| Thursday, January 23, 2025 |
| Partial B.S. Hood Drive closure scheduled Jan. 28-30 | |
 | A section of B.S. Hood Drive will be limited to one lane of traffic Tuesday through Thursday [Jan. 28-30] for maintenance at Davis Wade Stadium. The northbound lane between Stone Boulevard and Barr Avenue will be closed while the work is completed. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area if possible. Contact the Facilities Management Service Desk at 662-325-2005 with questions. |
| Starkville's sanitation workers honored at annual MLK lunch | |
 | Some of Starkville's most essential workers got a break from the cold Wednesday thanks to a lunch honoring their service and the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated while helping Memphis' garbage collectors fight for better treatment. It's the seventh straight year that Kayla Gilmore has organized a lunch shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. Day honoring Starkville's sanitation workers, with help from both city government and a range of private sponsors. A few dozen workers from the sanitation department, ranging from garbage collectors to street sweepers to managers, attended the event Wednesday, where they heard appreciation from local political representatives, got gift bags and ate a free lunch. Officials in attendance included Mayor Lynn Spruill, Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins, Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn, Ward 1 Alderwoman Kim Moreland and District 1 Oktibbeha County Supervisor Ben Carver, a former alderman. "This is our city. We live here together, and you clean it," Perkins told the workers. "You're out there in rainstorms, sleet, snow, ice, arctic blasts, tornado warnings and tornado watches with no frowns on your faces. ... Your job is very important. And you are important. Never think any less of yourself." |
| Storm blows over? Allen Media may be reversing decision for WTVA, others | |
 | Sources with knowledge of the situation indicate Allen Media Group may be reversing its decision to replace local meteorologists with centralized hub forecasts from The Weather Channel. Only a handful of the more than two dozen stations will be keeping their weather teams, including WTVA in Tupelo. Emily Pike, a forecaster with WMTV, wrote on Facebook that, "While not all staff and meteorologists are safe, a majority will remain in their roles." A petition campaign to save the meteorology team at WTVA has garnered thousands of signatures. Additionally, the State Senate passed a resolution asking Allen Media to reverse its decision. AMG's broadcast television station division, Allen Media Broadcasting, said in a press release over there weekend it was introducing a "groundbreaking format for local weather coverage powered by The Weather Channel across local markets nationwide." Allen Media Group purchased The Weather Channel in 2018. |
| C Spire looks to address broadband disparities with new 5G home internet plan | |
 | C Spire is looking to expand rural broadband access to underserved Mississippians through the launching of its 5G home internet plan. According to a study from broadbandnow, 23% of Mississippi households lack an internet connection. The Magnolia State-based telecommunications company plans to change that with fixed wireless access (FWA), which leverages the extra capacity and speed of its 5G wireless network to deliver a reliable high-speed home internet experience to areas in Mississippi where traditional fiber broadband or cable infrastructure does not exist. "Reliable internet service is no longer optional to support opportunities for education, economic development, and technological opportunities in communities we serve," said Craig Jackson, senior vice president and general manager of consumer markets for C Spire. "The launch of 5G Home Internet is another way C Spire is adding value for our customers and bridging the digital divide by increasing connectivity in our home state." This rural broadband expansion comes as a result of a partnership between C Spire and Inseego. The Inseego 5G Wavemaker FX3110 indoor cellular router is reported to deliver reliable, high-speed internet to homes, and supports up to 64 connected devices. |
| Cadence Bank reports $523M in profit for year, announces merger | |
| Cadence Bank reported fourth-quarter profit of $132.7 million, or 70 cents per share, exceeding Wall Street expectations. The bank posted revenue of $706.5 million in the period. For the year, Cadence reported profit of $523.6 million, or $2.77 per share. Revenue was reported as $1.79 billion. The company's board of directors also declared a quarterly cash dividend of 27.5 cents per common share. "Our fourth quarter results reflect the culmination of a successful year of improved operating performance achieved through steady balance sheet growth, reduction of debt, stable credit quality, and improved net interest margin and operating efficiency," said Dan Rollins, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cadence Bank. "This has been an exciting year for Cadence. We could feel the momentum in our business throughout the year, and the benefits of our footprint, business diversification and talented teammates shined through." In addition, Cadence announced it had signed a definitive merger agreement with FCB Financial Corp., the bank holding company for First Chatham Bank, which is based in Savannah, Georgia. |
| Verbal fisticuffs: Auditor White calls Senate Chairman a liar, threatens with lawsuit | |
| State Auditor Shad White (R) appeared before a Senate subcommittee chaired by Senator John Polk (R) Wednesday afternoon. What began with perfunctory remarks quickly slid off the normal boring path, with both men accusing the other of playing politics and White calling Polk a "liar," while threatening him with a defamation lawsuit. The tension started when Polk, who represents the Hattiesburg area, identified NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre as a constituent. Polk questioned how White's office had calculated what Favre owed back to Mississippi in the wake of the TANF scandal and investigation, implying the calculation was faulty. White deflected the inquiry and offered broader criticism of the Senate's failure to investigate the alleged fraud itself. Senator Polk shifted the conversation to a contract entered into between the Auditor's office and Boston Consulting for $2 million for the putative purpose of identifying "waste, fraud and abuse." While Senator Polk's volleys at White were direct, the more potentially problematic questions for the Auditor may have come, in unassuming fashion, from Senator Daniel Sparks (R). Sparks pushed back gently on the idea that the Senate should be holding hearings on the TANF scandal while there is ongoing litigation, before addressing White's decision to partner with Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens (D) to prosecute the TANF defendants. Owens has since been indicted on federal bribery charges that could put him in prison for the rest of his life. Senator Sparks expressed concerns that Owen's' own legal troubles could call into question his TANF prosecutions. |
| WATCH: Auditor Shad White calls Senate chairman 'liar,' threatens to sue during budget hearing | |
| A Wednesday budget hearing for the State Auditor's Office devolved into shouting and a tense back and forth that culminated in Auditor Shad White calling Sen. John Polk of Hattiesburg a liar and threatening to sue the legislator for defamation. In what would normally be a mundane meeting at the state Capitol, the Appropriations subcommittee hearing erupted over questions related to NFL hall of fame quarterback Brett Favre and a $2 million dollar consultant's study White commissioned to determine ways state leaders could save money. "You're not a lawyer -- this is not a cross examination," White told Polk, the Republican who helps set his agency's budget. The first argument between the two occurred when Polk questioned how White's agency calculated the dollar figure for investigative fees and unpaid interest the auditor alleges Favre owes the state in connection to the state federal welfare scandal. "I've had several numbers people look at the court record and look at what you're saying (Favre) owes, and nobody can make it come to your number," Polk said. "Does that surprise you?" The other major argument that erupted in the hearing was when Polk questioned a $2 million contract that White's agency executed with Massachusetts-based consulting firm Boston Consulting Group to find wasteful spending in state agencies. |
| Mississippi Senate to counter House's tax reform plan, per committee chair | |
| Senate Appropriations Chair Briggs Hopson confirmed Wednesday his chamber will soon introduce a bill countering the House's plan to cut taxes at a record rate. A year after Mississippi's two legislative chambers hit a stalemate on Medicaid expansion, the prevailing contentious issue this time around is tax policy. "The Build Up Mississippi Act" in the House would net an estimated $1 billion tax cut by phasing out the income tax in just over a decade, while significantly cutting the nation's highest tax on groceries over a slightly shorter period. Senate Appropriations Chair Briggs Hopson confirmed Wednesday his chamber will soon introduce a bill countering the House's plan to cut taxes at a record rate. A year after Mississippi's two legislative chambers hit a stalemate on Medicaid expansion, the prevailing contentious issue this time around is tax policy. "The Build Up Mississippi Act" in the House would net an estimated $1 billion tax cut by phasing out the income tax in just over a decade, while significantly cutting the nation's highest tax on groceries over a slightly shorter period. The House bill flew through by a vote of 88-24 last week. But even as a bipartisan group of representatives overwhelmingly gave their approval, it appears the Senate is readying their own legislation regarding tax policy, according to Hopson. "We have been working on a tax policy bill since last year," said the Republican from Vicksburg. |
| Bill to revise law for low-income pregnant women passes first legislative hurdle | |
| Low-income women would be able to access free prenatal care faster under a bill that passed the House Medicaid committee Wednesday. The same law passed the full Legislature last year, but never went into effect due to a discrepancy between what was written into state law and federal regulations for the program, called Medicaid pregnancy presumptive eligibility. House Medicaid Chair Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, author of the bill, revised last year's bill to remove the requirement women show proof of income. She is hopeful the policy will garner the same support it did last year when it overwhelmingly passed both chambers. "CMS (The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) had some issues that they really did not approve of in our law, and after we talked it through we realized that the changes they wanted to make do no harm to the intent of the Legislature, do no harm to the law itself, do not add any costs to the fiscal note of the program," McGee said during the committee meeting. Changes include that a pregnant woman will only have to attest to her income -- not provide paystubs -- and will not have to provide proof of pregnancy. |
| Mississippi midterm U.S. Senate race kicks off as Pinkins announces run against Hyde-Smith | |
| For the third time in as many years, Ty Pinkins has announced another run for office in the Magnolia State. He is quickly becoming a perennial candidate for the Mississippi Democratic Party. On Thursday, Pinkins, an U.S. Army veteran and attorney, announced that he would be challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith in the 2026 midterm elections. Pinkins began running for U.S. Senate in 2022 but suspended his announced campaign in 2023 to become the replacement candidate when now former Democrat Shuwaski Young withdrew as the party's nominee in the 2023 election for Secretary of State. Young has since switched to the Republican Party. Pinkins lost that statewide race by nearly 20 points -- 59.5 percent to 40.5 percent -- to incumbent Republican Secretary Michael Watson. Pinkins then stepped back into campaigning for U.S. Senate in 2024, running unopposed in the Democratic Party Primary. He faced incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Roger Wicker in the November General Election where he lost by nearly 25 points -- 62.8 percent to 37.2 percent -- to Wicker. Now, Pinkins says he is ready to challenge Senator Hyde-Smith in 2026 to provide "a fresh new prospective and a clear alternative for representation in Washington." |
| Trump's agriculture pick will face a confirmation hearing | |
 | Brooke Rollins, President Trump's pick to lead the Agriculture Department, will appear before senators on Thursday to address how she plans to manage the agency, which supports the U.S. farm sector and administers food assistance programs. Ms. Rollins, a former White House official during Mr. Trump's first term, does not have the traditional résumé of an agriculture secretary, though her past suggests she has an interest in the sector: She participated in youth agricultural programs, has a degree in agricultural development and, according to her public financial disclosure, owns show cattle. She also led two prominent conservative think tanks and served as deputy general counsel to the governor of Texas, where she is from. If she is confirmed, it would be a break with recent secretaries, who have typically been governors or lawmakers from farm states. She has garnered the support of nearly every major farm group, including the influential American Farm Bureau and trade associations representing growers of the nation's largest crops. A letter signed by more than 400 organizations specifically cited her "close working relationship" with Mr. Trump as an asset. Senator John Boozman, Republican of Arkansas and the chairman of the agriculture committee, praised Ms. Rollins's credentials after meeting with her in December -- signaling that she had mustered enough support to be confirmed. |
| Trump's blizzard of orders gets pushback, questions from GOP lawmakers | |
 | President Trump's blizzard of executive orders during the first few days of his presidency has sent Republican lawmakers scrambling to make sense of what impact they'll have on the country, and some GOP senators are already raising questions and concerns. Republicans were surprised by Trump's order to immediately pause the disbursement of funds under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which they feared would stop funding to key projects in their home states. "Some of it is not helpful," said a senior Republican aide, who said Trump's team would have been wise to provide more detail about the scope of the orders or could have waited until some of his nominees cleared Senate committees before taking actions that were likely to prompt legislative pushback. A Senate staffer said Trump's team had to "clean up" what initially appeared to be an overly broad order to freeze funding. Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the Democratic vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called Trump's plan to grant temporary security clearances without background checks "irresponsible." "There's a reason we keep things secret," he said. "Suddenly we're going to get rid of any of those background checks." |
| Trump's agenda rests in the hands of a 91-year-old | |
 | The core of President Donald Trump's agenda runs through Chuck Grassley, who has been in the chamber longer than his vice president has been alive. Trump must count on the 91-year-old Senate Judiciary chair for everything from remaking the immigration system to unraveling the so-called "deep state" to ushering in conservative dominance of the federal courts -- and that may turn out to be risky: According to interviews with a dozen lawmakers, lobbyists and other current and former GOP officials, some Republicans are privately questioning whether he's too old for a job central to the execution of Trump's agenda. It's not Grassley's first time in the Washington spotlight, of course. But his latest turn holding a gavel comes as the public perception of aging politicians is being radically transformed --- most prominently by the question his old Judiciary Committee colleague, Joe Biden, faced about his mental fitness before leaving the White House this week. On Capitol Hill, there has been a similar sea change, prompted by the recent revelation that former Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) had been living with dementia in an assisted-living facility for the end of her term, and the obvious mental and physical decline of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who had to relinquish her own chance to chair Judiciary before her 2023 death in office. So far, nothing seems awry. At a hearing last week for Trump's attorney general pick, Grassley led the nearly six-hour-long affair smoothly, with just one hiccup when he appeared to misunderstand a joke made by nominee Pam Bondi. |
| GOP majority renews focus on abortion | |
 | This week marks the first time Republicans will hold a federal trifecta since the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which overturned the federal right to an abortion. For some conservatives, it also marks a new start. While Democrats made abortion rights their top campaign issue in 2024, Republican messaging largely sidestepped addressing federal action related to abortion. President Donald Trump has called to put the issue to bed on the federal level -- an ask that advocates on either side of the abortion debate don't take at face value. On Tuesday, more than 140 Republican lawmakers wrote to Trump urging him to reinstate multiple anti-abortion policies. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., are scheduled to address the March for Life, an annual event commemorating the Jan. 22 anniversary of Roe v. Wade, on Friday. Trump was the first sitting president to address the rally in 2020. The anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision has traditionally been marked with votes on abortion-related measures in Congress, and this year has been no different. |
| Trump's orders to end DEI programs reflect his push for a profound cultural shift | |
 | President Donald Trump's sweeping orders to end the government's diversity, equity and inclusion effort mark a sea change for the country, unwinding decades-long priorities for the nation's largest employer -- the federal government -- and broader efforts to push the private sector to ensure its workforce is diverse and inclusive too. Trump, only days into his second term as president, has shown with his wide-reaching moves that he's willing to use all the levers of the government to fulfill a longstanding campaign promise and bring about a profound cultural shift across the U.S. from promoting diversity to an exclusive focus on merit. Hours after taking the oath of office, the president signed an executive order ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government, which he and conservatives have long condemned as discriminatory. His administration then moved Tuesday to end affirmative action in federal contracting -- a move first required by President Lyndon Johnson -- and ordered all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave and eventually laid off. Even before Trump's actions, a backlash to DEI programs has been already underway in corporate America. |
| The Trendy French Bistro in D.C. That's the Go-To Haunt for Trump World | |
 | Donald Trump's allies are plotting his second term over organic wine and a new wave soundtrack. Butterworth's, an all day cafe-and-restaurant in Capitol Hill that opened three months ago and serves food on vintage china, has become the hub of activity for the who's-who of pro-Trump operatives and media figures who mingle among tourists and neighborhood diners. Steve Bannon, a former Trump aide and icon of the Make America Great Again movement, regularly rents out Butterworth's for parties. A former co-host of Bannon's show, Raheem Kassam, is an investor in the restaurant who is often hanging out behind the host stand with a Guinness or fretting over a cupboard that won't stay closed. House Speaker Mike Johnson stopped by in December. And over inauguration weekend, conservative activist Scott Presler hugged Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R., Fla.) just inside the entryway before heading to the Crypto Ball. Times are changing in Washington and so are the tastes of the city's MAGA crowd. The restaurant sits on a commercial strip near the U.S. Capitol that is just a block down from "Patriots Row" -- a series of office spaces purchased in recent years by the Conservative Partnership Institute, a think tank run in part by Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and rented to pro-Trump nonprofits. |
| Screen breaks and the right desk setup offer relief from work-related eye strain | |
| The trouble started every day at around 3 p.m., after Cathy Higgins had spent five or six hours staring at an array of computer screens at her desk. Her university job overseeing research projects involved peering closely at numbers and details on contracts, applications and budgets. "My vision was so blurry, I couldn't even see what was on the screen, and I was squinting so much that I could not function," Higgins said. Digital screens are pervasive, not only at work but in our homes, schools and shops. An estimated 104 million Americans of working age spend more than seven hours a day in front of screens, according to the American Optometric Association. All that screen time can take a toll. One reason for the discomfort is that staring closely at screens for prolonged periods causes the muscle that helps eye focus to tighten up. "That muscle's not supposed to stay tight all day long. And if it does, it's like picking up a light weight and trying to hold it over your head for hours," American Optometric Association President Steven Reed said. "It's not hard to pick it up. But after a while, even though it's not a heavy lift, your body just gets tired." Fortunately, exposure to blue light from computer screens and devices has not been shown to cause permanent eye damage, according to the American Academy of Opthalmology. Nevertheless, symptoms can disrupt work, family time and rest. As an optometrist in Mississippi, Reed sees patients who complain of frequent eye pain, headaches and blurry vision associated with computer use. He advises getting an eye exam and taking frequent breaks. |
| Schools go virtual or use portable heaters as freezing temperatures cause heating issues | |
| Bitterly cold temperatures in the Golden Triangle are making it difficult for some area schools to keep classrooms warm. At Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, Coordinator for Public Relations Caleb Youngblood said students are returning today after attending virtual classes for two days due to heating challenges. "We let our students stay at home since they were already there for (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)," he said. "Since the roads were dangerous in some areas, we didn't want kids driving in it." Youngblood said heating concerns affected both the boys and girls' dormitory building and the Hooper Academic Building. The HVAC system in Hooper has had issues and is slated to be replaced by the spring, he said. "As for the dorms, it's just an older building," he said. "We had some areas that were reading cold temperatures, so we're going to look into what we can do about fixing those problem areas." Haley Montgomery, communications director for Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, told The Dispatch no administrators have reported heating problems or outages at any campus. |
| Relocated Chick-fil-A opens in student union | |
 | The Chick-fil-A celebrated its official grand opening today with festivities like decorations, balloons, hiding miniature cow plushies and a cow mascot. The campus Chick-fil-A officially reopened on Friday, Jan. 17, with a new look and a new location on the second floor of the student union. The updated space, which replaces McAlister's Deli, boasts a new design and updated menu, featuring popular classics like regular and spicy sandwiches, new salads, soups and mac and cheese. Chick-fil-A was formerly located on the first floor, next to Panda Express. Freshman pharmacy student Sandra Chen, a devoted Chick-fil-A patron, said she felt "beyond excited" about the new opening, though she expressed concern about the potential for increased traffic on the second floor, where many students study. "I'm sure the second floor will be more busy with the new Chick-fil-A opening. A lot of people study on the second floor sometimes, so they would probably need to find another place to study if they don't want to be in the traffic of people getting their Chick-fil-A," Chen said. |
| Ole Miss professor's gift to underwrite field trips, study-away opportunities for students | |
| When University of Mississippi education majors have opportunities to travel for field trips, Renee Hill-Cunningham wants to ensure no student is left behind. That's why the Ole Miss faculty member promised to give an estimated $250,000 of her estate back to the School of Education and designated the money to cover expenses for students who lack the means to participate in learning-focused excursions. The planned gift establishes the Michael and Renee Cunningham Experiential Learning Endowment. The idea originated when a student explained to the associate professor of mathematics education that even if she could get a scholarship to cover the published cost of a trip, she wouldn't be able to afford associated costs, such as transportation to the airport, extra clothes for an extended stay, passports, power converters and inoculations. "If these students are working and trying to pay for school themselves, they've probably not traveled much in their lives," Cunningham said. "They are exactly who needs to be going on these trips." |
| USM spring semester set to start after delay caused by winter storm | |
 | The spring semester at the University of Southern Mississippi, delayed for two days because of Tuesday's winter storm, is scheduled to start on Thursday. Well, at least on one the university's campuses. Plans call for classes in the Hub City to begin Thursday, but USM's Gulf Coast facilities will remain closed for at least one more day. USM President Joe Paul said he plans to open Friday the Gulf Park campus along with the Coast's teaching and research sites. "They had much more snowfall (than was received in the Hattiesburg area)," Paul said. "Many, many bridges there, hard for folks to get into work, but hopefully, we'll be back in business on Friday there. "But, full bore ahead here on the Hattiesburg campus, bright and early (Thursday) morning." Paul said the dean of students will work with any students who live a long distance from campus and can't drive safely to Hattiesburg on Thursday. |
| USM, Mississippi College partner on accelerated law degree | |
 | Madison attorney Trae Sims earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994 then went to law school at Mississippi College, where he earned a law degree in 1999. Sims said he took two years off between the degree programs to work and save money, making the time it took to earn a juris doctorate longer than a traditional student who goes from university to law school. The University of Southern Mississippi recognizes the challenges of getting an education and is working to make that path a little easier. The university recently signed an agreement with Mississippi College School of Law, giving students the opportunity to participate in an accelerated pathway to a law degree. A memorandum of understanding between the two schools, signed on Jan. 13, allows students to earn bachelor's and juris doctorate degrees in six years instead of seven. Having an accelerated program might have changed the course Sims took when he was in school. Sims was not a scholarship student, so saving time and money would have been helpful. |
| Jackson State faculty senate president sues for wrongful termination | |
| The Jackson State University's president and governing board are facing a lawsuit from the faculty senate president who last fall was placed on leave pending termination. Dawn McLin's lawsuit comes more than two months after a faculty panel reviewed the university's basis for her termination and recommended she be reinstated to her position as a psychology professor. But the university's president, Marcus Thompson, has yet to respond to the panel's recommendation, putting McLin in what she alleges is a state of limbo meant to force her to resign. "Their intentional delay prevents Dr. McLin's reinstatement and continued oversight of her research grants while, at the same time, rendering it impossible for Dr. McLin to pursue alternative employment in academia," the lawsuit states. A Jackson State spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by press time. A spokesperson for the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees said the board does not comment on pending litigation. |
| MCC honors Dr. King's legacy with call to protect freedom, justice, democracy | |
 | Drawing inspiration from the wisdom of the iconic civil rights leader, speakers at Meridian Community College's Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration Wednesday emphasized the program's theme, Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence 365. The College, which has hosted this celebration of the life of King for more than three decades, held the celebration two days after the nation's observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Keynote speaker Larry Gill, mayor of Marion, encouraged audience members to make a difference in making lives better for all. An MCC alumnus, Gill became mayor of Marion as the third youngest mayor in the state's history and the youngest elected official serving in Lauderdale County. Gill holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Mississippi State University. MCC President Tom Huebner noted the College's annual event offers the opportunity to celebrate King's life, work, and vision. "I'm so proud to be a part of today's event. It's always a challenge to me, and I hope you leave here hoping you have reconnected with the vision of Dr. King," Huebner said. |
| Screens Have Taken Over Classrooms. Even Students Have Had Enough. | |
| lass time has become screen time in American schools. Kindergartners now watch math lessons on YouTube, counting aloud with the videos. Middle-schoolers complete writing drills on Chromebooks while sneaking in play of an online game. High-schoolers mark up Google Docs to finish group projects. The rapid tech transformation amounts to a grand experiment playing out in American schools. Accelerated by pandemic-era online learning, the move has happened with little debate, conflicting research and high stakes for the nation's children. Educators wonder whether the digitization of the classroom has really benefited learning---or if it's done kids a disservice. Some teachers say online tools help create more engaging lessons and provide personalized instruction. Others say the screen-heavy approach has distracted students and burned out teachers. "Covid really shifted things toward, 'Oh, we can do this,'" said Stephanie Galvani, a middle-school English teacher in suburban Boston. "But we didn't ask: 'Should we do this?'" The shift runs counter to the prevailing advice from doctors and psychologists to limit tech use. Some frustrated parents are trying to opt their kids out of school technology, with varying degrees of success. Even some students pine for more analog methods. Research on the use of technology in education remains unsettled. |
| U. of Alabama forms presidential search committee to replace Stuart Bell | |
 | A committee to establish criteria for the 30th president of the University of Alabama has been named, led by University of Alabama System Trustee Karen P. Brooks, a Tuscaloosa native. The group also includes UA faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members, along with other trustees and UA system leaders. The Presidential Advisory Committee will develop guidelines, establishing what UA is seeking in the role, and recruit and assess candidates. Any members of the UA community can share feedback and comments. The task set is to find the next leader for the Tuscaloosa campus, following Stuart R. Bell, who announced last week his intention to retire in July, closing out a decade in the role. The committee will report to UA Systems Interim Chancellor Sid J. Trant, who'll submit a final candidate to the board for approval. Consultants Ann Die Hasselmo and Christopher N. Butler, who have worked with UA before on searches, including the hirings of Bell and former president Robert E. Witt, will assist the committee. The company they represent, Academic Search, has more than four decades' experience in higher education recruitment, completing more than 2,600 searches. |
| Alabama college investigating racial slur written on campus | |
 | Auburn University's Campus Safety and Security is investigating a racial slur written in snow on campus Tuesday, according to university officials. "This behavior does not represent the values of Auburn University," public affairs director Jennifer Adams told AL.com. The investigation began after a Facebook post from Tulani Jackson. Jackson told AL.com a student saw the slur written outside Sasnett Hall at The Hill. The student does not wish to be identified. "This is what my friend's daughter experienced today," Jackson's post begins. "In the Bible, snow represents purity, God's glory, and the promise of forgiveness. Today the freshly laid blanket of snow spoke volumes. It spoke negativity, it spoke fear, it did not speak of the love and forward thinking it should on a college campus. This is a prime example of the two Americas we are beginning to know." Adams said a discrimination and harassment policy prohibits this conduct. "Auburn remains committed to creating an environment where everyone is welcome, valued, respected and engaged," Adams said. |
| This LSU professor was an early backer of AI. Here's what he says Louisiana needs to do to keep up | |
 | When LSU Business Professor Andrew Schwarz started teaching a class on artificial intelligence in the school's MBA program five years ago, the world was a different place. He saw that storing data on the cloud, or internet-connected remote servers, was becoming more and more popular. There was also a growing trend toward analytics, the idea better organizing data by using the power of cloud computing. So he figured the time was right to start teaching future business executives about the latest ways this technology could be harnessed. "I am a technical optimist," said Schwarz, a professor in the Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship & Information Systems. "I see opportunities everywhere." But Schwarz said he didn't forecast the rapid rise of generative AI, where computers actually started producing new text, images and videos based on information they were trained on. Schwarz said he wants to see Louisiana and local businesses take advantage of that opportunity. Already, AI has started to make inroads in the state, thanks to the massive data center Meta plans to build in Richland Parish and the $2 billion data center Hut 8 has planned for West Feliciana Parish. |
| Premium arena seats and Chick-Fil-A coming to U. of Tennessee | |
 | While University of Tennessee at Knoxville students are hungry for good grades and more Big Orange basketball wins this semester, they'll have to wait just a little longer to fill their stomachs at a new Chick-Fil-A opening soon near campus. Classes were in session and on schedule Jan. 21 for the spring semester, with most of the recent snow melted, unlike last year when school started late due to winter weather. Though classes are starting fresh, there's still a lot to catch up on for returning students: the Vol Edge program beginning, new dormitories taking shape and a new nursing building preparing to open, for starters. But before we dive into new storylines, including Food City Center's new premium seating option for Thompson-Boling Arena concerts, let's start with what's really on your mind: Did someone say Chick-Fil-A? New dining options are scheduled to open on campus in March, including the fast food restaurant behind one of the South's favorite fried chicken sandwiches: Chick-Fil-A. Vol Dining is partnering with the restaurant to open a new location at 1659 Cumberland Ave., the former home of Panda Express and Raising Canes (Panda Canes, as it was known by students). The new Chick-Fil-A will be full-service with a complete menu, catering and delivery options, including for students living in Fort Sanders. This will be the third Chick-Fil-A on campus, with the others located in the Student Union and the Rocky Top Dining Hall. |
| 'It's important to remember our past': U. of South Carolina hosting event to mark liberation of Nazi death camp | |
 | One of the country's top political journalists is coming to town next week for an event to mark the anniversary of the liberation of one of Nazi Germany's most notorious concentration camps. Chuck Todd, NBC chief political analyst and former host of "Meet the Press," will be the keynote speaker at the 80th Commemoration of the Liberation of Auschwitz event, to be held Jan. 27 at the Pastides Alumni Center of the University of South Carolina. Registration is closed, but the 10:30 a.m. event will be livestreamed online by SCETV. In addition to Todd's remarks, a Holocaust survivor will also deliver a message. "In another five, 10 years, there will be no one who we can go to speak to, to get their reflections, to get their story," Lilly Filler, chair of the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust, told The Post and Courier. "They will be gone. It's important to remember our past, so we don't repeat the mistakes of the past, here in the present and in the future." The South Carolina Council on the Holocaust in conjunction with the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina is also sponsoring a ceremony on Jan. 27 to commemorate the freeing of the camp. |
| Texas A&M has $22.3B impact on Texas economy | |
 | A recent study found that Texas A&M University had a $22.3 Billion impact on the Texas economy in Fiscal Year 2022-23. The study looked at Texas A&M's College Station, Health Science Center and Galveston campuses. The HSC had an impact of $1.7 billion on the state economy. A&M's impact was equal to one percent of the Gross State Product (GSP) for Texas. The study, conducted by Lightcast on behalf of Texas A&M, compiled data from A&M's 2022-23 academic and financial reports and industry and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. "At Texas A&M, we stand for impact. Over the past 10 years, Texas A&M has grown at a rate double that of the average of all other public universities in the state, working to keep pace with the state's rapidly growing population and workforce needs," A&M President Mark A. Welsh III said in a statement. "A $22 billion impact, as we work hard to send not just great Aggies, but great citizens into the workforce, isn't just good bull, it's also a good return on the state's investment." Former students were the biggest contributors to A&M's total impact on the economy. The hundreds of thousands of former students employed in the Texas workforce amounted to $14.6 billion in income for the state in FY 2022-23. Former HSC students employed in Texas amounted to $1.7 billion in income for Texas. |
| UVa provost to leave university, named president of Middlebury College | |
| University of Virginia Ian Baucom is stepping down from his post after 11 years of service at the university in various leadership positions. Baucom will be leaving UVa in March to assume the helm of Middlebury College, a private liberal arts college in Vermont with an undergraduate study body of 2,900. He replaces Laurie Patton, who announced back in May she would be leaving Middlebury after she was named president of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. "Ian has left an indelible mark on UVA, both from his time as dean and his years as provost," UVa President Jim Ryan said in a statement. As UVa commences a national search for candidates to fill the vacancy Baucom has left, Deputy Provost Brie Gertler has been tapped to act as the interim chief academic officer. Baucom arrived in Charlottesville in 2014 from Durham, North Carolina, where he spent 17 years as a professor of English at Duke University and the director of Duke's Franklin Humanities Institute. Baucom came on as dean of UVa's College of Arts and Sciences, a position he served in for eight years. His tenure was marked by efforts to build up the university's research programs, hire more than 150 faculty members, defend diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives as well as get the new School of Data Science off the ground. |
| Enrollment Passes Pre-Pandemic Levels with First-Year Surge | |
 | Postsecondary enrollment is up 4.5 percent this year, bringing the combined number of undergraduate and graduate students above 2019 numbers for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Undergraduate enrollment rose by 4.7 percent, though it remains 1 percent below 2019 levels. First-year undergraduate enrollment slightly surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time, rising by 5.5 percent. It's a long-awaited milestone, reached after years of sluggish post-pandemic recovery, that undermines predictions of enrollment decline due to the bungled rollout of a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid and mounting demographic challenges across the country. But more than a return to the status quo, the numbers suggest a new landscape taking shape. Much of this fall's recovery was powered by a rapid boost in alternative credential and certificate programs, which the report shows are up nearly 10 percent year over year and 28.9 percent since 2019. Meanwhile, enrollment in bachelor's degree programs increased only 2.9 percent, and associate programs by 6.3 percent; both remain significantly below 2019 levels. NSC executive research director Doug Shapiro said community colleges saw the most growth in vocational-focused degree pathways. |
| A New Snapshot of Last Fall's Freshman Enrollment Paints a Very Different Picture | |
 | After a methodological error led to an incorrect report that colleges' freshman enrollment declined last fall, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released a full update on Thursday -- showing that the number of first-time first-year students actually increased by 5.5 percent. Total postsecondary enrollment also increased by 4.5 percent, rebounding to pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Undergraduate enrollment, up 4.7 percent, still lingered slightly behind 2019 levels. Doug Shapiro, the research center's executive director, said the 5-percent decline -- the figure from the preliminary report -- would normally have surprised researchers and merited further scrutiny. But last year's botched FAFSA rollout, shifts in the economy and labor market, and mounting student debt all made an enrollment decline more expected, Shapiro said. "Our sensitivity to abnormally large changes was somewhat reduced because we had a host of ready explanations for why we might be seeing these declines," Shapiro said. The supposed drop in freshmen was used as the basis for widespread media coverage about the grim state of higher ed and fueled predictions about more financial turmoil and campus closures, including in The Chronicle. |
| In a surprise, U.S. colleges saw higher enrollment last fall | |
 | College enrollment in the U.S. rose for the first time last fall to surpass pre-pandemic levels, new figures out today show. Across undergraduate and graduate programs, total enrollment rose 4.5 percent, or 817,000 students, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The numbers provided welcome news to colleges worried about the Biden administration's botched revamp of the federal student aid application known as FAFSA, and reports showing many Americans questioning the value of a college degree. Among the incoming freshman class in the fall of 2024, enrollment increased 5.5 percent, or 130,000 students, the data shows. The growth among freshmen "is driven by older first-year students, as 18-year-olds are still below their 2019 numbers," Doug Shapiro, the center's executive director, said in a statement. The research center also corrected an error in data released last fall that mistakenly showed freshman enrollment had declined, Shapiro said. The latest figures are a relief to higher education experts worried about a looming "demographic cliff" expected to bring enrollment declines in coming years. That could mean trouble for colleges in terms of lost revenue, and trouble for the economy by creating shortages of educated graduates. The positive trend across higher education is important because the U.S. economy is expected to create many more jobs "needing some type of credential to be able to do those jobs adequately," said Nicole Smith, a research professor and chief economist at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. |
| College enrollment rebounds, surpassing pre-pandemic levels | |
 | Student headcount at the nation's colleges and universities has rebounded, according to a new national report, with total enrollment numbers higher than in fall 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted higher education. The report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, released Thursday, found undergraduate enrollment neared 16 million in fall 2024, while graduate enrollment climbed to 3.2 million. All told, total enrollment was up 4.5 percent in the fall. Thursday's report arrives a week after the Clearinghouse said a "methodological error" skewed its preliminary calculation of the number of first-year students who enrolled in fall 2024. Some observers questioned why it took the center months to identify its error, especially when previous reports indicated a nascent rebound in higher-education enrollment. The preliminary report the Clearinghouse released in October relied on reporting from half of colleges and universities that submit data to the center. Thursday's report, however, is based on the vast majority of colleges and uses a different methodology to determine freshman enrollment. Community colleges, which bore the brunt of enrollment losses during the pandemic, are now reporting some of the strongest enrollment gains, although they remain below pre-pandemic levels. Those with a focus on vocational education witnessed double-digit growth for the second year in a row. Students are also flocking to certificate programs, where enrollments are now 28.5 percent above 2019 levels, according to the Clearinghouse. |
| Most Voters Reject Trump's Push to Cut U.S. Education Department, Poll Finds | |
 | A majority of voters don't want the U.S. Department of Education abolished, a recent poll found, signaling tenuous support for President Donald Trump's signature education campaign pledge. What's more, voters favor boosting funding for education, though they don't want to see tax hikes to pay for education programs, according to the poll, a nationally representative sample of 1,000 voters. The poll also found deep support for career-and-technical education across a wide swath of the electorate. The poll was conducted last fall, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5, by Lake Research Partners, a Democratic polling organization, and the Tarrance Group, a Republican polling firm, on behalf of All4Ed, a policy and advocacy organization that promotes college and workforce readiness, particularly for students of color and students from low-income families. More than half of voters surveyed -- 58 percent -- don't want to see the Education Department nixed, compared to 29 percent who support getting rid of the department, the poll found. While Democrats are more likely to oppose deep-sixing the department than Republicans, a plurality of GOP voters don't like the idea of scrapping the agency, either. Forty-four percent of Republicans surveyed said they aren't on board with getting rid of the department, compared to 39 percent who would like to see it abolished. |
| How a Trump Executive Order Could Upend Colleges' Hiring Practices | |
| Decades of higher-ed hiring and employment practices aimed at avoiding discrimination could be upended after President Trump late Tuesday rescinded the Equal Employment Opportunity order signed in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The order applies to federal contractors and likely includes the majority of colleges that receive federal financial aid or other federal funding. It was the latest indication that the Trump administration is determined to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion and affirmative-action practices not only across the federal government, but higher education, as well. The president's action also takes aim at private colleges with DEI commitments. It orders all federal agencies to identify "the most egregious and discriminatory DEI practitioners" in their jurisdiction, including higher-education institutions with endowments of $1 billion or more. Each agency is ordered to identify nine potential cases that could be targets of civil-compliance investigations. The goal, the order states, was to "encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI." "My two big takeaways are that all of the affirmative-action planning and report work being done on college campuses likely needs to stop under this executive order," Schneider said. "Not only do colleges no longer have an obligation to pursue affirmative-action plans, I think this would prohibit it." An exception, he said, is likely to be colleges' legal obligations toward disabled people and veterans. |
| Trump Takes Aim at DEI in Higher Ed | |
| One of President Donald Trump's latest executive orders aims to end "illegal" diversity, equity and inclusion policies and could upend programs that support underrepresented groups on college campuses. Whether the order, signed late Tuesday night, will be effective is not clear, some experts cautioned Wednesday. Others celebrated it as the end of DEI in America. The order calls on all agencies to "enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities," though it doesn't define DEI. Additionally, the order directs the attorney general and education secretary -- neither of whom have been confirmed -- to create guidance for colleges and universities on how to comply with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, which banned the use of race-conscious admissions policies. The order should not, however, have any immediate impact on higher ed, as most provisions require agency action. Higher education experts and diversity, equity and inclusion advocates say it's difficult to know how far Trump's latest order against DEI will actually go, but they are certain it represents an attempt to reverse more than 50 years of civil rights work to promote equal access to the American education system. |
| After eight years, state wins battle to control airport | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: It's now been over eight years since the state legislature voted to regionalize control of the Jackson airport. The city of Jackson, and its airport board, has now suffered a legal setback that may doom the city's effort to keep control of the airport. In the hierarchy of courts, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, is just one step below the United States Supreme Court. There are 13 such federal appellate courts in the nation. The Fifth Circuit has recently issued a 10-page decision that helps the state legislature and hurts the city. It's not a death blow to the city, but, reading the tea leaves, it seems clear that the Fifth Circuit is not in the city's corner. ... The lack of standing is a particularly tough blow for the city and the current airport board. Without standing, you simply have no right to sue. That would seem to preclude further legal attempts to stop regionalization of the airport. ... The Jackson airport is not currently run well. Our airport is on display to thousands of travelers. It should be a showcase. It is not. It's time to enact Senate Bill 2162. This legal wrangling, with hope, has come to an end. |
SPORTS
| Women's Basketball: State To Host Auburn For 'We Back Pat' Game On Thursday | |
| Mississippi State will conclude a two-game home stand on Thursday, as the Auburn Tigers come to town for the Bulldog's "We Back Pat" game. The game is set for a 6:30 p.m. start on SECN+. The Bulldogs rank 18th in the nation and fifth in the Southeastern Conference with a 47.3 field goal percentage on the season. Madina Okot leads the conference with a 68.7 field goal percentage. She ranks second in the nation in that category. Debreasha Powe is shooting 44.9 percent from deep, which is the second best percentage in the SEC and 15th best in the nation. Powe has knocked down 40 triples this season, with 11 of them coming in the last five games, including four against Tennessee. Jerkaila Jordan and Eniya Russell are both ranked inside the top 20 in field goal percentage and shots made in the SEC. The Bulldogs and Tigers will face off for the 64th time in history. Auburn leads the series 36-27. In Starkville, the Bulldogs have won 16 of 30 games. Over the span of the last 10 games, State has won all but one. Auburn is only the second opponent Mississippi State has faced that has not been ranked or receiving votes in either the AP or Coaches' Poll. State is 1-0 against those opponents, as they knocked off Georgia 79-68. |
| Jordan, Mississippi State Bulldogs square off against the Auburn Tigers | |
| Deyona Gaston and Auburn visit Jerkaila Jordan and Mississippi State on Thursday. The Bulldogs have gone 7-2 in home games. Mississippi State ranks eighth in the SEC with 11.3 offensive rebounds per game led by Madina Okot averaging 3.4. The Tigers have gone 1-5 against SEC opponents. Auburn scores 69.7 points while outscoring opponents by 10.4 points per game. Mississippi State scores 76.9 points, 17.6 more per game than the 59.3 Auburn gives up. Auburn averages 3.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.1 fewer made shots on average than the 6.8 per game Mississippi State allows. The matchup Thursday is the first meeting of the season for the two teams in conference play. Eniya Russell is averaging 13.3 points and 4.1 assists for the Bulldogs. Jordan is averaging 17.5 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 43.0% over the last 10 games. Gaston is scoring 21.4 points per game with 7.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist for the Tigers. Mar'shaun Bostic is averaging 8.9 points, 4.5 assists and two steals over the past 10 games. |
| How can Mississippi State make counter-adjustments? It all starts with turnovers | |
| Mississippi State has had no issues jumping on opponents early in games. It's the last three quarters that have given the Bulldogs trouble. In all three of their Southeastern Conference home games, MSU raced out to big first-quarter leads against three quality teams -- defending national champion South Carolina, an Oklahoma squad that was in the top 10 at the time, and arch-rival Ole Miss. Head coach Sam Purcell's team has closed out just one of those games with a win, and that win over the Sooners required a second-half comeback after Oklahoma rallied from 14 points down to pull ahead. Once opposing teams adjust to them on both offense and defense, the Bulldogs have a hard time adjusting to those adjustments. Tennessee and Ole Miss in particular clogged every passing lane and made even inbounding the ball difficult. MSU has turned the ball over an average of 18.2 times over their last five games. "It's the turnovers. That's the counter-adjustment," Purcell said. "When you give other teams opportunities (to get) points off turnovers, those have been the dagger for us. Can we simplify the playbook? What can we do, passing-wise, to stop some of this?" Four SEC teams actually turn the ball over more often than MSU, including Auburn, which visits Humphrey Coliseum tonight. |
| Turnovers plaguing Mississippi State as Bulldogs seek redemption against Auburn | |
| Sam Purcell has felt frustrations in recent weeks about what his basketball team could be if it took care of its own mistakes. The frustrations felt by the coach and team have also resonated within the Mississippi State fanbase as the Bulldogs gave up leads in games to South Carolina, Ole Miss and Tennessee only to come away with losses. The culprit every time has been State's lack of ball security. In all three losses, the Bulldogs turned the ball over 20 or more times and gave up 23 or more points off of those turnovers. It's been a worry for Purcell since day one with his team, but it has yet to be corrected. "When you give other teams opportunities with points off turnovers, those have been the dagger for us," Purcell said. "Can we simplify the playbook? What can we do passing wise to stop some of this? It's not as simple as one thing. We're trying to show them how great a team we can be, but when we have these losses, it's us turning over the ball." The lack of security with the basketball has led the Bulldogs to a 2-4 start in SEC play with State losing three of those games to top 20 teams and another to rival Ole Miss on Sunday. The good news for State is that this week brings two of the bottom three teams in the league to the schedule. The bad news is that Thursday's opponent in Auburn thrives in disrupting on the defensive end. Former Bulldog assistant Johnnie Harris comes back to familiar territory on Thursday night for a 6:30 p.m. showdown. |
| Inside the first meeting between Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard and Dwyane Wade, his cousin | |
 | Josh Hubbard never had one particular favorite NBA team growing up, but the Miami Heat was one of them. They were one of the frequent teams on TV to watch when there was free time at his home in Jackson and then after moving to Madison in eighth grade. And it wasn't just because the Heat were one of the NBA's best teams in the 2010s when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up for four straight NBA Finals appearances and two championships. There was a blood connection, too. Hubbard, the sophomore leading scorer with Mississippi State basketball, and Wade, the Hall of Famer, are cousins. "A lot of games he played, my dad kept the TV on, and he would just say that he was our cousin," Hubbard said. There was one problem though. Hubbard had never met Wade. And not many people outside the family even knew they were cousins until Wade sat courtside at the Nov. 22 Mississippi State game at SMU. "We didn't tell lots of people because we hadn't met him," said Jason Hubbard, Josh's father. "We didn't know much about him. We hadn't met the family, nothing like that." The Bulldogs had a game at SMU in Dallas, where one of Hubbard's four older siblings lives. It also happened to be near the birthday of Jolinda Wade, Dwyane Wade's mother, so it turned into a family reunion. Wade sat on the baseline as he watched Mississippi State secure an 84-79 win after trailing by 13 points in the first half. He then addressed the team in the locker room afterward. |
| Soccer: Zimmerman Hires C-USA Coach Of The Year Garbar | |
| Mississippi State first-year head coach Nick Zimmerman has made a splash with the first assistant coach hire for his staff. Jonathan Garbar, the reigning Conference USA Coach of the Year, will join the Bulldogs in Starkville as an assistant coach. Garbar recently orchestrated one of the most-impressive program turnarounds in recent memory, taking a 2-15 FIU team when he arrived to a 13-5-2 record and C-USA Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 2024. In addition, he has served as an assistant coach with the Puerto Rican Women's National Team and earned national coach of the year honors at the junior college level after guiding Monroe College to the 2014 NJCAA National Championship. "We couldn't be more excited to welcome Jonathan to the Mississippi State family," Zimmerman said. "He is a proven winner with an incredible passion for player development. His background in teaching makes him the perfect fit to continue our history of developing these young players, both on and off the field." Garbar has deep recruiting ties to Central and South America and is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese. He previously served as an assistant coach with the Puerto Rican Women's National Team. His duties with the national squad included overseeing northeast identification and recruitment. |
| SEC will challenge the selection committee like never before | |
| It's going to be one of the most persistent questions over the next seven weeks: How many NCAA Tournament bids will the SEC get? The 16 schools collectively went 185-23 outside league play, the most victories and best non-con winning percentage (.889) in men's D-I history for a conference with at least 10 teams. The SEC continues to lord high over the hoops world nearly a month into the conference schedule. Thirteen of its teams rank in the top 40-45 of most and/or all team sheet metrics. It's a mortal lock at least 11 will go dancing ... and it's mathematically possible we get to 13. Let's say it lands at a dozen, breaking the Big East's record of 11 (set in 2011). Getting 12 out of 16 teams in would be as incredible for the SEC as it would be challenging, from a bracket-building perspective, for members of the selection committee. There are rules in place to prevent intra-conference foes from meeting too early in the Big Dance -- with first-round rematches flatly not allowed and would-be second-round rendezvouses avoided whenever possible. With the superconference era officially activated in 2024, the potential for something like this was on the table eventually (but nobody saw it immediately being a factor). The temporary elimination of the Pac-12 also puts one more at-large bid out for the taking. Fortunately, the committee got ahead of this issue months ago. |
| Winter storm causes rescheduling of NBA and college games across the South | |
| The NBA and multiple college basketball conferences postponed games in response to winter weather that broke snowfall records in some southern states and coated others with a mix of snow and ice. Wednesday night's NBA contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pelicans was called off a day after the storm dumped about a foot of snow in New Orleans -- a subtropical city with very little in the way of experience with, or equipment for, clearing large amounts of snow. In nearby Baton Rouge, LSU's fifth-ranked women's basketball team was unable to fly on Wednesday to Columbia, South Carolina, so the Southeastern Conference chose to postpone the Tigers' game at the No. 2 Gamecocks from Thursday night until Friday evening. Meanwhile, the Sun Belt Conference cited "hazardous travel conditions" in rescheduling four men's basketball games. Georgia Southern's home game against Coastal Carolina, and Louisiana-Lafayette's home game against Texas State were moved from Wednesday to Thursday. Two games originally scheduled for Thursday -- Southern Mississippi at Troy and South Alabama at Louisiana-Monroe -- both were moved to Monday. LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said the university decided to cancel classes through Thursday because of road closures and wintry conditions on surface roads in the area. But athletics officials were confident the women's basketball team would be able to fly out of Baton Rouge on Thursday. |
| Ole Miss creates new staff position in anticipation of revenue sharing with student-athletes | |
| The landscape of college athletics could soon undergo a seismic change if a multi-billion settlement is approved this spring, opening the door for revenue sharing to become the new norm in the sport. A judge will rule whether or not to allow the House v. NCAA settlement to come to fruition, allowing student-athletes to earn a portion of the profits college athletics departments nationwide acquire. Revenue sharing would be optional and the amount of money participating universities could directly pay out to their athletes would be capped at $20.5 million. To prepare for the potential changes, the Ole Miss Athletics Department has created a new title -- Senior Associate A.D. for Strategy and Cap Management, which will be headed by longtime administrator Matt McLaughlin. In this position, McLaughlin will drive the financial vision for student-athlete recruitment, retention, and Name, Image, and Likeness, including fostering brand partnerships to optimize NIL opportunities. He will also work in coordination with various Rebel coaching staffs to develop and implement revenue-sharing models while driving fundraising efforts, engaging donors, and coordinating cross-functional collaborations. He spent the past two years as the Associate A.D. for Development/Chief Development Officer. |
| Virginia Bill Seeks Looser Restrictions on College Sports Subsidies | |
| Virginia state Sen. Creigh Deeds, a Democrat from Charlottesville, has proposed a bill to edit an existing law that caps the amount of tuition subsidies that Virginia public schools can direct toward athletics. The legislation would remove a paragraph in a decade-old statute that requires any new student fee revenue allocated toward athletics to be matched with a proportionate increase in generated revenue from elsewhere, and expands the list of expenses that are exempt from the cap's calculations. Deeds' bill also asks the state's joint legislative audit and review commission to study the impact of its current limitations on student fee revenue "in light of evolving trends in intercollegiate athletics institutions and organizational structures and policy," and to consider how they impact a school's ability "to maintain competitiveness" in college sports. Across the country, universities are scrambling to find new -- or double down on old -- ways of raising money with the House v. NCAA settlement paving the way for revenue-sharing with athletes. Historically, the Division I athletic programs in Virginia have been heavily dependent on tuition auxiliary fees. |
| Ivy League set to opt out of House v. NCAA antitrust settlemen | |
| The Ivy League will opt out of a pending NCAA settlement set to provide direct compensation to former and current college athletes, according to an email sent to Ivy League student-athletes on Jan. 21. The email, sent by Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris, states that the conference will not participate in the $2.8 billion settlement and that its athletic programs "will continue to not provide student-athletes with revenue sharing allocations, athletics scholarships, or direct [name, image, and likeness] payments." The decision was made by the Ivy League Council of Presidents under recommendation from the Ivy League Athletics Directors and Policy Committee. "It's honestly a let-down for us Ivy League athletes," star junior wide receiver for Penn football Jared Richardson wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian regarding Penn's decision to avoid paying players directly. "I understand that the main focus is on academics, but when you see all these other schools looking out for their athletes, it sort of gets you thinking like 'oh, maybe the transfer portal would be best for me and my family.' It also doesn't help that we don't receive athletic scholarships ... hopefully, this ruling will get changed in the near future because I am honestly not a fan of it, nor are my teammates." |
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