm that got welfare money, says woman convicted in fraud | |
| Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said at a party weeks before leaving office that he had been offered a financial stake in a company that received welfare money to try to develop a concussion drug and was connected to retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, according to a new court filing by a person convicted in a welfare misspending case. Nancy New had a close working relationship with Favre and Bryant while the Republican was governor, and she made the allegation about Bryant in court papers Monday. New said that at a 2019 Christmas party, Bryant talked about Jake Vanlandingham, founder of the Florida-based biotech company Prevacus. "Governor Bryant got excited and told me that Jake had offered him 'half the company,' which I understood to mean a substantial amount of stock, but the Governor said he was going to have to wait until he was out of office to accept," New wrote. Denton Gibbes, a spokesperson for Bryant, said the former governor cannot comment on New's allegations because a judge issued an order in 2020 to prevent prosecutors, defense attorneys and others from publicly discussing the criminal case against New. "If there wasn't a gag order in place, we'd forcefully respond," Gibbes said Wednesday. "We'll let our libel action against Mississippi Today speak for us." Bryant filed a lawsuit in July against Mississippi Today, saying the online news organization had defamed him in its coverage of welfare misspending that officials say occurred from 2016 to 2019. The organization has asked a judge to dismiss the suit, saying its coverage is constitutionally protected speech. |
| Justice Department slams 'unconstitutional conditions' at Mississippi prisons | |
| The Justice Department is accusing the state of Mississippi of violating the constitutional rights of those held in four prisons: the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, the South Mississippi Correctional Institution and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. "Our work makes clear that people do not abandon their civil and constitutional rights at the jailhouse door," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division told reporters in a press conference Wednesday. "The unconstitutional conditions in Mississippi's prisons have existed for far too long, and we hope that this announcement marks a turning point towards implementing sound, evidence-based solutions to these entrenched problems." Department officials released a 60-page report Wednesday that centers on the three prisons besides Parchman. The report concluded that the Mississippi Department of Corrections "does not adequately supervise incarcerated people, control contraband, and investigate incidents of harm and misconduct. These basic safety failures and the poor living conditions inside the facilities promote violence, including sexual assault. Gangs operate in the void left by staff and use violence to control people and traffic contraband." Clarke said one major reason for this problem is that vacancy rates for correctional officers run between 30% and 50% at these prisons. |
| Republicans block Senate bill to protect nationwide access to IVF treatments | |
| Senate Republicans have blocked legislation that would protect access to in vitro fertilization, objecting to a vote on the issue Wednesday even after widespread backlash to a recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that threatens the practice. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Mississippi Republican, objected to a request for a vote by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who used IVF treatments to have her two children after struggling with years of infertility. Duckworth's bill would establish a federal right to the treatments as the Alabama ruling has upended fertility care in the state and families who had already started the process face heartbreak and uncertainty. Several clinics in the state announced they were pausing IVF services as they sort out last week's ruling, which said that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. The court said that three Alabama couples who lost frozen embryos during an accident at a storage facility could sue the fertility clinic and hospital for the wrongful death of a minor child. Hyde-Smith defended the Alabama Supreme Court decision that found frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. "I support the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access to IVF and bringing new life into the world. I also believe human life should be protected," Hyde-Smith said. |
| House to Vote on Bill Averting Government Shutdown Over Some Republicans' Complaints | |
 | House lawmakers are set to vote Thursday afternoon on a stopgap funding bill that would avert a partial government shutdown this weekend, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) forced once again to turn to a coalition made up mostly of Democrats to pass it. Some House Republicans emerged from a closed-door meeting ahead of the vote saying they were frustrated that Johnson was asking them to support another deadline extension without more spending cuts or other conservative victories. Thursday's stopgap measure will be the third passed with Democrats during Johnson's speakership, and will buy negotiators more time to then pass full-year spending bills next month, under a framework agreed to with Democrats. The disunity among Republicans means Johnson will have to bypass normal procedures and instead bring the bill to the floor using a special approach that requires a two-thirds supermajority, rather than a simple majority, meaning he will need many Democratic votes. "This has been a long, deliberate process," Johnson told reporters on Thursday, calling the appropriations process "ugly." He said he was anxious to get started on next year's bills and try to get them done by summer, avoiding similar stopgap bills and shutdown dramas next fall. "We're going to do everything we can to turn the aircraft carrier around," he said. |
| McConnell exit surprises GOP: 'It's Trump's party now' | |
 | GOP senators say Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) saw the writing on the wall in choosing this term to be his final as Senate Republican leader, arguing it's increasingly obvious that the party is drifting away from him and embracing former President Trump as its likely presidential nominee. "I think it's a reflection of Mitch's understanding of the room. I think it's a reflection of both his personal situation as he described eloquently in his speech and his reading of the political climate and his respect for that," Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said after McConnell announced his decision not to run for another term as Senate leader in an emotional floor speech. McConnell has faced relentless pressure from longtime critics such as Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), and they have steadily gained supporters in recently elected conservatives such as Sens. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). All of those Republicans are aligned with Trump, who in just the last two months has reasserted himself as the GOP kingmaker in and out of Washington, D.C. A Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss the political pressures on McConnell, said the announcement caught many colleagues by surprise. The senator called the backlash from conservatives over the bipartisan border security deal "vicious." A Senate Republican aide said, "it's Trump's party now." "It's the end of the Reagan era and now the MAGA era," the source said. |
| McConnell to step down from Senate leadership | |
 | Mitch McConnell's announcement that he will voluntarily end his record-setting reign as Senate Republican leader drew praise and some derision Wednesday, as a contest to succeed him that was already underway began to move out from behind the scenes. Potential candidates to replace McConnell include the "three Johns," as they're known, who have all served as deputies under McConnell in recent years. South Dakota Sen. John Thune, currently the No. 2 Senate Republican; Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the current conference chair; and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a former GOP whip who termed out of leadership, could all make a run for party leader. "Mitch leaves enormous shoes to fill, and it's with humility that I look forward to having a discussion with my colleagues about what the future holds for the Senate Republican Conference and a new generation of leadership," Thune said in a statement. McConnell, 82, first took over as the chamber's GOP leader in 2007 and is the longest-serving leader of either party in the Senate. In a floor speech Wednesday afternoon, he said he plans to serve the rest of his current term in the Senate, his seventh, which runs until early 2027. His announcement comes as Republicans are all but certain to nominate former President Donald Trump to run against President Joe Biden this year. McConnell didn't directly refer to Trump and his role in the party during his remarks Wednesday, although he did tout the recent approval of a package to provide supplemental funding to Ukraine, among other countries, that split the Republican Conference and faces an uncertain future in the House. "I'm unconflicted about the good within our country and the irreplaceable role we play as the leader of the free world," he said. "It's why I worked so hard to get the national security package passed earlier this month." |
| McConnell Built Today's Supreme Court. Will He Come to Regret It? | |
 | Mitch McConnell's legacy is now embodied by three people: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. All three Supreme Court justices are the product of the longtime Senate GOP leader's exertions to cut deals, delay appointments, force litmus tests and pressure allies to remake the federal judiciary. The precise contours of that legacy could become clear in quick fashion. In the next few months, the three justices -- elevated by former President Donald Trump with extraordinary assistance from McConnell -- will vote whether the ex-president deserves immunity from prosecution for actions committed while in office. At the same time, they will be called upon to weigh in on other highly partisan cases, from whether states can drop Trump from the ballot for supporting an insurrection to whether Trump-allied state governments in Florida and Texas can force social media platforms to publish his missives. How the justices come down on these cases will go a long way toward determining whether they are partisan "Trump judges," as the former president has boastfully called them -- as if holding a lien on their support -- or if they are more like McConnell has portrayed them: conservative-minded independent jurists committed to judicial restraint and interpreting the law without fear or favor. The final verdict on their tenures, whenever it comes, will also answer one of the great curiosities of recent history: Did McConnell play Trump back in 2016, when he sought assurances that the then-GOP nominee would appoint justices from a short list of highly credentialed conservatives? Or did Trump play McConnell, buying the crucial support of a man who ultimately came to loathe him? |
| Austin Faces Questions About His Hospitalization From House Committee | |
 | Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III presented himself before a congressional committee for chastisement on Thursday, continuing a round of mea culpas over his failure last month to tell his boss that he was in the hospital with complications from prostate cancer surgery. Republican lawmakers had been preparing to lay into Mr. Austin before the hearing, calling former Defense Department officials for advice. Even the formal title of the hearing, listed on the House Armed Services Committee's website, struck an ominous tone: "A Review of Defense Secretary Austin's Unannounced Absence." Mr. Austin sought to get ahead of the expected scolding by apologizing -- again -- for keeping his hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center a secret. On Monday, the Pentagon released an unclassified version of a review of how Defense Department officials, including Mr. Austin, handled his hospitalization. The document offered little if any criticism and faulted no one for the failure to disclose his illness. On the other side of the Capitol, senators from both parties voiced frustration after receiving a classified briefing on the Pentagon's review on Tuesday. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement, "I remain concerned that the department has yet to account for its failure to comply with federal law and notify Congress or the White House that the secretary was incapacitated." Mr. Wicker added, "It is clear that many members of the committee left the briefing frustrated by questions that went unanswered." |
| Alabama tensions show how Republicans reversed on Ukraine support | |
 | In the early days, long before Russia's war entered its third year, drivers honked and smiled when Natalia Reznick stood by the roadside holding her handmade sign: "Support Ukraine." Then one afternoon in November, a man lowered his truck window and flipped her off. She might have dismissed that as a fluke if, a few weeks later, another man hadn't approached her booth in a Trader Joe's parking lot and asked, "Haven't we given you enough money?" "The hostility shocked me," recalled Reznick, 44, whose late father was Ukrainian. "I felt it then -- the shift." Somewhere along the way, even a stay-at-home mom's little charity effort outside a northern Alabama grocery store became mired in another American culture clash. To many Republicans here and across the country, "Support Ukraine" is now a liberal cause --- a costly diversion from more pressing domestic issues, such as securing the southern border. Some think European allies should bear the responsibility for stopping Vladimir Putin's takeover, casting Kyiv's potential ruin as not America's problem. Others suspect aid funds might be landing in the wrong pockets. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) claimed this month, without evidence, that U.S. tax dollars meant to help Ukrainian forces have vanished in an "enormous theft." Then he slammed Ukraine as "one of the most blatantly, notoriously corrupt places in the world." It's a far cry from the display of unity two years ago, when Putin launched his invasion and politicians from both sides of the aisle scrambled to arm Kyiv, Reznick thought. Billions of aid dollars flowed through her city, Huntsville, a defense industry hub with an Army base one local official called the "center of gravity for supporting the Ukrainians." |
| A.I. Frenzy Complicates Efforts to Keep Power-Hungry Data Sites Green | |
| West Texas, from the oil rigs of the Permian Basin to the wind turbines twirling above the High Plains, has long been a magnet for companies seeking fortunes in energy. Now, those arid ranch lands are offering a new moneymaking opportunity: data centers. Lancium, an energy and data center management firm setting up shop in Fort Stockton and Abilene, is one of many companies around the country betting that building data centers close to generating sites will allow them to tap into underused clean power. "It's a land grab," said Lancium's president, Ali Fenn. In the past, companies built data centers close to internet users, to better meet consumer requests, like streaming a show on Netflix or playing a video game hosted in the cloud. But the growth of artificial intelligence requires huge data centers to train the evolving large-language models, making proximity to users less necessary. But as more of these sites start to pop up across the United States, there are new questions on whether they can meet the demand while still operating sustainably. The carbon footprint from the construction of the centers and the racks of expensive computer equipment is substantial in itself, and their power needs have grown considerably. This growth in electricity demand comes as manufacturing in the United States is the highest in the past half-century, and the power grid is becoming increasingly strained. Competition is growing in parts of the country offering cheap land and available power. Amazon, for instance, announced last month that it was planning a $10 billion project in Mississippi, the state's largest economic development project, which includes data centers and solar generating sites. |
| Brooks: Supporters can't take MSMS for granted | |
| Sometimes you don't know what you got 'til it's gone. "I think this is a clear message to us back at home that we've got to have some conversation about how we support (Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science)," District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks said Wednesday morning. "I think sometimes we take things for granted." Brooks was one of a group of local leaders at a joint press conference at the Lowndes County Administrative Building to voice opposition to a bill that would relocate MSMS to Mississippi State University. Mayor Keith Gaskin, Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones and Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco represented the city of Columbus, while President and District 2 Supervisor Trip Hairston, District 1 Supervisor Matt Furnari, Brooks, Sheriff Eddie Hawkins and Chancery Clerk Cindy Goode showed the flag for Lowndes County. MSMS Foundation President John Davis and MUW President Nora Miller rounded out the crowd. The show of solidarity was sparked by Senate Bill 2715, sponsored by District 43 Sen. Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, which directs the State Board of Education to develop a plan to relocate the residential high school from MUW to MSU by the 2026-2027 school year. The bill calls for state Department of Education to present a relocation plan during the 2025 regular legislative session. The school has been located at MUW since opening in 1988. |
| Lawmaker behind bill to close three universities says its has 'slim' chance to pass | |
| A lawmaker behind a controversial bill to close three public universities in Mississippi says its chances of becoming law this session are "slim." Sen. John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, told Mississippi Today that he just wanted to start a conversation when he filed Senate Bill 2726. "It's pretty out there," Polk said. Start a conversation, Polk did. Social media was a flurry the weekend after the bill dropped. By Wednesday, an online petition opposing the bill had gained more than 7,500 signatures. A local newspaper serving Columbus, the northeastern city home to Mississippi University for Women, published an op-ed warning the bill would devastate the local economy. And alumni of the state's three historically black universities and colleges decried the bill as a do-over of former Gov. Haley Barbour's plan to merge those schools. That isn't his intention, Polk said. Any of the eight universities could be closed under his bill. And among the most vulnerable based on enrollment are three of the state's regional colleges: MUW in Columbus, Delta State University in Cleveland and Mississippi Valley State University, a historically Black university in Itta Bena. The bill will likely die in the Senate Colleges and Universities Committee due to politics, Polk said, and the emotional ties that Mississippians have to their colleges. |
| A bill would close 3 of Mississippi's 8 universities, but lawmakers say it's likely to die | |
| A bill proposed in Mississippi would close three of the state's eight public universities, but lawmakers in the House and Senate said Wednesday that it is unlikely to pass. Under the proposal from Republican Sen. John Polk of Hattiesburg, the board that governs the eight schools would choose three to close by June 30, 2028. The bill does not specify which institutions would close but says the board would make the decision based on enrollment, federal aid, tuition rates, degree programs and local economic impact. House Universities and Colleges Committee Chairman Donnie Scoggin, a Republican from Ellisville, said he had not studied Polk's bill, but a study committee to evaluate those metrics would be a necessary prerequisite. "I am not for closing any of the colleges at this time without having a whole lot more knowledge," Scoggin told The Associated Press. "I would not support that without knowing a whole lot more." Citing declining enrollment at several institutions, Polk has said the Legislature is appropriating too much money to keep the universities afloat. He declined to comment further on Wednesday. Republican Sen. Nicole Boyd of Oxford, who chairs the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee, said she was still reviewing Polk's legislation with no immediate plan to bring it up for a vote. |
| Delta State president speaks out on bill to close universities | |
 | Newly inaugurated Delta State president Dan Ennis was getting ready Wednesday morning for many normal duties on the Cleveland campus, including a career day event. He didn't seem particularly concerned about a bill that has been introduced into the Mississippi Senate that would call for the closure of three state-funded universities by June 30, 2028. The bill would seem to be aimed at the four smallest institutions in Mississippi: Delta State University, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State University and Alcorn State University. "Reports of Delta State's potential demise are greatly exaggerated," Ennis said, jokingly. "If the Senator's actual intention is to close Ole Miss, DSU can initially welcome about 500 students from Oxford, but we'll need to build some more dorms to accommodate the rest." Alcorn, DSU, MVSU and MUW all have enrollments of less than 3,000 students, with Mississippi Valley having the smallest at 2,196. "When I talked to the (IHL) commissioner (Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr.) last night, he said that he didn't expect it to go anywhere," Ennis said. "I also understand the chair of the committee has said it won't move out of the committee. So, I guess that is the end of that." |
| Dr. Daniel Ennis officially installed as president of Delta State University | |
| Dr. Daniel J. Ennis has officially been inaugurated as the ninth president of Delta State University. Ennis was coronated during an investiture ceremony held Saturday at the Bologna Performing Arts Center which emphasized the contributions of past DSU presidents, celebrated the centennial of the creation of Delta State Teachers College by the Mississippi legislature, and focused on the role of the university as a beacon of education in an underserved part of the state. The keynote address during Ennis' inauguration was delivered by Dr. Michael Benson, the president of Coastal Carolina University. Ennis served at Coastal Carolina University for 24 years, most recently as vice president for academic affairs, before coming to Cleveland last March. Benson opined that Ennis is exceptionally suited for his role as Delta State's president and expressed optimism for the future of the university with Ennis at the helm. He reminded everyone that the Marshall Plan that helped the world recover from World War II was first presented at a Delta Council meeting on the DSU campus. "You have greatness in your institutional DNA," Benson said. "You have a leader equipped to draw on that greatness as you enter your second century. I'm so proud of my friend, Dan. Listen to what he says. Believe in the bold and daring vision he has for this place. Follow his lead. Support him in his efforts, in the good times and the bad, because I promise you there will be plenty of both. I will tell you; the greatest days of Delta State lie ahead." |
| UM students boycott in support of Palestine | |
 | Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, 2023, some UM students have shown their support of Palestine by joining boycotts of companies that they perceive to be profiting from the conflict. Freshman psychology major and Clinton, Miss., native Roman Wells first heard about the conflict in the beginning of October 2023 via social media posts. Wells began boycotting immediately after news emerged about specific brands showing their support for Israel in the conflict. "The first time I heard about companies that were putting money toward the destruction of towns and cities, I was like, 'Nah, I'm boycotting Starbucks, McDonald's, (Hewlett-Packard), Subway,' and I'm a really big reader, so I'm boycotting most authors that have talked about supporting the Zionist movement," Wells said. UM Marketing Professor Melissa Cinelli offered her thoughts on boycotting in general. According to Cinelli, boycotts are not as effective as they should be in theory. "A lot of consumer spending is driven by habits, which are tough to shake, even if the consumer wants to make a statement with their spending," Cinelli said. "If the boycotted product is purchased relatively infrequently anyway, then 'boycotting' amounts to doing nothing. If consumers do not believe the boycotted brand to have good substitutes, they may purchase it anyway." |
| U. of Alabama students, faculty protest anti-DEI bill: 'Our home too' | |
 | Nearly 200 students and faculty members marched across the University of Alabama's quad Wednesday, chanting "Defend DEI" and holding signs in support of student programs that they fear are now at risk as a controversial bill makes its way forward in the Alabama legislature. The bill, SB129, would prohibit government institutions, including state agencies, public schools and colleges, from funding a diversity, equity and inclusion office and from sponsoring DEI programs or any program that "advocates for a divisive concept." It also would prohibit higher education institutions from allowing individuals to use a restroom that is different from their sex as assigned at birth. In Montgomery this month, the bill's Republican sponsors claimed they'd received several complaints that students were being forced to accept certain "ideologies," or made to feel guilty because of an aspect of their identity. After hours of debate, the bill passed the Senate last week in a vote along party lines. It still must come before a House committee and vote. But on campus Wednesday, students credited diverse student groups and DEI employees for helping them afford college, keeping them from dropping out, and supporting them through some of the toughest moments of their lives. |
| Athens mayor heckled by protesters while announcing new security measures for the city | |
 | A news conference held Wednesday for Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz to announce more than $500,000 in local security enhancements for the city was interrupted by a loud protest alleging officials created nearly five years ago what some consider a "sanctuary city." Conducted in the training room at the Athens-Clarke police headquarters on Lexington Road, numerous media outlets gathered for the announcement that arrives in the wake of the killing an Athens student on Feb. 22. Also there were a group of protesters carrying signs and loudly shouting at Girtz, often drowning out the mayor. At the center of the protest was a resolution signed by Girtz in August 2019 designed to denounce white supremacy, but its wording also embraced undocumented immigrants living in the city. The city's announcement of $525,000 in more security falls on the heels of University of Georgia officials announcing Tuesday that they would spend $7.3 million in security enhancements for the campus. This renewed focus on security in Athens stems from the slaying of Laken Hope Riley, a 22-year-old student at Augusta University's College of Nursing campus in Athens who was killed while jogging at UGA's intramural fields off College Station Road. An undocumented Venezuelan immigrant living in Athens was charged with her murder. Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, who resided on South Milledge Avenue, remains in jail without bond. Ibarra's brother, also undocumented and living in Athens, was later charged with having a fake green card and is now in federal custody. |
| UGA slaying puts spotlight on Venezuelan immigration -- and special treatment | |
| Before being charged with kidnapping and brutally killing a nursing student on the University of Georgia campus, Jose Antonio Ibarra was part of an unprecedented surge of unlawful Venezuelan border crossings into the U.S. In September 2022, the 26-year-old migrant was among the nearly 34,000 Venezuelan nationals who entered Border Patrol custody after illegally crossing the southern border that month, then a record, according to federal data. Around that time, the number of migrants apprehended and then released was overwhelming border communities. Big cities in Democrat-run states were also feeling the brunt of the influx, as Texas authorities began providing newcomers free transportation to places like New York City and Chicago. Some destitute migrants from Venezuela also wound up making their way to Atlanta, influenced by rumors that work here was plentiful. In late August, staff of the Latin American Association (LAA) came across a group of recently-arrived Venezuelan nationals sleeping outside their Brookhaven headquarters. The nonprofit was able to give dozens of migrants temporary accommodation at area hotels. It's not clear how many Venezuelan migrants settled in Atlanta or Georgia in recent years. Members of the Venezuelan community in Georgia worry that the uproar over Laken Riley's killing could lead for more restrictions for Venezuelans looking to enter the country. The disturbing act of violence on UGA's campus is expected to reverberate through much of the 2024 election cycle, as immigration continues to rank among the issues most salient to voters. |
| Texas A&M Forest Service responds to Panhandle fire | |
 | The second-largest wildfire in Texas history continues to burn as the Texas A&M Forest Service, along with state and federal resources, attempt to contain the blaze. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Smokehouse Creek Fire was only 3% contained and estimated to cover 1,300 square miles across several counties, including large sections of Hutchinson, Roberts and Hemphill counties, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The largest fire in Texas history was the East Amarillo Complex fire of 2006 in Hutchinson County, which burned about 1,400 square miles. The blaze began Monday with several smaller fires that were fueled in part by high winds and copious amounts of dry, freeze-cured grass, Samuel Scoleri, a forecaster at the National Weather Service Amarillo office, told the Associated Press. Some areas experienced record winds of up to 60 miles an hour with relative humidity as low as 20%. Earlier in the week, the towns of Canadian and Skellytown were evacuated, but Texas A&M Forest Service Public Information Officer Erin O'Connor said Wednesday afternoon that the evacuation order had been lifted. At the time of publication, no injuries or fatalities as a result of the fire have been reported. The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) is also responding to provide veterinary care and support 12 search and rescue dogs with the Texas A&M Texas Task Force 1, Texas A&M VET Director Dr. Deb Zoran said in a statement. Texas A&M AgriLife is recommending that Panhandle residents should safely document losses of livestock and agricultural infrastructure with photos, videos and ownership records in order to qualify for federal assistance. |
| New Aid Programs Help Medical Students Graduate With Less Debt | |
| When the Albert Einstein College of Medicine announced earlier this week that it would go tuition-free thanks to a $1 billion donation, it joined a growing movement to sharply reduce the financial barriers that can deter aspiring doctors. Medical schools around the country -- and especially in pricey New York City -- are using scholarships to try to establish a more diverse population of healthcare workers and allow them the financial freedom to consider jobs in crucial, but often lower paying, fields like pediatrics and internal medicine. Some, like the medical school at New York University, are taking the free-tuition-for-all approach. Others, such as the medical school of Columbia University, award scholarships specifically for students who demonstrate financial need. The programs, backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in donations, have led to jumps in applications at several of the schools. School officials say they show promise in attracting more students from underrepresented backgrounds, but critics warn their reach is limited given how selective most of the participating institutions are and how heavily some weigh standardized tests in admissions. More than half of active physicians identified as white in 2022, compared with 19% as Asian, 6.3% as Hispanic or Latino and 5.2% as Black or African-American, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Medical schools and hospitals say representation matters. For instance, studies show Black physicians are more likely than others to prescribe appropriate levels of pain medication for Black patients. |
| Annual Presidents' Survey Finds Optimism Amid Uncertainty | |
 | College leaders across the U.S. are confident about their institution's finances, worried about waning public confidence in higher education and the upcoming presidential election, and ambivalent about artificial intelligence, the latest Inside Higher Ed survey of College and University Presidents shows. Now in its 14th year, the survey has evolved in accordance with higher education trends. The 2024 edition marks the first time presidents were asked about artificial intelligence. Altogether, 380 presidents from 206 public and 174 private, nonprofit institutions participated. As is often the case, presidents generally viewed their own institutions more positively than higher education as a whole. Many leaders expressed worry about the outcome of the presidential election in November. More than half -- 55 percent -- said they are very or extremely concerned about how the 2024 election results will affect diversity, equity and inclusion at their institution. Another 53 percent are very or extremely concerned about what the election will mean for free inquiry and civil dialogue. "I think there's great worry that a Trump administration could be calamitous to higher education," said G. David Gearhart, chancellor emeritus at the University of Arkansas. He noted that most college presidents hope Biden will be re-elected, not because of what the incumbent brings to the table but rather out of fear that a second Trump term would elevate culture war battles on campus and beyond, given past skirmishes and recent campaign rhetoric. While many college presidents may be worried about a second Trump term, they aren’t exactly happy with Biden. Only 33 percent of respondents indicated some degree of satisfaction with what the Biden administration has accomplished for higher education. |
| There Are More Good Jobs in Rural America Than It Might Seem. That's Bad News for Colleges. | |
 | The stereotype of rural Americans "left behind" by the economy doesn't hold water, according to a report released Thursday by Georgetown University's Center for Education and the Workforce. The report's analysis of data from the U.S. Census shows that rural men are just as likely as their urban counterparts to have jobs with middle-class wages, and that rural workers with a high-school diploma or less are more likely to have such jobs than their urban counterparts. The counterintuitive rural-employment outlook could help explain flagging enrollments at many colleges in rural areas in recent years and may contribute to the public narrative that college isn't worth the expense and trouble. But the report's authors see an opportunity for colleges alongside the challenge. Out of about 119 million workers ages 25 to 64 nationwide, 15 million of them live in rural areas. According to the center's analysis, about half of those rural workers have "good jobs" that pay middle-class wages, which the center defines as $43,000 per year plus benefits for a worker 25-44 years old and $55,000 for those ages 45-64. Rural men do especially well in the labor market; 61 percent of those who are employed have good jobs, the same as their urban peers, while only 46 percent of women do, compared to 38 percent of their urban peers. (The gender disparity derives from several factors, including more women working part-time and historically earning less compared to men.) Lacking a college degree is not as much of an impediment to a good job in rural areas as it is in urban areas, the report's authors found. Only one in four workers in rural America holds a bachelor's degree, but they hold 36 percent of the good jobs, and workers with a high-school diploma or less were more likely to hold a good job in rural America than their urban counterparts. |
| House eyes new way to pay for Pell Grant expansion | |
| A bipartisan bill to expand the Pell Grant to short-term workforce training programs---those that run between eight and 14 weeks -- could set a troubling precedent, representatives of colleges and universities warned this week. The House had been scheduled to consider the legislation today, but that vote was scrapped Wednesday evening, Politico reported. The latest version of the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, which advanced out of committee in December, requires a couple dozen wealthy private institutions that are subject to an endowment tax to reimburse the Education Department for unpaid student loans in order to pay for expanding the program that provides federal financial aid for low-income students. The Association of American Universities and other higher education associations said this requirement would amount to "a second new arbitrary tax" that targets one group of institutions to benefit another -- and that it could take money away from need-based grants and scholarships at top universities. If the proposal is enacted, the association said in letters to the House, some colleges might choose to leave the federal student loan program or opt to not enroll students considered to be at risk of not repaying their loans. "While AAU remains supportive of the expansion of the Pell Grant program to include short-term programs, the proposal to finance this new program is misguided, arbitrary, and should not be enacted," AAU President Barbara Snyder wrote to the House. The reimbursement requirement would set "a historic and dangerous precedent" that could be expanded to other colleges and universities, she said. Yale president Peter Salovey expressed similar concerns. In a letter to House lawmakers, Salovey said the provision is "comparable to doubling" Yale's existing endowment tax and would undermine the university's efforts to reduce costs for students. |
SPORTS
| Diamond Dawgs Welcome Mount St. Mary's To Dudy Noble Field | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs return to action on Thursday when they open a three-game series against Mount St. Mary's at Dudy Noble Field. This will be the first matchup since 2014. Thursday and Friday's first pitch are set for 3 p.m., while Saturday is set for 2 p.m. The three-game series will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The series will also be carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by Learfield along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/OnDemand. Over the last five games, the Diamond Dawgs offense is coming to life. As a team, the Dawgs are hitting .325 with three players hitting .400 or better. Leading the way is Amani Larry, who is hitting .474 over this span. MSU's leadoff man has an on-base percentage of .577 over the span. He is not the only player with an on-base percentage over .500 as Hunter Hines is at a .520 clip. Mount St. Mary's enters the weekend coming off a loss to Richmond on Sunday, 9-8. The Mounts are 1-6 on the season as they enter the weekend series. This weekend's three-game set against Mount St. Mary's will be the first meeting between these two programs since 2014 and the first three game series. The previous two meetings were midweek games. Mississippi State leads the series 2-0 and won the last meeting between these two programs. |
| Taking a closer look at Mississippi State baseball's slow start to 2024 season | |
| Speaking at a Kiwanis Club of Starkville luncheon on Jan. 23, just before the first official weekend of preseason practice, Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis was forthcoming about the Bulldogs' need to rack up wins early in the season before MSU's gauntlet of a Southeastern Conference schedule begins in mid-March. Nine games in, it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing in a pivotal season for Lemonis and the Bulldogs. Despite playing entirely at home so far against four opponents who finished last season outside the top 100 in the RPI rankings, MSU sits at 5-4 with a little more than two weeks left until the SEC opener against defending national champion LSU. The Bulldogs are coming off a pair of lopsided wins, taking the rubber game 10-2 against Georgia Southern on Sunday and then overcoming an early five-run deficit Tuesday for a 19-6 victory over Jackson State. Whether those performances are a sign that MSU is breaking out of its early-season funk remains to be seen, but the Bulldogs will need to put some distance between themselves and the .500 mark before the start of conference play. |
| State Returns Home To Host The Bulldog Invitational Presented By C Spire | |
| Mississippi State softball remains ranked in all four polls as the No. 24/23 Bulldogs prepare to host the Bulldog Invitational presented by C Spire this weekend. Joining State in Starkville will be in-state foes, Southern Miss and Alcorn State, along with Troy and Samford. The Bulldogs are 27-4 against teams from Mississippi under head coach Samantha Ricketts. They've outscored in-state foes, 187-63, in her tenure. State (11-3) has seen its season highlighted by the pitching staff early on. Bulldogs have already combined to throw six complete games after tossing just eight all of last season. The Bulldog staff is among the top 25 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio, walks per seven innings, walk rate, walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP) and fielding independent pitching. Defensively, State turned four double plays in five games last week, and now has six on the year through 14 contests. MSU turned 15 in 53 games a year ago. The Bulldogs will open conference play next week on the road at in-state rival Ole Miss. State opens the series on March 8 at 6 p.m. CT and returns to play in Oxford on March 9 at 3 p.m. Both of those games will air on SEC Network+. The series finale on Sunday is set for 3 p.m. on SEC Network. |
| Mississippi State Faces Auburn In Road Finale | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball remains on the road to face Auburn inside Neville Arena on Thursday. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. Fans who are not in attendance can follow action on SEC Network+ or through their Mississippi State radio station with Jason Crowder. Live statistics will be available through the link attached above. Mississippi State trails in the all-time series 35-27 and 20-9 in Auburn. Mississippi State won its lone contest under head coach Sam Purcell and the last 11 in the series overall. The Bulldogs have also won the last five in Neville Arena. Mississippi State enters Thursday ranked 40th while Auburn is 46th in the latest NET poll. Mississippi State has totaled a 7-4 away record and 10-4 overall mark -- 3-0 in neutral-site contests -- away from home this season. Mississippi State will close out its regular season with Senior Day against Missouri inside Humphrey Coliseum on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. |
| Mississippi State basketball's Josh Hubbard sends respect Kentucky guard's way after thriller | |
| Mississippi State basketball's Josh Hubbard and Kentucky's Reed Sheppard put on a show in a nationally televised contest Tuesday night, which the Wildcats won 91-89. On Wednesday, one freshman guard voiced his appreciation for the other. "(A) lot of respect for you 15," Hubbard posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The text was accompanied by a photo of the two in front of a sold-out crowd at Humphrey Coliseum. Hubbard posted a career-high 34 points, and Sheppard countered with a career-high 32 points. When the game was in its tightest moments, neither guard played like an underclassman. Hubbard scored nine of his points in the final minute, including a 3-pointer to tie the game with nine seconds to go. Sheppard scored Kentucky's last six points, highlighted by a game-winning shot in the final second. "It was a heck of a play by Josh to give us a chance to go to overtime at that point," MSU coach Chris Jans said postgame. "It's a scramble situation. I'll have to watch the film, but (Sheppard) rose up and unfortunately had a really good angle. I was pretty darn sure that it was going in. It was a heck of a play. He controlled, for his team, the last minute of the game." |
| Timmy Bowers selected as 2024 SEC Basketball Legend | |
 | On the 20th anniversary of Mississippi State's 2003-04 SEC regular season championship, Timmy Bowers will be celebrated as the program's SEC Basketball Legend announced Wednesday by the league office at next month's SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville (March 13-17). The SEC Legends Program Presented by Allstate was started in 1999. Bowers will be recognized at halftime of State's first game at the SEC Tournament in addition to a group introduction during intermission of Saturday's first semifinal matchup. Bowers, a two-year captain and co-captain on State's 2003-04 SEC Championship squad, is one of the prolific guards to wear the Maroon and White. His teams posted 92 victories, an average of 23.0 wins per season, highlighted by three NCAA Tournament appearances. The 2001-02 SEC Tournament champion squad set a program single-season record with 27 victories. Bowers, a 2002-03 All-SEC Third-Team and 2003-04 All-SEC First-Team honoree, finished his career as one of only two players in program history to rack up at least 1,300 points, 300 assists and 150 steals (Ray White). Since then, three more players (Dee Bost, Craig Sword, Quinndary Weatherspoon) have joined Bowers and White in the 1300-300-150 club. |
| Buddy Foster named permanent athletic director for Mississippi University for Women | |
| Mississippi University for Women finally has a permanent athletic director, and the Owls didn't need to look far to find him. Interim athletic director Buddy Foster, who had been serving in that position since September 2023, was named permanent AD on Wednesday morning, the school announced. "I am fully invested in the mission of the department and the University," Foster said in Wednesday's press release. "While there have been many great accomplishments in The W's athletics history, I believe our best is still ahead of us. I embrace the chance to lead Owls' Athletics to that bright future." Foster has been working in an administrative position with the university since July 2023 after stepping down as head softball coach for the Owls following his third season at the helm. He was previously the interim athletic director in 2021, and before being elevated to the same position last year, he served as assistant athletic director. "Buddy's experience in athletics administration and commitment to our Division III model will serve our student-athletes and campus well," Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Jess Harpole said in Wednesday's press release. "I anticipate growth in our community relationships through his leadership." |
| SEC unveils coach, school appearance schedule for 2024 Football Media Days | |
| The first SEC Media Days lineup since the expansion of the league to 16 teams has been announced, with the two newcomers set to anchor the heart of the rotation in Dallas. SEC Media Days will take place from July 15-18 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas. It will be the first time the event is being held in Dallas. It will also be the fourth different location for the SEC's premier preseason event, which has previously been hosted in Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville. A more detailed schedule will be released closer to the event, including television information, rotational breakdown and the student-athletes set to attend the event. But for now we have a listing of the teams set to take place and which days they'll participate on, so let's check it out below. As noted, the two league newcomers will be in the meat of the schedule, with Oklahoma set to participate on Tuesday, July 16, while Texas is set to participate a day later, on Wednesday, July 17. Both are likely to draw heavy interest after excellent 2023 campaigns. But the entire lineup features plenty of intrigue for the fans. |
| It's greed.' U. of Kentucky basketball ticket lawsuit pulls back curtain on K Fund dealing | |
 | John D. Meyers has deep, deep ties to the University of Kentucky. His grandfather, H.H. Downing, played basketball for UK starting in 1907 and chaired UK's math department while coaching tennis for 30 years. His uncle, John DeMoisey, was an All-American basketball player at UK in the 1930s. Between Memorial Coliseum and Rupp Arena, his family has had season basketball tickets at UK for decades. But now Meyers is suing UK Athletics and its fundraising arm, the K Fund, for changing the terms of their agreement, and forcing him to give more money to keep his Rupp floor seats. A request for an injunction that would stop UK from taking Meyers' seats for the 2024-2025 season is set for March 20 in Frankfort Circuit Court. "It's greed on the part of UK athletics," said attorney Joe Childers, who is representing Meyers. "They're reneging on a deal they made in writing. We understand there are quite a few season ticket holders who are upset about it." Meyers' lawsuit pulls the curtain on the strange and mysterious distribution of UK basketball tickets, long a source of fascination in this community, where tickets are a kind of currency passed down through generations. On Wednesday, UK spokesman Jay Blanton said reseating has happened before at Rupp and at Kroger Field, and Meyers' agreement with UK "is not a contract for a particular seat location." |
| ACC, Florida State continue legal skirmishing as ESPN weighs in | |
| Recent court filings by ESPN and the ACC continue the legal maneuvering as the conference and Florida State approach a March 22 hearing in North Carolina. The ACC filed the latest brief Tuesday, opposing the university's motion to dismiss or stay the league's suit against the university in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Florida State is suing the conference in Leon County, Florida, the parallel cases rooted in the Seminoles' desire to escape the ACC's $130 million exit fee and a grant of media rights that league schools signed in 2013 and '16. Each party wants the case tried in its home state, and absent a stay or dismissal in either venue, the suits will be litigated in both states, making the race to judgment crucial. The ACC's brief Tuesday counters Florida State's contention that the conference engaged in improper forum shopping by filing its suit Dec. 21, one day before the university sued the ACC. Knowing FSU's intention to sue -- the school's Board of Trustees has long threatened action over what they believe is a substandard television deal -- the league says it was protecting its interests. Moreover, the ACC asserts that by joining the North Carolina-based conference in 1991, Florida State became subject to North Carolina contract law. Tuesday's brief follows ESPN's memorandum Feb. 22 supporting the ACC's motion in North Carolina to keep the conference's television contract sealed. "Publicly disclosing the terms of an ESPN agreement with a prominent rightsholder would be destabilizing and harmful," ESPN wrote the court. "Competing networks would gain a leg up on ESPN in the next round of negotiations with rightsholders, and all other rightsholders negotiating with ESPN would capitalize on the knowledge of what specific terms ESPN has agreed to with, or has not required from, others. ... "ESPN's competitors have articulated the same view about their own agreement." |
| 'What NIL stands for: Now it's legal': Ruling frees booster-backed groups to negotiate with recruits | |
| Forced into yet another courtroom to defend its amateur model of athletics, the NCAA insisted that shelving its rules against name, image and likeness compensation being offered to recruits would make a difficult situation across the country even more chaotic. The NCAA lost that argument last week when a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia. The antitrust suit challenges NCAA rules against recruiting inducements, saying they inhibit athletes' ability to cash in on their fame. Those who work for and with the booster-funded collectives that handle NIL deals with college athletes say lifting the rules will bring more clarity and simply make permissible what was once against the rules. "I mean, people were already inducing recruits before this ruling," said Jim Cavale, founder of Athletes.org, an burgeoning association for college athletes. "That was already happening. The only difference now is when they're doing it, if somebody says, 'Hey, is this within the rules?' They can say, 'Yes, it is.'" He added: "Really, that's what NIL stands for: Now it's legal." Walker Jones, a former Mississippi football player who is the executive director of the Grove Collective, said the NCAA's "archaic enforcement structure" wasn't keeping up with the times. Athletes and their families want as much information as possible about NIL opportunities before deciding where to attend college. |
| Sources: 14-team College Football Playoff has 'momentum' | |
| The future of the College Football Playoff contract after the 2025 season remains uncertain, with executive director Bill Hancock saying last week there's a "need" for the deal to be done in the next month. Since its inception in 2014, when it created a four-team model for a sport with five major conferences, the CFP has been unwieldy and awkward. The only certainty has been a slow pace, turf squabbles and an unstable conference environment that has kept everything fluid. But as Hancock's one-month deadline of mid-March looms, there's optimism and "momentum" for a 14-team playoff starting in 2026, sources told ESPN. There is an effort to come to an agreement in the coming weeks, sources said, but nothing is certain, and there are potential roadblocks and expected push back -- as evidenced by the CFP's own meandering path to a 12-team playoff. The television side of the deal has already been agreed to in principle. Starting in 2026, ESPN is poised to spend an average of nearly $1.3 billion on the playoff for six seasons. That leaves the CFP's two leadership groups -- the board of managers (presidents and chancellors) and management committee (commissioners and Notre Dame leadership) -- to come to a decision on the format to get the deal done. The goal is for all the commissioners to reconvene next week via video conferencing to further discuss things, sources told ESPN. |
| CFP discussing 14-team model with 3 automatic bids each for Big Ten, SEC, AP sources say | |
| College Football Playoff officials are considering a 14-team format that would guarantee three spots each for the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference, two for the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 and one for the highest-ranked team from the other five leagues, two people with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the CFP management committee's talks were not being made public. The management committee is made up of 10 major college football conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director. Yahoo! Sports first reported the management committee was discussing the 3-3-2-2-1 AQ model. The CFP expands from four teams to 12 this season and next, but last week executive director Bill Hancock acknowledged the group had already begun talking about another expansion, starting in the 2026 season, when a new media rights contract kicks in. While both people stressed that nothing is finalized and other models would still be considered, the idea of giving automatic bids to each power conference is being considered. One person said the Big Ten and SEC initiated discussions about those two conferences receiving as many as four automatic bids each. |
| Sources: CFP circulating new 14-team model to include 3 automatic spots for Big Ten/SEC, 2 for ACC/Big 12 | |
| One of the potential models for a new College Football Playoff may be emerging. In a format being socialized among major conference administrators, the Big Ten and SEC would each receive three automatic qualifiers into a 14-team field, with the ACC and Big 12 getting two each and the Group of Five's best team qualifying as well. Such a model would feature three at-large spots to the highest-ranked teams outside of the automatic qualifiers. Those briefed on the format discussed its details with Yahoo Sports Wednesday under condition of anonymity. They cautioned that the proposed model is nowhere near finalized and is not the only format option that emerged from a meeting last week of the CFP Management Committee, an 11-member group encompassing the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director. However, this "3-3-2-2-1" format is being socialized among athletic administrators, usually one of the initial steps in the process of adopting a model. The format would start in 2026 as part of a new CFP television contract. In 2024 and in 2025, the 12-team field's format is set: automatic qualifiers for the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven at-large spots. Timing of a final decision on a format is uncertain, but CFP leaders are facing a somewhat urgent timeline with regards to a new television deal. The CFP revenue-sharing model as well as a voting structure are other unresolved issues. CFP executive director Bill Hancock believes that the issues need to be solved within the next month. |
| Federal commission to offer major changes for athlete safety | |
| The system for safeguarding athletes in U.S. Olympic sports might be on the cusp of a major revamp, with an independent commission set to propose sweeping changes and lawmakers saying they are standing by to act. The congressionally appointed commission has finished its two-year study of how the system has worked and is set to publish its findings this spring. The commission's two co-chairs told ESPN that they will make recommendations on at least three major issues: the scope of the U.S. Olympic system's governing body, which spans from elite Olympic athletics to youth sports; athlete representation in decision-making positions throughout sports institutions; and the frequent concerns they heard about the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The commission's co-chairs, Dionne Koller and Han Xiao, called their work a "once-in-a-lifetime" chance to "reconceptualize" how amateur sports are organized. "It will be up to Congress to take the next steps, which we hope will include new legislation based on our recommendations," they said in written answers to questions from ESPN. Several members of Congress have already told ESPN that they are eager to craft legislation with the aim of protecting America's athletes. Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who started working on athlete abuse solutions in the aftermath of the sexual abuse case involving former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, published a letter earlier this month addressing all 50 national governing bodies in the Olympic movement. Peters told them he was concerned that SafeSport "is not fully realizing its mission to address and prevent abuse and misconduct" and asked the governing bodies for feedback. |
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