| Friday, May 23, 2025 |
| MSU Extension, CVM join disaster preparedness exercise | |
 | When responding to emergencies, collaboration between state agencies is critical in the effort to save lives. Full-scale exercises like Operation Angel Flight test and evaluate these agencies' preparedness in the event that they are called to assist with a disaster event. This drill, conducted by the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was held May 9 at the Allen C. Thompson Field Air National Guard Base. One of the exercise's planners was Dr. Carla Huston, Mississippi State University Extension veterinarian and professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, who provided a veterinary strike team consisting of veterinarians and technicians to perform triage and medical care services for pets and service animals. "These exercises are meant to portray real-world activities for each participating agency after assistance is requested, so the people planning them may not share a lot of details about the scenario ahead of time," Huston said. "Once strike teams are activated and receive their missions, they have to think on their feet and be well-versed in their roles." The MSU Extension Service and the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, or CVM, were among the organizations assisting the Mississippi Board of Animal Health, or MBAH. Together, MSU Extension and MSU CVM along with other participating groups form the Mississippi Animal Response Team, or MART, which is the official coordination and response team for disasters under MBAH. |
| Did Memorial Day begin in Mississippi? Columbus officials believe so | |
| There's no question that Memorial Day spurred from the Civil War, but could the holiday have started right here in Mississippi? According to officials in Columbus, it's the city that sparked the national tradition of remembrance. "Columbus holds a unique and meaningful place in American history as the city that inspired Memorial Day," said Frances Glenn, tourism director for the Columbus-Lowndes County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Glenn recounted a moment in history, in April 1866, in which a group of local women gathered at Friendship Cemetery in Columbus after the Civil War had ended. While multiple states, from Mississippi to Georgia to Pennsylvania to New York, claim inspiration behind Memorial Day, Congress decided in 1966 to award credit to Waterloo, N.Y., for being the first to hold a formal observance of the holiday. Former state lawmaker and historian Dr. Sidney Bondurant, like Glenn, has argued for years in favor of Mississippi's role in Memorial Day being the most influential. "Of course, Congress gets into the act, and they decided to award it to Waterloo. Later, historians said that the claims for Waterloo were almost certainly bogus," Bondurant said before last year's event, noting that Waterloo's first observance came in 1868 but was incorrectly remembered as happening in 1866. "I personally feel it ought to belong to Columbus, Mississippi," he continued. |
| Memorial Day gas prices forecast to be cheapest in 4 years | |
| Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and with summer comes increased travel as families make their way to the beach, the mountains or points in between for a bit of rest and relaxation. The good news for travelers is that gas prices are nearing their lowest level since 2021, industry groups report. GasBuddy, which reports on fuel costs, said this week that forecasts show that the national average price of gasoline will be $3.08 per gallon on Memorial Day, making it the cheapest Memorial Day at the pump since 2021, but the lowest inflation adjusted price since 2003 which excludes 2020 as it was heavily influenced by the COVID pandemic. "Prices are forecast to average $3.02 per gallon over the summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with a sub-$3 per gallon national average possible on some days, especially toward the latter half of the summer," GasBuddy reported. Here in Mississippi, GasBuddy reports that the cheapest gallon of gas in the state is at the Circle K in Pontotoc for $1.97. AAA reports that Mississippi's average gallon of gas of as Friday morning is $2.662, well below the U.S. average of $3.196. The highest average price is $2.999 in Claiborne County while the cheapest average is in Simpson County at $2.503. |
| Heightened presence of troopers to patrol roadways through Memorial Day weekend | |
| The Mississippi Highway Patrol is kicking off the summer travel season with the Memorial Day enforcement period. A heightened presence of law enforcement will be on highways and interstates across the state from Friday through midnight on Monday. The Memorial Day Holiday travel period coincides with the national "Click-it or Ticket" safety campaign, so the state occupant restraint laws will be a priority, per officials. The enforcement of speeding, distracted, and impaired driving laws will continue to be a focus, along with the use of safety checkpoints, with the hopes of reducing crashes throughout the weekend. "As we head into the Memorial Day travel period, we encourage all Mississippians to be smart, buckle up, and drive safely," Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said. "This holiday is a time to remember and honor those who served our country, and we also must thank the law enforcement and emergency personnel who are working throughout the weekend to keep our roads and communities safe." |
| Meridian asks residents to participate in Safe Street survey | |
 | The city of Meridian is asking residents to weigh in on how they move around town as it works to develop a plan to improve safety. The Safe Streets and Roads for All Survey, which takes roughly five minutes to complete, asks residents to identify areas of travel and the city's infrastructure where they believe more focus on safety is needed. The survey also allows residents to highlight specific streets or intersections to identify particular points of concern. Brent Quick, with Neel-Schaffer Inc., an engineering firm contracted with the city to perform the survey, said the city is looking for feedback from drivers but also from pedestrians, cyclists and those who use other forms of transportation to move around the city. Through the survey, the city is looking to identify ways to improve safety for travelers, connect sidewalks to expand pedestrian infrastructure, identify streets and avenues where safety upgrades or changes could be used and make sure resources are being used to the benefit of all Meridian residents. |
| Here's how busy hurricane season will be, according to NOAA | |
 | National forecasters are predicting hurricane season will be busier than normal, again. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting 13 to 19 named storms will form this year in the Atlantic. In a news conference Thursday morning, agency leaders pleaded that residents prepare early even though the warnings are less severe than last year. "We're ready for this," said Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service. "I need everyone in the country to be ready as well." NOAA forecasters are predicting six to 10 of the storms will become hurricanes and said three to five could be major hurricanes, which blast winds of 111 miles per hour or higher. The forecast is a familiar alarm bell in South Mississippi, which has dodged direct hits in recent years. Hurricane Francine last year threatened the region but spared the Coast of all but strong winds, flooded roads and some power outages. But the season was still extraordinary. Forecasters last May announced their highest predictions ever and said there would be 17 to 25 named storms in the Atlantic. By the end, 18 named storms had formed, 11 became hurricanes and five battered the United States with flooding and surge so dangerous that one storm, Hurricane Helene, became the deadliest to hit the country since Hurricane Katrina. |
| Former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant sworn in as FEMA Review Council Vice Chair | |
 | Former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant was sworn in as Vice Chair of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council on Wednesday. "Honored to be sworn in as vice chair of FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency Council at The White House. It is a pleasure to serve with my former colleague and council co-chair, Secretary Kristi Noem," Bryant said in a social media post. Bryant was appointed to serve on the FEMA Review Council by President Donald Trump in April. "Together, we will make America safe and prepared again," said Bryant. The FEMA Review Council is charged with streamlining operations and ensuring FEMA delivers rapid, efficient, and mission-focused relief to Americans in need. President Trump says FEMA and its structure needs reviewing, and Bryant is among those charged with the task. |
| Tupelo paves way for golf driving range by amending zoning laws | |
 | City officials have green-lit an amendment to Tupelo's zoning laws to pave the way for a new driving range ahead of the sweeping changes to development codes that will be ushered in with the impending adoption of a new comprehensive plan. The Tupelo City Council this week voted unanimously to approve amendments to the development code to allow driving ranges as use-by-right in regional commercial zones to facilitate the permitting and approval of Swingshift Golf, a driving range announced last year to be built in the Barnes Crossing area. "The original intent of the Regional Commercial district was for large retail businesses," Development Services Director Tanner Newman said. "There's certainly been a change in circumstances since the original adoption of the regional commercial zone ... The northern loop has been built out." The Daily Journal reported in July 2024 that a developer planned to build a restaurant, bar, golf range and a 36-hole putting course on 30 acres west of Tractor Supply Co. on West Barnes Crossing Road. The project was split into two phases with the course in the second. |
| Neshoba County Fair to move to June in 2026 | |
| Mississippi's Giant House Party will take place a little earlier than usual next year. While this year's Neshoba County Fair will run from the typical dates in late July through early August, the event will happen a month earlier in 2026. Officials with the Neshoba County Fair Association moved next year's giant house party from June 19-26. Per officials, the alteration was made to better accommodate early school starts and late summer scheduling conflicts to ensure more families can enjoy the week-long festivities without any major interferences. "Consideration of the date change for the 2026 Neshoba County Fair was not taken without considerable discussion. We value tremendously our friends, patrons, and partners and their desire to participate in the fair and its many activities that are unique only to The Neshoba County Fair," Neshoba County Fair Association President and state Rep. Scott Bounds said. "After the 2026 fair, the Fair Associations' Board of Directors will thoroughly analyze possible similar dates for the 2027 fair." In the meantime, the 2025 fair is scheduled to take place from July 25 through August 1, featuring the typical rides, food, political talk, horse races, and concerts. |
| Oxford to honor Larry Brown with bronze statue | |
| The city of Oxford is paying tribute to one of its own -- the late Larry Brown -- with the commission of a bronze statue by a fellow local artist. In late April, the Board approved the advertisement of a Request-for-Qualification for a figurative bronze sculpture to be installed at Morgan Family Park, located at 658 North Lamar Boulevard. Brown, an acclaimed writer and longtime Oxford firefighter, was stationed for many years at the former fire department once located on the site where the park now stands. On May 2, artist submissions were blindly reviewed by an artist selection committee. After evaluating two proposals, the committee unanimously recommended Taylor resident William Beckwith, a nationally recognized sculptor known for his realistic bronze works, to lead the project. Public art funds allocated last year for the current fiscal year will support the commissioning and installation of the statue. The final piece will feature a seated bronze figure of Brown, modeled from archival photographs. Beckwith has created bronze sculptures across Mississippi, including the Jefferson Davis statue at the Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum in Biloxi; B.B. King in Indianola; Chief Piomino in Tupelo; Elvis Presley in Tupelo; William Faulkner in Oxford and L.Q.C. Lamar in Oxford. |
| The Biggest Losers in Trump's Megabill | |
 | House Republicans narrowly passed legislation that would extend President Trump's tax cuts for most Americans and create new breaks while cementing other conservative priorities. To help offset some of the costs of the president's agenda, the package also included spending cuts. The measure, which now heads to the Senate, scales back funding for Medicaid and food assistance for low-income people. Smaller groups of people, such as electric-vehicle owners and some student-loan borrowers, could take a financial hit. Here's a look at who stands to lose out economically if the bill becomes law. The GOP's proposal seeks to reshape the federal student-loan program. Most cuts would come from the termination of income-contingent repayment plans, including President Biden's stalled SAVE plan, which lowered monthly payments for many borrowers but cost taxpayers more. The legislation also would tighten Pell Grant eligibility for part-time students and expand it for students in short-term workforce programs. The bill proposes two new options for loans paid out after July 1, 2026: a standard repayment plan, where borrowers pay a fixed amount each month over 10 to 25 years; or the Repayment Assistance Plan, which would tie payments to the borrower's adjusted gross income. |
| Work requirements could transform Medicaid and food aid under US budget bill | |
 | The U.S. social safety net would be jolted if the budget bill backed by President Donald Trump and passed Thursday by the House of Representatives becomes law. It would impose work requirements for low-income adults to receive Medicaid health insurance and increase them for food assistance as well as cut funding for services like birth control to the nation's biggest abortion provider. Supporters of the bill say the moves will save money, root out waste and encourage personal responsibility. A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over a decade. The measure, which also includes tax cuts, passed the House by one vote and could have provisions reworked again as it heads to the Senate. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, already requires work for some of its roughly 42 million recipients. The legislation passed by the House would raise the work requirement to age 65 and also extend it to parents without children younger than age 7. The bill also would limit the ability to waive work requirements in areas with high unemployment rates. |
| Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' faces a swarm of Senate GOP objections | |
 | The 1,116-page bill the House passed early Thursday morning to enact President Trump's ambitious legislative agenda faces a swarm of objections from Senate Republicans. GOP senators are calling for a rewrite of the bill to address concerns ranging from Medicaid reforms and the phaseout of clean energy incentives to the sale of government-owned spectrum bands and the bill's projected impact on the federal debt. The deal Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) struck with Republicans from blue states to raise the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $40,000 is also a sticking point with Republican senators. The biggest obstacle may be the threatened opposition from Senate conservatives who say the bill doesn't do nearly enough to cut future deficits, which are projected to exceed $2 trillion annually for the next two years. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) immediately announced his opposition to the House-passed bill Thursday, vowing to vote against it unless Senate Republican leaders remove a provision to raise the federal debt limit by $4 trillion over the next two years. A group of Senate Republicans concerned about Medicaid reforms pose another major obstacle to the bill. This group includes Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). |
| Trump's hands-off megabill strategy to face test in Senate | |
 | President Donald Trump's strategy of playing the closer on his "big beautiful bill" worked in the House. Now, White House officials and allies say he plans to repeat the strategy in the Senate -- waiting for Republicans to get closer to a final bill before intervening directly to squeeze any lingering holdouts like he did in the House. But the Senate's conservative wing is eager to see deeper spending cuts than the ones agreed to in the House. A handful of lawmakers have already warned they oppose the House bill, testing the Senate GOP's three-vote cushion. And Trump's calls to at least two senators suggest he may not be willing -- or able -- to sit on the sidelines for as long as he did with the House. The president is "involved in 1,000 different things, but at every critical juncture he is there to get something across the finish line," Trump's budget director Russ Vought told reporters Thursday morning. "I don't expect anything along those lines to change." Senate Republicans have so far this year fallen in line with Trump's agenda, moving quickly to advance the president's Cabinet. They have voiced little opposition to other elements of Trump's priorities, even as he encroaches on their legislative authority on tariffs, spending and dismantling of agencies created by Congress. But four Trump officials and allies, some of whom were granted anonymity to speak candidly about behind-the-scenes dynamics, say the administration recognizes distinct hurdles in the Senate. |
| Lawsuit challenges USDA demand for food stamp data as some states prepare to comply | |
 | A new lawsuit filed Thursday says the U.S. Department of Agriculture's demand for sensitive data about millions of food assistance recipients violates federal privacy laws. Meanwhile some states are preparing to comply with the unprecedented request which could be used to achieve Trump administration priorities, such as immigration enforcement. In new guidance issued earlier this month, the USDA told states they must turn over data to the agency, through their third-party payment processors, "including but not limited to" names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of all applicants and recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, going back more than five years. More than 40 million people rely on the assistance each month. The legal fight over SNAP data comes the same day as Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a massive bill that includes deep cuts to SNAP. The ad-hoc Department of Government Efficiency is also merging data from across the federal government for purposes that include immigration enforcement and identifying fraud. DOGE's data collection efforts have been contested in several legal cases. Privacy experts warn that there would be huge implications if federal agencies are able to ignore privacy protections and compel states and private contractors to turn over sensitive data currently held only by states, as that could allow the federal government to create powerful surveillance tools. |
| Trump threatens 50% tariffs on EU and 25% penalties on Apple as his trade war intensifies | |
| President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 50% tax on all imports from the European Union as well a 25% tariff on Apple products unless iPhones are made in America. The threats, delivered over social media, reflect Trump's ability to disrupt the global economy with a burst of typing, as well as the reality that his tariffs have yet to produce the trade deals he is seeking or the return of domestic manufacturing he has promised voters. The Republican president said he wants to charge higher import taxes on goods from the EU, a long-standing US ally, than from China, a geopolitical rival that had its tariffs cut to 30% this month so Washington and Beijing could hold negotiations. Trump was upset by the lack of progress in trade talks with the EU, which has proposed mutually cutting tariffs to zero even as the president has publicly insisted on preserving a baseline 10% tax on most imports. "Our discussions with them are going nowhere!" Trump posted on Truth Social. "Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States." That post had been preceded by a threat of import taxes against Apple for its plans to continue making its iPhone in Asia. Apple now joins Amazon, Walmart and other major U.S. companies in the White House's crosshairs as they try to respond to the uncertainty and inflationary pressures unleashed by his tariffs. |
| Kennedy and Trump Paint Bleak Picture of Chronic Disease in U.S. Children | |
 | President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, set forth their vision on Thursday for how to "make America healthy again" with the release of an expansive report on a crisis of chronic disease in children. The report lays the blame on ultraprocessed foods, chemical exposures, stress, lack of physical activity and excessive use of prescription drugs, including antidepressants. The product of a presidential commission led by Mr. Kennedy, the report paints a bleak picture of American children, calling them "the sickest generation in American history." Rather than set out specific policy prescriptions, it offers up carefully selected studies and proposes new research. But it is unmistakably Mr. Kennedy's worldview, echoing many of the talking points -- some intensely disputed -- that the health secretary, a former environmental lawyer and outspoken vaccine skeptic, has repeated for decades. The health secretary has long blamed a broken food system and environmental toxins for what he sees as an epidemic of childhood chronic disease. The document puts a heavy emphasis on both. The event reflected the topsy-turvy state of American politics, in which Republicans have suddenly sought an image as the party of good health even as Mr. Trump and Mr. Kennedy lay waste to the nation's public health and biomedical science apparatus. Mr. Trump himself gave a nod to that state of affairs. |
| Storied Jackson Medical Mall faces an uncertain future as UMMC clinics, health center depart | |
| Erica Reed could feel herself tearing up as she walked into work at Jackson Medical Mall on a Monday in April. It was the first time she had seen the lights out at the now relocated Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center's adult medicine clinic -- a harbinger of changes to come at the former shopping mall turned medical center. The transfigured shopping mall finds itself on the cusp of change as the University of Mississippi Medical Center, long one of the medical mall's key stakeholders and largest lessee of space in the facility, readies itself to move many of its clinical services and reduce its square footage at the mall by about 75% in the next year. And with UMMC goes Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center, a federally qualified health center and one of the largest providers of primary health care services to poor and uninsured people in central Mississippi. The center has subleased space at the mall from UMMC for over a decade and is one of the last providers to offer primary health care services at the mall. "It was just very overwhelming when I walked in the clinic," said Reed, who began working at the medical mall as a housekeeper in 2010 and rose through the ranks to become chief operating officer of the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation. "I had never seen the lights out. And so to see the lights out, you know, it was kind of a day like, 'this is real.'" |
| Partnership between Ole Miss, state health department aims to lower syphilis cases | |
| Amid alarming rising rates in syphilis nationally, professors with the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy are partnering with the Mississippi State Department of Health to help slow the spread of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. saw an 80% increase in syphilis from 2018 to 2022. Mississippi, with 30.1 cases of syphilis per 100,000 people, ranked among the worst states in transmitting the infectious disease. "It is a nationwide epidemic," said Kayla Stover, professor and vice chair of pharmacy practice. "In Mississippi, we've seen an 80% increase in overall cases and a 1,000% increase in congenital syphilis, which is when the disease is passed from mother to baby." Officials report that blindness, heart damage, nervous system damage, mental health disorders, and brain damage could be the result of not seeking care after contracting syphilis. A pregnant woman with untreated syphilis can even harm her baby. The infant could be born prematurely and suffer from blindness, developmental delays, skeletal deformities, or even death. The best way for one to detect whether or not he or she has syphilis is to get tested at a local health department or primary care provider. |
| How Mississippi's HBCUs are navigating Trump's federal funding cuts | |
| Wendy White, director of the Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training and Education Center at Tougaloo College, has experienced what financial markets and world leaders have all felt this year: whiplash. In April, the Trump administration paused funding to the center, which is the nation's largest and longest-running training program for early-career scientists and hub for research on heart disease in African Americans. In total, 36 college students lost their scholarships. Five staff members, including White, lost their jobs. As a result of the cuts, the center planned to end its undergraduate training program later this summer. Then came the whiplash. The administration reversed its decision in May. Relief. White is "cautiously optimistic" about the $1.7 million grant's renewal and the future of this program that has been the crown jewel for this small, private, historically Black liberal arts college in Jackson, Mississippi. "It's been a roller coaster of emotions ranging from gratefulness to frightening," White said. While Trump has signed executive orders supporting HBCUs to "promote excellence and innovation," the cuts to federal agencies and programs have had a chilling effect at these schools, which are already dealing with decades of underfunding. HBCU professors and graduates say the losses have greater potential for harm and eliminate professional opportunities for students. |
| Northwest MarCom team awarded at CPRAM | |
| Northwest Mississippi Community College's Marketing and Strategic Communications Office took home 16 awards on Tuesday, May 20, at the annual CPRAM (College Public Relations Association of Mississippi) conference which was hosted by Mississippi State University in Starkville. "I am incredibly proud of the creative team at Northwest for the recognition they have received at CPRAM and for the outstanding work they do every day to help the citizens of our region see, hear, and understand all that's happening at Northwest Mississippi Community College," said Northwest President, Dr. Michael J. Heindl. CPRAM functions as a professional development network for those working in higher ed marketing, communications and advancement offices who deal primarily with marketing and public relations. As part of the annual conference, there is an awards dinner honoring the winners of the state competition and showcasing their work. During the dinner, Northwest was honored for winning multiple awards, including one of the coveted Grand Awards in Mixed Media and also won first in Wildcard Mixed Media. Northwest's winning entry was "The Northwest W.A.Y.", which is a service initiative for employees to embody the Northwest "W.A.Y. (we appreciate you!)." The "way" is defined by a few tenants: positive attitude and enthusiasm, professionalism and integrity, respect and empathy, responsiveness and reliability, and finally, collaboration and teamwork. |
| Holmes Community College and The W sign new degree pathway agreement | |
| Students at Holmes Community College now have an option to get their bachelor's or master's degree at the Mississippi University for Women. Officials gathered in the Adcock Library on Holmes' Ridgeland campus Thursday morning. There, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing 16 streamlined degree pathways for students. The agreement is known as the "3+1+1″ program, allowing students in certain career and technical education programs to complete three years at Holmes, one year at The W to get a bachelor's degree, and another year to get their master's. The agreement supports pathways in high-demand areas like business management technology, culinary arts and information technology. Students may transfer up to 90 credits from Holmes to The W. The W in turn offers ten concentrations within its Bachelor of Applied Science program and eight of those are online. |
| Graduate reflects on 2024 Miss Auburn University title, her book and other milestones | |
 | With graduation season upon us, Miss Auburn University 2024 Mary-Coker Green looked back at years of hard work and dedication before walking across the stage. From Citronelle, Green is the first granddaughter on both sides of the family to graduate from college, and both of her parents attended the University of Alabama. Her dad was the head cheerleader during his years at the university. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in agricultural economics and a minor in public relations. Green plans to work at the university full time with the events and experiences team for the Office of Advancement. Green wore many hats during her years at Auburn University, including student recruiter, sorority member, Student Government Association leader and more. Green said when she was a junior in high school, a friend invited her to sleep on her dorm room floor during her sophomore year of college at Auburn. She said it was homecoming weekend, and her friend's sorority had a homecoming nominee, so her friend put a campaign shirt on her and told her to pretend she was a student there. "I made up a major. I would walk people to classes and get them to vote for this girl that I'd never met before. I couldn't vote myself," Green said. "...But in all honesty, I never felt more at home. In the first five minutes, I ran into a kid from my middle school bus stop who was a part of The EAGLES Program. And then in the first 20 minutes, I ran into a group of girls that I'm currently doing a summer camp with..." |
| Plans move forward for new LSU arena with proposed new sales tax. No word on developer yet | |
 | Long-standing plans to build a new $400 million arena on the LSU campus took a step forward Thursday, with the creation of a new subdistrict that would collect a 1-cent tax on sales at the facility. LSU Foundation President and CEO Robert M. Stuart Jr. and LSU Economic Development District legal counsel Charles Landry are still mum on the developer chosen, but the new "athletic" subdistrict allows for a tax to be collected at the arena. "From the standpoint of the developer, it's as if the developer is levying a tax on itself," Landry said. The 1-cent tax within the subdistrict would almost entirely apply to sales at the arena. A separate 1-cent sales tax would be collected within a broader LSU economic development district, which will contain the athletic subdistrict. But neither would be used to pay for the arena. The revenue from the sales tax would go to the operation of each district, Stuart and Landry noted. The arena is expected to host live events and music concerts in addition to LSU basketball, gymnastics and other sports. The arena will be owned by the developer who builds it, while LSU will retain usage rights, Stuart said. Its construction will be largely privately funded, though the builder may request some local public funding from the city-parish. If a final deal with the unnamed developer is reached, the arena would be constructed "generally across from the baseball stadium on Gourrier" Avenue, Landry said, near the LSU golf course. |
| FDOT replaces palm tree dedicated to 1990 Gainesville student murder victims | |
 | One of five palm trees planted almost 25 years ago as part of a living memorial to the victims of the student murders in Gainesville in 1990, is confirmed to have died from lethal bronzing. In an email to The Sun on May 21, Tracy Hisler-Pace, communications manager for the Florida Department of Transportation, District 2, wrote that the department tested all five Sabal palmetto trees, also known as cabbage palms, with only one coming back positive for lethal bronzing. Hisler-Pace wrote that FDOT removed the tree dedicated to Christina Powell and re-planted another in its place. Michael Andreu, a University of Florida associate professor in forestry systems, told The Sun in April that lethal bronzing is an untreatable and fatal infection caused by phytoplasma. The other trees are dedicated to UF students Sonja Larson, 18, of Deerfield Beach; Manuel Taboada and Tracy Paules, both 23 and friends from Miami; and 18-year-old Newberry High School graduate and Santa Fe College student Christa Leigh Hoyt. The students were murdered in August 1990 by Louisiana drifter Danny Rolling, who pleaded guilty in 1994 and was executed by lethal injection in 2006. |
| Federal orders are shaping preservation of history at Mizzou | |
 | When it comes to topics concerning diversity, equity and inclusion, the elimination of information from websites and modification of programs have become a remedy for institutions that strive to remain in compliance with orders from the federal government. Last summer, the University of Missouri began the process of removing information from websites related to the topic even to the extent of dismantling the Division of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, previously led by Maurice Gipson. When resources are dissolved online, some may turn to physical resources to tell the tale. Some titles, like archives of the "Black Issues in Higher Education" magazine later titled "Diverse: Issues in Higher Education", dates back to the 1980s. Other titles like "Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Higher Education", "Understanding and Counseling Ethnic Minorities" and "In Pursuit of Equality in Higher Education" decorate shelves on the second floor of Ellis Library. The presence of such language is becoming scarcer due to federal crackdowns, but students can still access such physical resources on campus. |
| Judge blocks dismantling of Education Department, reinstates hundreds of workers | |
 | A federal judge on Thursday temporarily reinstated hundreds of Education Department workers laid off by the Trump administration and blocked the president's executive order attempting to dismantle the decades-old agency. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun, a Biden appointee in Boston, said the White House's decision to fire more than 1,300 workers in March has prevented the federal government from effectively implementing legally required programs and services. At the request of a coalition of states, he granted a preliminary injunction to rehire the staffers while a lawsuit plays out over whether the employees were illegally fired. States and school districts are experiencing "delays and uncertainty in their receipt of federal educational funding, amounting in the millions, which jeopardize their missions of ensuring an educated citizenry and providing quality education," the judge wrote in the order. "Such delays and uncertainty raise immediate predicaments about whether there will be sufficient staff and student programming for the 2025-2026 school year and hinder long term planning." Though the decision is provisional, it may provide short-term relief to thousands of K-12 schools and colleges, some of which have struggled as key elements of the American education system have begun to falter since the Trump administration effectively cut the Education Department in half. |
| Federal judge blocks immigration authorities from revoking international students' legal status | |
| A judge in California blocked the Trump administration Thursday from terminating the legal status of international students nationwide while a court case challenging previous terminations is pending. The order by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White in Oakland bars the government from arresting, incarcerating or moving students elsewhere based on their legal status until the case is resolved. Students could still be arrested for other reasons and their legal status can still be revoked if they are convicted of a violent crime carrying a prison term of more than a year. Most courts hearing these types of cases have granted protections to the person suing, but White said the government's actions "wreaked havoc" not only on the lives of plaintiffs but other nonimmigrants in the U.S. on student visas. White, who was nominated by President George W. Bush, a Republican, issued the nationwide injunction sought by attorneys for about two dozen students who sued after their legal status was abruptly terminated in early April by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. More than 4,700 international students had their permission to study in the U.S. canceled this spring, with little notice or explanation, as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigrants and foreign nationals. |
| Trump's attack on Harvard's foreign students targets key revenue for US universities | |
| The Trump administration's latest blow against Harvard University -- cutting off its ability to enroll foreign students -- rippled throughout higher education Thursday, because it aims at a major source of revenue for hundreds of schools across the United States. Because international students are more likely to pay full tuition, they essentially subsidize other students who receive aid, said educational consultant Chuck Ambrose, former president of the University of Central Missouri. The administration's move to stop foreign enrollment is a huge blow to Harvard and sends a message to other universities: "You could be next," said Robert Kelchen, a professor at the University of Tennessee who researches university finances. Kristi Noem, Trump's homeland security adviser, said as much Thursday during an appearance on "The Story with Martha MacCallum" on Fox News. Noem was asked if the administration was considering similar moves at other universities, including Columbia University in New York. "Absolutely, we are," she responded. "This should be a warning to every other university to get your act together." Thursday's announcement comes as universities are already scrambling to make up for huge federal cuts in research funding. "It's just another financial hit on top of several hits that have already come for big research universities," Kelchen said. "At this point the only thing that hasn't been touched is student financial aid." |
| Trump officials denounce campus protests in response to shooting | |
 | The brazen killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers after a Jewish social event in Washington on Wednesday quickly became a flash point in the Trump administration's broader campaign against antisemitism, with the White House and a top Justice Department official tying the shooting to ongoing campus protests of Israel's war in Gaza. "Frankly, we have seen a rise in antisemitic protests, of pro-Hamas protests, of terrorist sympathizers -- we saw them on our college campuses," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said after kicking off her Thursday briefing by expressing condolences to the victims, Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, "reaffirmed his commitment to uproot the violent antisemitism that has swept across university campuses in this country" during a conversation about the slayings with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, said Yechiel Leiter, the country's ambassador to the United States. The man charged in the slayings -- Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago -- was caught on video shouting "free, free Palestine" as he was taken into custody near the shooting site late Wednesday night. Whether Rodriguez, the suspect in Wednesday's shooting, had significant ties to the wider, organized Gaza protest movement remains under investigation, investigators said. |
| 4 Things to Know About the One Big Beautiful Bill Act | |
 | After much back-and-forth and late-night dealing, House Republicans have passed a sweeping budget plan to cut spending and taxes that is moving on to the Senate -- a significant milestone for legislation that seemed dead in the water a week ago amid concerns that the bill didn't include deeper cuts. The plan, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, narrowly advanced Thursday morning by a one-vote margin. All Democrats opposed the legislation, arguing that the spending cuts would hurt the working class and vulnerable populations while raising the deficit and giving tax breaks to wealthy individuals. Among other changes, the legislation would levy new taxes on colleges, require institutions to pay millions to the federal government, change how students pay for college and limit eligibility for the Pell Grant. In the lead-up to Thursday's vote, higher education leaders warned that the proposal would make trying to attend and pay for college much more complicated and raise costs for those who do enroll. The bill does include some wins for colleges, institutional lobbyists say, but those don't outweigh the negatives. |
| 'Every Revenue Source Is at Risk': Under Trump, Research Universities Are Cutting Back | |
 | The University of Oregon, the University of Washington, and Michigan State University are among the latest institutions to announce belt-tightening measures amid uncertainty about the potential scope of the federal government's efforts targeting some of higher education's major revenue sources. Those efforts include a proposal to increase the endowment tax, caps on indirect costs for research grants, and the cancellation of grants related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, although some of these measures have been challenged in the courts. For some colleges, these attacks have been coupled with cuts in state funding and enrollment challenges. Other institutions that have announced potential or actual budget cuts in recent weeks. Robert Kelchen, a professor and head of the department of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, expects tougher cuts ahead, including more mass layoffs. "I think we're rapidly getting to that point," he said. Universities' revenues from research funding, international students, state funding, and donations -- whether because of expectations of a weak economy or a higher endowment tax -- are all under threat. "Basically," Kelchen said, "every revenue source is at risk." Kelchen said that while universities in blue states have been most vocal about the need to slash budgets, those in red states are likely planning behind the scenes to reduce spending, but staying quiet for fear of potential retribution by trustees or state policymakers. |
| Trump's War Against Higher Education Hits the Sector's Bonds | |
| The Trump administration's moves against prominent colleges and universities have spread concerns that a wide swath of higher-education institutions could see their borrowing costs rise, while some investors could end up with a win. President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress have discussed increasing taxation on, limiting tax benefits for and curbing federal funds to colleges and universities. The rising hostility has municipal-bond investors worried that higher-education institutions could lose an exemption that allows the buyers of their bonds to avoid federal income taxes on their returns. The threat is contributing to an increase in the yields investors are demanding to finance higher education, according to analysts and portfolio managers. That means costs of capital investments, such as the construction of a new dorm or cafeteria, could go up, likely increasing tuition expenses. "There is a little bit of a premium that's being demanded in the market for some of those higher-education [bonds]" as a result of the unfriendly political climate, said George Catrambone, head of fixed income, Americas, at DWS Group. Eliminating the tax exemption "would raise capital costs and make it more difficult to finance infrastructure cost-effectively" for U.S. colleges, said Emily Raimes, an associate managing director at Moody's Ratings. The risks come on top of a longer-term trend of falling college admissions in the U.S. as the population ages. |
SPORTS
| Golding Family Makes $2.5 Million Gift to Mississippi State Athletics | |
| The Golding family, longtime supporters of Mississippi State University from Vicksburg, Mississippi, has contributed $2.5 million to strengthen the university's athletic programs. The announcement was made today by MSU Director of Athletics Zac Selmon. The Golding family has played a key role in advancing Mississippi State for many years, and this gift further demonstrates their deep passion for MSU and strategic investment in the future of Bulldog Athletics. "A huge thank you to Steve, Melody, Austin, Kirsten and John Reid for their direct impact on Mississippi State Athletics," said Selmon. "The Goldings care deeply for our university, our community, and our state. Their thoughtful decision to join us in this pursuit is a testament to their generosity and relentless competitive spirit. We are grateful." As Mississippi State continues to adapt to the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics, the Golding family's investment to the State Excellence Fund will enhance student-athlete resources and provide critical support in a highly competitive environment. A portion of the gift will also be allocated to the newly announced Billy W. Howard Indoor Practice Facility. |
| Vicksburg's Golding family makes $2.5 million donation to Mississippi State | |
| One of Vicksburg's most famous families has made a significant donation to Mississippi State's athletics department. The Golding family of Vicksburg has contributed $2.5 million to strengthen the university's athletic programs. The announcement was made Thursday by Mississippi State Director of Athletics Zac Selmon. The Golding family has been a longtime supporter of Mississippi State athletics. The Golding family -- Steve, Melody, Austin, Kirsten and John Reid -- are all alumni of the university. Austin was a student-athlete on Mississippi State's track and field team, after winning a state championship as a pole vaulter at St. Aloysius High School. His wife, Kirsten, was an MSU cheerleader. The family owns and operates Golding Barge Line in Vicksburg, where Steve serves as Chairman and Austin is President and CEO. John Reid is President of Golding Land Company, LLC. "Whether it's running a successful business or competing in high-level athletics, ensuring your team has the resources it needs --- while cultivating a relentless work ethic and a high-achieving culture --- is something we firmly believe in," Steve Golding said. |
| Prominent Vicksburg family donates $2.5 million to Mississippi State athletics | |
| The family behind one of Vicksburg's most prominent businesses has made a major contribution to Mississippi State University's athletics program. The Goldings, longtime Bulldog supporters, have donated $2.5 million to strengthen the university's athletics department amid the ever-evolving college sports scene. For multiple years, the Golding family has consistently supported Mississippi State sports with generous donations. "Whether it's running a successful business or competing in high-level athletics, ensuring your team has the resources it needs -- while cultivating a relentless work ethic and a high-achieving culture -- is something we firmly believe in," Steve Golding said. "Mississippi State is a source of great pride for our family, and we want to be part of the solution as the department strives to reach new heights." |
| Golding Family Makes $2.5 Million Donation to Mississippi State Athletics | |
| The Golding family, longtime supporters of Mississippi State University from Vicksburg, Mississippi, has contributed $2.5 million to strengthen the university's athletic programs. The announcement was made today by MSU Director of Athletics Zac Selmon. The Golding family has played a key role in advancing Mississippi State for many years, and this gift further demonstrates their deep passion for MSU and strategic investment in the future of Bulldog Athletics. "A huge thank you to Steve, Melody, Austin, Kirsten and John Reid for their direct impact on Mississippi State Athletics," said Selmon. "The Goldings care deeply for our university, our community, and our state. Their thoughtful decision to join us in this pursuit is a testament to their generosity and relentless competitive spirit. We are grateful." Mississippi State's fundraising efforts continue as it seeks to create an immediate impact and support its bold vision for the future. To learn more or to support these initiatives, please visit StateExcellenceFund.com and HailState.com/HowardIPF. |
| Volleyball: Bulldogs To Host Duke For First-Ever 'Showdown At The Net' | |
| Mississippi State volleyball will welcome the Duke Blue Devils to Newell-Grisson Building for the first time in program history for ESPN's 'Showdown at the Net' on Wednesday, September 10. The match will be broadcast on SECN+. The 'Showdown at the Net' event is set to make its debut during the 2025 volleyball season. It matches up all 16 volleyball programs from the SEC against the ACC. The event is scheduled to last over a span of two days, beginning on Tuesday, September 9. Although this will be their first matchup in Starkville, the Bulldogs and Blue Devils will be meeting up for just the second time in either's program history. Mississippi State faced Duke in a neutral site contest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on October 11, 1984. Mississippi State's contest against Duke becomes the 16th game announced on State's schedule after the SEC announced the 2025 conference schedule in April, which sees the Bulldogs pitted against all 15 conference teams for the first time in program history. |
| Oklahoma athletics to lay off staff ahead of revenue-sharing | |
| The University of Oklahoma confirmed to the OU Daily late Thursday what athletic department employees learned via a mass email Wednesday: The university is laying off employees due to the looming realities of starting to share revenue with athletes. According to the email, which was shared with the Daily by an equipment manager, athletic director Joe Castiglione wrote that OU has reached a critical moment that requires the department to restructure its staff functions, resulting in a "limited reduction in force." "This difficult decision was made with great consideration, understanding it impacts our colleagues and their families," Castiglione wrote. Mike Houck, an associate athletic director, wrote Thursday in an email to OU Daily that 5% of 302 full-time, non-student department employees would be cut. That equates to approximately 15 positions and follows what Houck described as significant cost-cutting over the past nine months. In the email to staffers, Castiglione wrote that he was adjusting his compensation in light of the cuts. Houck declined to specify to the Daily Castiglione's prior or new salary, saying those would be available only through an open-records request. |
| Vanderbilt, inspired by soccer's Premier League, trying to get ahead of revenue curve | |
| Notre Dame's athletic director previously served as the chairman of NBC Sports. The University of Kentucky recently became the first school to convert its athletic department to a limited-liability holding company, Champions Blue LLC, which the school said will allow it to find new revenue "through public-private partnerships and potentially other transactions, such as real estate." These are two examples Vanderbilt chancellor Daniel Diermeier gave Wednesday in explaining his school's creation of a strategic initiative called Vanderbilt Enterprises, with longtime hospitality industry leader Markus Schreyer hired as CEO. The professionalization of college athletics goes well beyond athlete compensation. Vanderbilt is the latest, but won't be the last, school to take a creative approach. But Diermeier's real inspiration wasn't too far from where he was speaking Wednesday, in London, before hosting an event for Vanderbilt donors. He studied several professional sports franchises, some in the Premier League in England, including Manchester City FC. "Manchester City built next to its stadium the second-largest concert venue in the United Kingdom, the biggest one outside London, so you can have concerts there and create a whole kind of weekend there for people going to a Manchester City game," Diermeier said of a complex that also includes a hotel, museum and fan zone. "Well, we don't have to build a concert venue. We're in Nashville." This is not the first time a Vanderbilt official has mentioned the idea of capitalizing on the tourism haven that bustles just outside the walls of the university. But this is the first time such words have been accompanied by actual strategy and investment. |
| Tennessee athletic director says collective bargaining with athletes the only solution amid chaos | |
| Tennessee athletic director Danny White said the only solution to the real problem in college sports right now is collective bargaining with athletes. "It's a real issue," White said an interview with Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman, who shared the video on social media Thursday. "I'll say it. We got a camera on us. I don't really care at this point. Collective bargaining is the only issue. It's the only solution." Plowman agreed immediately: "It's the only way we're going to get there. I agree with you." The statements are unusual. For decades, universities and athletic conferences that comprise the NCAA have insisted that athletes are students who cannot be considered anything like a school employee. This stance has long been a part of the amateur model at the heart of college athletics, a model that is rapidly being replaced by a more professional structure fed by millions in name, image and likeness compensation for athletes -- money that is coming from donors, brands and very likely in a matter of weeks the schools themselves. Michael LeRoy, a labor and employment professor at Illinois familiar with college athletics, noted White's support of collective bargaining was atypical. |
| UGA president backs SEC schools getting on board with House settlement enforcement rules | |
 | University of Georgia president Jere Morehead wants all SEC schools to get on board with enforcement rules that would be in place under the proposed NCAA vs. House Settlement. Speaking after Georgia's athletic board meeting on Thursday, May 22, Morehead confirmed a Yahoo Sports report that power conferences including the SEC are circulating a document meant to keep universities from using state laws to violate enforcement policies and would make schools waive their right to pursue legal challenges against the new enforcement arm called the College Sports Commission. "We think everyone should be bound to honor the House settlement," Morehead said after the meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge. "We agreed to the House Settlement. Each and every president in the Southeastern Conference committed to supporting the House Settlement and if the judge approves it, we intend to follow the settlement and we expect every other SEC institution as well as others in the Power Four to honor the settlement that they agreed to." The document is meant to be signed by power conference schools to bind the group and offer stability for rules including an NIL clearinghouse that would be run by Deloitte called "NIL Go," that would better enforce booster pay, according to Yahoo. |
| College Football Playoff moving to straight seeding for 2025-26 postseason, but what does future hold? | |
| The College Football Playoff is moving to a straight seeding model. CFP executives on Thursday approved a change to how teams are seeded in the 12-team field, voting unanimously to place teams based directly on the selection committee's rankings and not by conference championships, multiple sources tell Yahoo Sports. In the current structure, the top four seeds in the playoff are designated to the highest-ranked conference champions. In a straight seeding format, teams are seeded in the same slot in which they are ranked, 1-12, with the top four seeds earning a bye into the quarterfinals. The Management Committee, the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director, approved the move during a call Thursday. They gained the necessary unanimity for the change despite it potentially adversely impacting the Big 12, ACC and Group of Six leagues. However, the decision comes with a financial compromise, according to those with knowledge of the agreement. Under the current revenue model, the four highest-ranked conference champions earn $8 million: $4 million for qualifying for the CFP and $4 million for a quarterfinal appearance. Though no future format has been finalized, college football's postseason is expected to undergo significant change in 2026. |
| College Football Playoff going to new straight seeding model | |
| The 12-team College Football Playoff will move to a straight seeding model this fall, rewarding the selection committee's top four teams with the top four seeds and a first-round bye, the CFP announced Thursday. The 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, who constitute the CFP's management committee, reached the unanimous agreement necessary to make the change during a call Thursday afternoon. This past season, the four highest-ranked conference champions earned the top four seeds -- regardless of where they were ranked. Now, independent Notre Dame is eligible to earn a first-round bye if the Irish are ranked in the top four. All four teams that earned a first-round bye in the inaugural 12-team CFP lost their first game. The five highest-ranked conference champions will still be guaranteed spots in the 12-team field. "After evaluating the first year of the 12-team Playoff, the CFP management committee felt it was in the best interest of the game to make this adjustment," Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. "This change will continue to allow guaranteed access to the Playoff by rewarding teams for winning their conference championship, but it will also allow us to construct a postseason bracket that recognizes the best performance on the field during the entire regular season." |
| College Football Playoff shifts to straight seeding model, no automatic byes for top league champs | |
| The College Football Playoff will go to a more straightforward way of filling the bracket next season, placing teams strictly on where they are ranked instead of moving pieces around to reward conference champions. Ten conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director came to the unanimous agreement they needed Thursday to shift the model that drew complaints last season. The new format was widely expected after last season's jumbled bracket gave byes to Big 12 champion Arizona State and Mountain West champion Boise State, even though those teams were ranked ninth and 12th by the playoff selection committee. That system made the rankings and the seedings in the tournament two different things and resulted in some matchups - for instance, the quarterfinal between top-ranked Oregon and eventual national champion Ohio State -- that came earlier than they otherwise might have. Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey was among those who pushed for the change in the upcoming second year of the 12-team playoff, though he remained cautious about it being approved because of the unanimous vote needed. |
| CFP switching to straight seeding format for upcoming season: Why the move makes sense | |
| The College Football Playoff management committee agreed Thursday to change the seeding format for the 12-team field this season, no longer reserving byes for conference champions and instead having seeds match the committee's rankings. "After evaluating the first year of the 12-team Playoff, the CFP Management Committee felt it was in the best interest of the game to make this adjustment," said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff. "This change will continue to allow guaranteed access to the Playoff by rewarding teams for winning their conference championship, but it will also allow us to construct a postseason bracket that recognizes the best performance on the field during the entire regular season." A seeding change for this season seemed destined to go through for months, but as with everything CFP-related, it takes a while to get things done. The conferences that benefited last year -- the Big 12 and Mountain West -- and were likely to benefit again in 2025 -- the ACC -- from the original format were in no hurry to make the change. The 12-team format the CFP used last season was unveiled back in 2021, well before massive realignment reshaped major college football, wiping out the Pac-12 as a power conference and shifting even more big-brand schools into the SEC and Big Ten. |
| White House pausing plans for President Donald Trump's commission on college sports | |
| Earlier this month, Yahoo! Sports reporter Ross Dellenger reported that President Donald Trump planned on forming a presidential commission on college athletics. Now, Trump is reportedly putting his plans on pause. On3's Pete Nakos provided more information on Trump's decision. "Donald Trump's presidential commission on college sports has been paused," Nakos wrote on X. "Expectation is commission will eventually be formed, but is being delayed as U.S. Senator Ted Cruz works to push through federal legislation." Trump's commission was expected to specifically examine the role of NIL in college athletics. Dellenger's initial report surfaced after Trump met with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa and discussed the issue of NIL. Saban and Texas Tech booster and billionaire Cody Campbell were expected to be co-chairs of the commission. However, since Dellenger's report, Saban has clarified that he doesn't believe forming a commission is the best move. Cruz has spearheaded Congress' efforts to build federal legislation around NIL in college athletics. While Cruz has reportedly pushed for Trump to wait on forming the commission, Nakos reports that "Cody Campbell will continue to work behind the scenes for when the presidential commission is ready to move forward." |
| Proposed Trump College Sports Commission May Never Happen | |
| In early May, reports surfaced suggesting the Trump White House was forming a blue-ribbon panel on the issues facing college sports. Almost immediately, sources raised doubts about the "Commission on College Athletics." Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were blindsided by the commission, sources told Front Office Sports. Its purported co-leader, Nick Saban, has repeatedly cast doubt on whether it was necessary at all. Texas Tech board of regents chair Cody Campbell, reported to be Saban's co-chair, did not publicly confirm his involvement. The White House never confirmed it was putting together a commission. The commission had yet to be formed, and may never meet. Multiple reports Thursday suggested plans were now on hold. Two sources familiar with the matter told FOS that the Trump White House has made no final decision around college sports reform, including whether or not to form a commission. Sources differed slightly in their characterization of the progress that Trump's White House had made in delving into college sports issues, but ultimately both signaled that the White House has not yet made a final decision on whether to form the panel. Either way, the result is that there likely won't be a Trump-led commission on college sports any time soon, if at all. |
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