| Thursday, September 26, 2024 |
| Bagley College of Engineering introduces new AI degree program | |
 | The James Worth Bagley College of Engineering launched one of the country's first artificial intelligence degree programs in August. Modeled after Carnegie Mellon University's AI program, the coursework includes foundational computer science courses, AI fundamentals and unique courses in psychology, math and cognitive science. Students progress from core computer science courses to AI-specific ones, culminating in a capstone project. Shahram Rahimi, the department head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, said the program aims to prepare students for diverse AI-related jobs in cybersecurity, manufacturing and healthcare sectors. Rahimi said the engineering department recognized the need to build and adjust to AI's rapid growth in the nation and has been adding courses over the past few years to start meeting the requirements of an AI major program. Rahimi also said the number of AI courses offered at MSU is one of the highest in the SEC. "We have been going towards getting this program done for the past four, five years," Rahimi said. The new program has seen strong enrollment, positive feedback and significant interest. Faculty members are also involved in developing national AI program standards. |
| Four area MSU students named to state teaching cohort | |
 | Four East Mississippi residents are among 31 Mississippi State University students who are new scholarship recipients in one of the state's most prestigious teacher education programs. Housed in MSU's College of Education, the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program is a collaborative endeavor with the University of Mississippi. The scholarship, available to majors in K-12 education, includes full tuition, room and board, books, a $1,000 technology stipend and a fully funded national or study-abroad experience. The four MSU students from East Mississippi chosen as scholarship recipients are Avrie Boles, of Meridian, a sophomore elementary education major; Ethan Bunty, of Decatur, a sophomore secondary education major with a concentration in English; Sarah Cooksey, of Collinsville, a junior elementary education major; and Kendal Davidson, of Quitman, a freshman secondary education major with a concentration in math. Funded by the Jackson-based Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation, the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program scholarship is valued at approximately $100,000 over four years. "We are excited to welcome these future educators and our 12th cohort of METP scholars from across the state and nation," said Teresa Jayroe, dean of the College of Education. "The support from the Robert M. Hearin Foundation for our outstanding METP scholars positively impacts education and communities across the state of Mississippi." |
| Westbound road closures start for Hwy 182 project | |
 | The Highway 182 Revitalization Project is slated to begin this week, and the city has announced road closures that are coming with it. City Planner Cody Burnett said temporary closures for the first phase of the project will begin Thursday, with the phase to be completed by early January. For the first phase, the westbound lane of Highway 182, between North Long and Jackson streets, will be closed, with a few exceptions, he said. "This is part of what we have to do to construct the project," Burnett said. "There will be some inconveniences, but we're trying to accommodate those as much as we can." Westbound traffic should detour around the construction zone via Jackson Street, Lampkin Street, Greensboro Street and Reed Road, according to a post on the city's Facebook page. Henderson Road, Long Street and Ernest H. Jones Jr. Drive will also be closed at the Highway 182 intersection. Drivers heading east should also expect delays due to construction. But there is an exception for "local traffic" between Jackson Street and Pilcher Street, where Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School is located, Burnett said. SOCSD Communications Director Haley Montgomery said the district is expecting to shift traffic flow "several times" over the next two years as the project moves through different phases. |
| Mary Means Business: Badcock Home Furniture closing in Starkville | |
| After more than 100 years in business, Badcock Home Furniture & More is officially closing stores nationwide. The Starkville location, 416 Hwy. 12, has adorned its windows with store closing signs and sales of up to 70% off. The company, founded in 1904, has started liquidation of its 380 stores in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. ... There's a new business coming to Starkville. Four Felines & Co., 206 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive W., is opening in the coming weeks and will offer all your "funky fashion needs and wants." Owner Mia Quinn is excited to offer a different kind of store, one with all the cat decor she could find. Quinn, who is a registered nurse, said she's ready to get back into the world of retail. ... Moving toward Cotton Crossing, Vace Clothing is expanding into the next unit. Located at 500 Russell St., Suite 30, the company has started the expansion and will announce soon what this entails. Also in Starkville, Ultimate Care Medical Clinic is hosting its ribbon cutting next week. Located at 900 Stark Road, the ribbon-cutting will be 10 a.m. on Oct. 2. |
| Senate panelists want 'baby steps' on income tax reforms | |
 | Once again, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and other top state conservatives in Mississippi are beating the drum to eliminate the state's personal income tax, but some Republicans still aren't as enthusiastic as others. On Tuesday, Mississippi House Speaker Jason White, R-West, along with House Tax Reform Select Committee leaders and state senators, held a summit at the Sheraton Hotel in Flowood to talk about the high points of eliminating the income tax, fiddling with the state's antiquated fuel tax and reducing the grocery sales tax. Also present at the event was Mississippi Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons, who said if the state doesn't start picking up the pace on funding the Mississippi Department of Transportation, future road capacity projects could be put on hold. "As long as we're running surpluses and we're experiencing that revenue growth, you're going to hear policy makers continue to talk about ways to try to cut the personal income tax," White said. Other than state lawmakers and elected officials, the summit featured speakers such as long-time income tax elimination advocate Grover Norquist and former Republican Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones, as well as in-state groups and others. Sens. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, said that if the percentage increases in revenue maintain, they would be game, but England also said they should slow walk any approach on massive tax reform. |
| Attorney General Merrick Garland visits Jackson; talks with local law enforcement about this year's work | |
| U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland visited the Capital City Wednesday to meet with local law enforcement to discuss the work they have done this year. Garland was joined by U.S. Attorney Todd Gee, along with federal, state, and law enforcement leaders. They discussed successful cases, like a drug and gun trafficking case that led to an arrest where more than 5,700 grams of methamphetamine, 236 grams of fentanyl, and 84 grams of cocaine were seized. According to Garland, the FBI released a report noting an 11.6% drop in homicides last year and one of the lowest violent crime rates nationwide in 50 years. He also pointed to the work of the Justice Department to secure 10 and 40-year sentences for the six Rankin County officers known as the Goon Squad. Garland speaks about restoring trust in communities like Rankin County after opening an investigation into the Sheriff's Department and hopes their continued work can bring that. "As we work together to reduce violent crime, we know that building and maintaining public trust is essential to public safety. That is why the Justice Department has taken action when that trust has been violated," Attorney General Garland said. They also announced grant work, like the nearly $300,000 awarded to Jackson to enhance its forensic science capabilities. |
| Short-term funding patch ready for Biden's signature | |
 | The Senate on Wednesday cleared a 12-week spending bill that would kick this year's spending tussle until after the November elections. The 78-18 vote means the bill is now on its way to President Joe Biden's desk well ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to prevent a partial government shutdown. The rapid-fire votes in both chambers Wednesday -- an unusual occurrence -- allow lawmakers to head home to campaign. They'll have roughly five weeks after the elections to secure a full-year fiscal 2025 spending deal before the new Dec. 20 deadline. Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, during a very brief floor debate, called the bill a "straight-forward, bipartisan compromise" to temporarily fund the government. She said lawmakers should start negotiating final spending bills. "It's time for Democrats and Republicans to negotiate those bills together, instead of House Republicans just following the loudest voices on the far right," Murray, D-Wash., said. During the brief debate, Senate Appropriations ranking member Susan Collins said a shutdown would be disastrous for the Pentagon and other federal programs."Government shutdowns are inherently a failure to govern effectively," she said, urging her colleagues on both sides to support it. The House earlier on Wednesday had voted 341-82 to pass the measure under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. There were zero defections on the Democratic side, while Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., comfortably secured the support of a majority of his conference. |
| Lawmakers ask Congress to prioritize farm bill in lame duck session | |
| At least two U.S. Representatives have sent a letter to Congressional leadership asking them to prioritize a new farm bill in the lame duck session of Congress. In the letter, Mark Alford from Missouri and Ashley Hinson from Iowa say farmers don't have the luxury to wait until the new Congress to enact a new farm bill due to inflation, low commodity prices and high input costs. The lawmakers ask leadership to enact the farm bill passed out of the House Ag Committee in late May or similar legislation. In a press conference on Wednesday, the House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said a farm bill reauthorization is one of his top three priorities for the upcoming lame duck session, along with avoiding a government shutdown and passing the National Defense Authorization Act. |
| Harris Puts Government Intervention at Heart of Economic Policy | |
 | Kamala Harris pledged to use the might of the government to support domestic manufacturing and help the U.S. beat China in the industries of the future, embracing a policy that puts federal intervention at the heart of her economic plan. Harris on Wednesday said that if elected president, she would support a new tax credit that will invest tens of billions of dollars in domestic manufacturing. The credit would aim to create jobs in cutting-edge fields such as biotechnology and aerospace production, and to strengthen traditional industries such as iron and steel, Harris said in a policy document. President Biden has long championed such policies, dedicating hundreds of billions of dollars to supporting the country's manufacturing of computer chips, electric vehicles, batteries and other high-tech goods. Donald Trump has also placed American manufacturing at the core of his economic campaign, though the former president aims to use import tariffs and a targeted corporate tax cut to support domestic producers. Harris's campaign has criticized Trump's proposals, saying the costs of the new tariffs would likely get passed along to American consumers, leading to higher prices. Harris struck a moderate and pragmatic tone in a speech in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, referring to herself as a capitalist who believes in a market economy. Trump has worked to paint her as a left-wing ideologue, often referring to her as "Comrade Kamala." |
| Southern Miss Business recognized by Fortune | |
 | The College of Business and Economic Development at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was recognized in Fortune's rankings of the Best MBA Programs for 2025. Southern Miss placed at 61 in the Best MBA Programs category. The Southern Miss MBA program is one of 554 AACSB-accredited business master's programs in the Americas. "This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students, as well as the high-quality education we provide," said Dr. Bret Becton, Dean of the College of Business and Economic Development. "Our commitment to innovation, experiential learning, and leadership development has made our MBA program a top choice for aspiring business leaders, and we will continue to strive for excellence in preparing our graduates for success in a rapidly changing business world." |
| William Carey offers new scholarships for North American mission students | |
 | William Carey University has a new scholarship to help dependents of families who are on missions in the United States and Canada. WCU is offering scholarships for students of employees of the North American Mission Board. The undergraduate scholarships include tuition, on-campus housing, textbooks and a meal plan. "Financially, it's just a no-brainer," said Bret Golson, WCU vice-president of strategic operations. "Kids can graduate debt-free, they can go serve overseas, they can get into their profession." The scholarships are similar to ones already offered to students from International Mission Board families. Two of those IMB students are Katherine Williams and Benjamin Hagen. Williams was born in Alabama, but grew up with her family in Senegal. "I'm so glad that William Carey is doing this, because it's great to let (North American Mission Board families) in on it as well, because they're doing the same stuff, just here in the U.S.," Williams said. The university announced the new scholarships at this year's annual Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast CC holds 5th annual Student Leadership Conference | |
 | On Wednesday, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College held its 5th annual Student Leadership Conference with hopes of inspiring young leaders to be the pillars of their communities and beyond. The conference brought out nearly 100 students to network and learn the skills needed to be the best leaders they can be at their respective campuses. "It really got started because we wanted to give our students an opportunity to hear from our president on leadership skills and what we offer here for them as resources," said Aaliyah Caldwell, Student Life Coordinator at MGCCC-Harrison County. "Most importantly, it's really giving them experience to get to know each other from different campuses and have a fun day, a learning experience, and hear from the great panelists that we have." The Harrison County campus' iMPAC Center was filled with prominent professionals from various sectors ready to answer questions from students on growing their careers and becoming leaders. MGCCC President Mary Graham notes her favorite part is watching the students engage with those community leaders. "I think it's good to demonstrate that we pour into our students," she explained. "We really want to give them the tools and the skills to go on and be great leaders not only in our local community but in the state and in the nation." |
| Biden wants to make active shooter drills less traumatic for students | |
| President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday that aims to help schools create active shooter drills that are less traumatic for students yet still effective. The order also seeks to restrict new technologies that make guns easier to fire and obtain. The president has promised he and his administration will work through the end of the term, focusing on the issues most important to him. Curbing gun violence has been at the top of the 81-year-old president's list. He often says he has consoled too many victims and traveled to the scenes of too many mass shootings. He was instrumental in the passage of gun safety legislation and has sought to ban assault weapons, restrict gun use and help communities in the aftermath of violence. He set up the first office of gun violence prevention headed by Vice President Kamala Harris. Both Biden and Harris were to speak about the scourge of gun violence during an afternoon event in the Rose Garden. The new order directs his administration to research how active shooter drills may cause trauma to students and educators in an effort to help schools create drills that "maximize their effectiveness and limit any collateral harms they might cause," said Stefanie Feldman, the director of Biden's office of gun violence prevention. |
| Alabama students plan anti-Trump event ahead of candidate's visit | |
 | University of Alabama students will host a tailgate protest Saturday on the Quad ahead of former President Donald Trump's appearance at the Alabama-Georgia football game in Tuscaloosa. UA College Democrats President Braden Vick said the protest would allow students and local residents to express "distaste" for the former president, "his dangerous rhetoric and promises, and his decision to try to turn this pivotal matchup into a glorified campaign rally." Trump is the guest of petroleum executive Ric Mayers from Vernon. Alabama Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville will join Trump at the game. The student group claimed they tried to plan a rally for Friday, but the Office of Student Life moved them to a different site. Students said reasons for the move both "understandable and inexcusable," but considered the university's location next to a fraternity house unacceptable. In a statement Wednesday, the university responded that it has "facilitated numerous opportunities for members of our community to express differing points of view, including protests this week." The College Democrats' requested protest areas for a Friday event were unavailable, according to the university, due to both the rally's projected size and the need for tighter security on game day. |
| Louisiana college students in 'high cost' programs could see tuition bumps under new law | |
 | Louisiana's public colleges and universities could soon begin charging higher tuition for graduate programs and for "high-cost" undergraduate degrees in fields ranging from veterinary sciences to engineering and welding. Under a new state law, Louisiana higher education institutions can raise tuition and fees for any graduate and professional programs and undergraduate programs that cost more to operate because of small class sizes, expensive laboratory equipment, faculty salaries or accreditation requirements. The state Board of Regents, which oversees public higher education across Louisiana, approved a list of high-cost undergraduate programs at its meeting on Wednesday. The list includes business, health, technology, visual and performing arts and several other fields of study. The new law, which took effect Aug. 1, grants individual colleges and universities to set their own tuition rates. Previously, they had to seek approval from the Board of Regents for any increase in tuition or fees. Now the governing board of each university can decide whether to apply "differential tuition," or higher charges for certain degree paths. Louisiana State University officials have begun studying differential tuition but have yet to decide whether to use it, said Roy Haggerty, the university's executive vice president and provost. He commended lawmakers for giving universities more authority over their tuition prices, which he noted is the norm in most states. |
| Vanderbilt University Plans New York City Expansion | |
| Vanderbilt University is pursuing an ambitious expansion plan, one that would give it footholds far beyond Tennessee. The university, based in Nashville, has signed a 99-year lease for a 2.2-acre property in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The campus currently includes 13 buildings with 150,000 square feet of space. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said the property is valued at more than $100 million. The school is still assessing the investment needed for renovations. Vanderbilt has set its sights elsewhere, too. The university recently pitched a $520 million project in West Palm Beach, Fla. It has an agreement with the city there but is still in discussions with county officials. Programs there would focus on data science, fintech and engineering, the school has said. Vanderbilt is in a fortunate class of colleges, attracting plenty of students, faculty and research dollars. Last year, it admitted just over 6% of first-year applicants. But it competes fiercely against other top-tier schools for accepted students -- about 57% of admitted students enrolled. As colleges raise their price tags, Vanderbilt and its peers are jostling for new ways to attract students. Location can be a significant selling point, given access to jobs and internships. Cornell University has established a tech campus on New York City's Roosevelt Island, and Northeastern University has opened campuses around the U.S. |
| UGA, Athens Tech to close remainder of week; Helene forcing schools to decide | |
 | The University of Georgia and Athens Technical College announced Wednesday that they are closing their campuses on Thursday and Friday due to the severe weather conditions forecast from the approach of Hurricane Helene. At UGA, all in-person classes, campus events and activities are canceled. UGA residence and dining halls will remain open. Also, the Clarke County School District has announced that school will remain open Thursday, but all after-school activities have been cancelled. The district will announce by 1:30 p.m. Thursday the status for classes on Friday. A powerful storm is expected to emerge when Hurricane Helene crosses Georgia with high winds and rain that could cause numerous power outages and other problems in the area. Also, there is the potential for tornadoes in the area when the system comes in late Thursday. |
| Choi highlights increase in enrollment, research at State of the University | |
 | During UM System President Mun Choi's third "State of the University Address" on Wednesday, he expressed his appreciation of the significant role faculty, staff and students have played in the continuous growth and development of the University of Missouri. The address touted the university's ability to build a "championship culture" through its advanced research initiatives, investment in campus infrastructure, increased student enrollment and retention numbers, and faculty and staff hires. The university saw over 33,000 applications this year -- the highest number of applicants in the university's 185 year history. This fall, the university also admitted 9,200 new students, which was a 16% increase from last year. "It is one thing to accept and admit students, but it's the kind of caring, nurturing environment that we provide to make sure students are successful," Choi said. "And student success should be at the center of what we do as a university." MU also has a 93% retention rate, which it hopes to increase to 97% by 2030, as well as a 75% graduation rate and a 95% placement rate. "This is due to the hard work of our faculty and staff," Choi said. "But also the resilience of our students." In the past five years, the university has hired 500 new faculty members, and this year, the university hired 3,400 staff members. |
| Emhoff rallies for Harris in Charlottesville with John Grisham, UVa students | |
| Second gentleman Doug Emhoff made two stops in Charlottesville on Wednesday, spending his afternoon reviewing election integrity with University of Virginia law students and his evening fundraising for his wife's presidential campaign with high-profile Democrats at a local winery. It was his most recent stop in a national tour he has embarked upon as part of an effort to vault Vice President Kamala Harris to the presidency. Emhoff was introduced at the winery by best-selling author John Grisham and his wife Renee, who live in the area. The author began his own remarks with a confession. "I had never heard the term second gentleman until about last week," he said to laughter. "I never met the first one." Welcoming Emhoff, John Grisham noted that Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County are "a blue dot in a state that appears to be red." "But every four years, we deliver," he said to cheers. Virginia voters delivered for Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Barack Obama twice before that in 2012 and 2008. And they will do it again for Harris this November, John Grisham said. "You may have a future career in, I don't know, storytelling," Emhoff told the author as he stepped up to the microphone. Emhoff did not spend his entire trip to Virginia Wednesday joking with celebrated authors at a winery. Just an hour before, the second gentleman had been at the Forum Hotel on UVa Grounds, where he met with 80 members of the UVa Law Democrats student group to talk about free and fair elections --- and the role those students are playing in safeguarding them. |
| Federal Anti-Hazing Bill Heads to Senate | |
 | Federal anti-hazing legislation passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday and is on its way to the Senate, which needs to approve it before it can become law. The bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act would require institutions to include hazing incidents in their annual security reports, implement hazing-prevention programming and publish their hazing policies online, along with information about which student organizations have a history of hazing incidents. Although most states already have anti-hazing legislation in place, there is not currently a federal law, which is something parents of hazing victims, other campus safety advocates and some lawmakers have been trying to change for years. This is the first time anti-hazing legislation has passed the House or Senate. "By improving reporting and mandating prevention programs, this bill is a bipartisan measure to protect the health and safety of students while ensuring that students and their parents can make informed decisions when joining campus organizations," Representative Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat and the ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said in a statement. Between 1959 and 2021, at least one hazing death took place on a U.S. college campus every year, according to an up-to-date hazing tracker maintained by Hank Nuwer, a noted hazing researcher and professor. |
| The View From the FAFSA Trenches | |
| Nine months ago, Kiely Fletcher, admissions director and vice president of enrollment management at the University of Illinois at Chicago, woke up to some disconcerting news: Processing for student federal aid forms, a crucial precursor to colleges' financial aid packaging procedures, would be delayed by months, throwing her entire spring schedule into disarray. As the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid continued stumbling along, the gut punches kept coming, from further processing delays to calculation errors that added to her office's substantial workload. Fletcher said she and her peers felt blindsided almost every week by a new setback. She wondered whether they were as surprising to the department as they were to her. So she was both dismayed and relieved to read about findings from a Government Accountability Office investigation, detailed in a congressional hearing Tuesday, that appeared to confirm her worst fears. The GAO found that the department "failed to meet promised deadlines and provide colleges with sufficient notice of changes" throughout the application cycle. "It felt like we were being gaslit by the department," Fletcher said. "This report confirmed a lot of our suspicions that there was no way they couldn't know." For those on the institutional side of the FAFSA crisis, the report has brought some clarity to a chaotic and confusing year. |
| Why Everybody Hates Higher Education | |
 | "People are freaked out right now." "Cruel, gratuitous, and devastating." "Garbage in and garbage out." Quick -- which U.S. president was responsible for the policies that led to these agitated responses from higher-education leaders? Here's a hint: Each of these proposals was advanced by a different recent occupant of the White House: one Republican and two Democrats. Surprised? For a while now, Republicans have been the party openly hostile to the sector. Many on campus are alarmed about Donald Trump's bid for reelection, and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who has declared that professors are the "enemy." Governors like Ron DeSantis of Florida have drafted a playbook for undermining accreditation and assailing diversity, equity, and inclusion programming that can be replicated nationally. That outright antagonism can eclipse the fact that politicians of all stripes increasingly find fault with college. On the left, there is widespread concern about runaway tuition costs and whether programs pay off for graduates. "Democrats have been friendlier to higher education," said Rebecca S. Natow, a higher-education policy expert and author of Reexamining the Federal Role in Higher Education. "That doesn't mean they aren't critical." That is particularly true now, as the public perception of higher education has eroded across partisan lines. Two-thirds of Americans think higher education is going in the wrong direction, including nearly half of Democrats, according to a recent Gallup survey. "No one is really happy with higher ed," said Brendan Cantwell, a professor of higher, adult, and lifelong education at Michigan State University. |
SPORTS
| MSU soccer riding veteran presence, historic defense into Top 10 ranking | |
| Mississippi State soccer jumped to No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches' rankings after the win over then-No. 11 Texas. The Bulldogs have been making waves in 2024, boasting an 8-1 record through nine games. The team's defensive numbers rank among the best in the country, with only two goals allowed all season, both coming in the loss at Wake Forest. The team has eight shutouts through nine games for the first time in program history, the second-best shutout percentage in the country this season and goalkeeper Maddy Anderson has a save percentage of .917 on shots faced. The team's goals-against average per game is 0.22%, the second-best in Division I soccer. The success is built on organization and team defense, making them extremely difficult to play against. So how did the defense get so good? For one, head coach James Armstrong has implemented a counter-pressing to his team's defensive setup, which is evident in MSU's game this season. Counter-pressing is a defensive tactic that involves pressuring the opposition after losing the ball. This typically occurs further up the pitch than normal defending and requires a high level of tactical synchronicity across the team. One of the biggest reasons MSU are as good as they are is this team is constantly in motion and operating in synchronicity. Pressing requires understanding and this team has players who understand each other through years of experience and chemistry. |
| What to watch for: Mississippi State at No. 1 Texas | |
| After a 45-28 loss to Florida last weekend to open Southeastern Conference play, Mississippi State's schedule gets a lot tougher Saturday with a trip to No. 1 Texas at 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network. The Longhorns, in their fourth year under head coach Steve Sarkisian, have outscored their first four opponents by a combined 190-22, and Saturday will be their first conference game as an SEC member. Texas steamrolled defending national champion Michigan 31-12 on the road in Week 2 and has blowout home wins over Colorado State, UTSA and Louisiana-Monroe. The Bulldogs defeated the Longhorns in 1991 and 1992, with Texas winning the most recent meeting 38-11 in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day, 1999. The Bulldogs lost starting quarterback Blake Shapen to a season-ending shoulder injury against the Gators, and true freshman Michael Van Buren will make his first start Saturday. Redshirt freshman Chris Parson, who appeared in two games with one start last year, may also get a chance to play. MSU will also be without running back Keyvone Lee for an extended period of time, so Davon Booth and Johnnie Daniels will split the carries at running back. A defense that has had a hard time stopping anyone lost its leading tackler, safety Isaac Smith, to an injury in the Florida game, and his status going forward is uncertain. |
| U.S. Solheim Cup stalwart Ally Ewing announces her retirement from LPGA | |
| Another top American is retiring from the LPGA Tour. Three-time winner Ally Ewing, 31, announced on Instagram Wednesday morning that she is leaving the professional game and thanked friends, family, and past caddies for their consistent support throughout her eight-year LPGA career. "What a journey and road this has been," Ewing wrote. "While I've always felt I was able to balance golf and life, every decision I've made since I was young has always been deliberated with how it would impact golf. I've learned and been taught so much throughout this journey. I felt happiness and so much disappointment. I've been on the mountaintop of victory and felt the heartache of defeat." The Tupelo, Miss., native played college golf at Mississippi State, winning five times over four years before starting her professional career on the now Epson Tour in 2016. Ewing earned full status for the LPGA in 2017 and maintained it her entire career. She played professionally under her maiden name, McDonald, until her 2020 marriage to Charlie Ewing, the head coach of the Mississippi State womens golf team. Among Ewing's greatest honors came from representing her country in her four Solheim Cup appearances, where Ewing played in four sessions each time. Lexi Thompson, who announced her retirement over the summer ahead of the U.S. Women's Open, commented on Ewing's post in support. "You deserve every bit of what else life has in store," Thompson commented. "Thank you for being such an amazing person and frien |
| SEC, Big Ten officials to meet on CFP format, House case, scheduling agreement | |
| Within Big Ten headquarters in this Chicago suburb this week, the industry's most powerful leaders gathered: the Division I conference commissioners. But next month, in Nashville, Tennessee, perhaps an equally influential group convenes: the Big Ten and SEC athletic directors. In what is viewed as a continuation of their announced partnership in February, the top school administrators from the two most powerful NCAA conferences are scheduled to jointly meet, according to those familiar with the plans. The meeting is a significant and historic occurrence, believed to be one of the few joint gatherings of athletic directors from two major conferences in NCAA history. Amid a transformational period within the industry, the meeting comes at a sensitive time within college sports, as the Big Ten and SEC have distanced themselves financially from the rest of the industry in a way that strikes fear, for some, in their coalescence. However, those briefed on the meeting do not expect impactful decisions to be made and only believe this to be a next step in a partnership that the two conferences entered six months ago with the creation of a joint board. Commissioners of the leagues, SEC's Greg Sankey and Big Ten's Tony Petitti, are both expected to join the AD meeting as well as high-ranking conference staff members. |
| 'Sabanomics': How Nick Saban's Alabama football tenure boosted Tuscaloosa as a city | |
| Having Nick Saban's Alabama football dynasty in town wasn't the only thing Tuscaloosa had going for it as a city. But it didn't hurt. "There's never been any quantitative analysis of what his impact would be," Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox told AL.com. "But certainly, as I've termed it, Sabanomics has been important to Tuscaloosa. The university has been able to grow its student enrollment by leaps and bounds. The success of the football program has certainly contributed to that, and that's just not me theorizing." Maddox took over as mayor in 2005, while Mike Shula was head coach of the Crimson Tide. He saw one successful year under the former Tide coach, before things went south in 2006 and Saban took over. Tuscaloosa's mayor credited former UA president Bob Witt and late athletics director Mal Moore for helping grow the city with the choice to woo Saban. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Tuscaloosa's population at just over 111,000 people in 2023. That's a sizable jump from 90,468 residents listed on the 2010 census, and an even larger boost from 77,906 in 2000, the final pre-Saban census. Obviously not all of the growth came because of the Alabama football program. But it didn't hurt. "The modern-day success of of the city of Tuscaloosa is tied to the growth of the University of Alabama," Maddox said. Tuscaloosa isn't the only place that's seen a boost from an elite football program. According to Athens-Clarke County, Ga. mayor Kelly Girtz, his community has also been helped by the rise of Kirby Smart's Bulldogs. |
| It Looked Like a Dream Season -- Until Their Quarterback Walked Out Over a Pay Dispute | |
| UNLV was on the road to a dream season. An afterthought for most of their 46-year history in Division I, the Rebels had won their first three games of 2024, cracked the national rankings for the first time and emerged as a dark-horse contender for the newly expanded playoffs. Then, this week, everything fell apart. It wasn't because of a devastating injury or an off-field scandal -- but rather an unprecedented fiasco that could only have happened in this tumultuous new era of college football. Quarterback Matthew Sluka announced Tuesday that he was quitting the UNLV program in order to preserve his NCAA eligibility and switch to a different school for next season. The reason, he says, was that he was promised money he never received. Marcus Cromartie, Sluka's agent, told ESPN that an assistant coach verbally offered $100,000 if Sluka transferred from Holy Cross to UNLV. The deal never materialized, prompting Sluka to walk away while he could still take advantage of rules letting players retain a year of eligibility if they play four or fewer games in a season. The situation is the most dramatic example yet of how college football's fragile economic model -- which allows players to be compensated for their name, image and likeness, but not directly paid by the team they play for -- can backfire spectacularly. Ongoing litigation has left the NCAA unwilling and incapable of regulating almost any aspect of NIL agreements, creating a murky world where large sums are ensured by handshakes instead of contracts and there's little recourse when something goes wrong. |
| UNLV and Air Force to remain in Mountain West with financial incentives, AP source says | |
| UNLV and Air Force have decided to remain in the Mountain West as the conference thwarted off attempts at further poaching by the Pac-12 and American Athletic Conference by offering financial incentives to its most prominent remaining members to stay, a person with knowledge of the decisions told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the schools had not made their intentions public. The Mountain West declined to comment on its internal discussions. The Action Network first reported UNLV and Air Force had decided to stay in the Mountain West. The Mountain West has already lost five members to the rebuilding Pac-12 over the last two weeks, including Utah State earlier this week. Utah State's departure came as Commissioner Gloria Nevarez was trying to convince her remaining members to agree to a multiple-year grant of rights that would bind schools together and to the conference through media rights. That gave the other seven schools a chance to reconsider, but ultimately it appears Nevarez will be able to keep the Mountain West alive with the help of about $100 million dollars in exit fees expected to come the conference's way from the departing schools. The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over another $55 million in poaching penalties that were part of a football scheduling agreement Oregon State and Washington State entered into with the conference for this season. |
| College football shakeups can help drive up media rights value | |
| Over the weekend, more than 10 million people tuned in to watch University of Southern California face University of Michigan in college football. That's up 37% over the same time slot last year, according to CBS. In the past, those two far-flung teams might only meet, say in the Rose Bowl. Now they criss cross the country to compete in the same Big 10 conference. Over the last few seasons, lots of brand name college football teams have clustered into a couple of conferences, leaving smaller conferences to scrap over the teams that are left. It's hard to keep up with all the recent shifts in college football. California schools are playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. There are 18 teams in the Big 10, and only two in the Pac-12. "Crassly, we'll say, I guess it's all about money," said Mike Reynolds with S&P Global Market. Reynolds said this game of musical chairs starts with TV and streaming contracts. When brand name schools with big fan bases all compete in the same conference, "I think the product for the viewer is better," said Rick Franza, a professor of management at Augusta University. "You know, there's more matchups that never happened before." And those exciting new matchups can drive up the value of media rights, according to Caitlin Jacklin, the college athletics leader at Deloitte. "You know, bringing more people into the stands, more people watching at home across broadcast and streaming," Jacklin said. |
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