| Monday, June 16, 2025 |
| MSU-Meridian nursing program receives national accreditation | |
 | The Master of Science in Nursing program at Mississippi State University-Meridian has been granted national accreditation following review by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education board of commissioners. According to MSU officials, the 12-month, fast-track MSN program "substantially complied" with the CCNE Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs. CCNE conducted an on-site program evaluation in November 2024. "Accreditation is a priority for all of us at Mississippi State University -- it's part of our culture," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "Meeting the rigorous standards set by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education ensures that we provide our students with the highest quality possible and positions them for professional success by holding us accountable." The MSU-Meridian Riley Campus program, within the university's School of Nursing, is the state's first direct-entry MSN degree, opening opportunity for college graduates with non-nursing degrees to enter the nursing profession. |
| MSU hosts small ruminant conference | |
 | Sheep and goat producers loaded this trailer to take a tour, to learn more about their animals. The tour of Mississippi State University's Animal and Dairy Sciences Department gave conference goers an up-close and hands on lesson about the animals. Leyla Rios, co-organizer of the tour, said this segment of livestock production has room for growth. "Farmers are very interested in having more information and getting into the business." said Rios. "We receive calls every day about them wanting to be trained, and they want to receive more information." The tour included three stops. The first dealt with raising sheep efficiently on solar farms, and how to properly take care of them. The second stop taught people about how to properly take care of goats, and how to help them live long and healthy lives. After that were presentations by experts from MSU, North Carolina State, Florida State, and other universities. |
| MSU overhauls parking zones, pricing and permits ahead of new school year | |
 | Mississippi State University is rolling out major changes to the campus parking system this fall, restructuring zones, revamping prices and implementing a tier system that affects the purchase of parking permits. The changes follow recommendations from national firm Walker Consultants and MSU's internal analysis of parking behavior, lot density and campus growth. Walker Consultants previously worked on similar parking projects at universities like the University of Miami and Texas A&M. Jeremiah Dumas, the executive director of MSU's Parking and Transit Services, said the goal is to improve efficiency and time spent searching for parking spots. "We've had roughly the same system in place since 2014," Dumas said. "With all the growth and change -- construction, population, roads -- it became clear we needed to better manage our resources. MSU will now offer tiered permit pricing, assigning different rates to zones based on proximity to campus and desirability. While this and other updates will bring fee increases, such as an additional $5 for residential game day passes, Dumas said the changes are still cost-conscious. "We've always taken pride in being one of the lowest-cost institutions in the SEC when it comes to parking," Dumas said. Even with the price increases from the new tiered parking system, MSU parking rates remain lower than equivalent permits at the University of Mississippi. |
| MSU Lyceum Series season ticket renewals available, ticket sales begin July 1 | |
 | Mississippi State's 78th annual Lyceum Series promises to delight throughout its upcoming season, bringing the Magnolia State's own Grammy-winning blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram to the stage this December. Season ticket renewals opened Tuesday, ushering in a dynamic 2025-26 lineup featuring an eclectic mix of world-class music, theater and dance performances. New season and mini-series ticket sales for the season's six-part series go on sale July 1, while individual tickets are available starting Aug. 20. The season opens Sept. 26 with Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book." This Theatre MSU play adaptation takes place at 7 p.m. in McComas Theatre. Additional Lyceum events all are scheduled for 7 p.m. in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. The Lyceum Series is MSU's longest running performing arts series and is a key part of the university's continued commitment to the arts. For more information about the 2025-26 season and tickets, visit lyceum.msstate.edu or call (662) 325-2930. |
| Lemonade Day 2025 | |
| Photographs: Emma Dowell, 9, visits with Lemmy, the Lemonade Day mascot, and Garrison Walker, Golden Triangle coordinator for Lemonade Day through the Mississippi State University Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach. Emma and her sister Evie, 11, operated the Petal Row Kids stand on Main Street in Starkville for the third straight year, offering lemonade, cookies and mini-potted plants. Emma said they hoped to raise $400. The Dowell sisters' parents are Matt and Mary Dowell. Lemonade Day is a national organization aimed at teaching entrepreneurship skills to youth. Columbus, Starkville and West Point boasted nearly 90 lemonade stands combined Saturday, according to the organization’s website. |
| Possumtown Book Fest set to return in August | |
| Readers can officially stop playing possum and get ready to share their love of books once again this summer, with the return of the Possumtown Book Fest. Friendly City Books Community Connection, a special project of the CREATE Foundation, is preparing to produce the festival on Aug. 16. Bookstore owner and nonprofit founder Emily Liner said after the overwhelming success of the first festival, which drew about 1,000 attendees downtown, she knew the event had to make a comeback. "We are so excited to do the Possumtown Book Fest again," Liner said. "We were overwhelmed by the positive response we got last year. And the first thing everybody asked us as soon as it was over was if we would do it again. So, of course, we're going to do it." The festival will be free and open to the public, with the majority of activities held throughout the day in the Columbus Arts Council's Rosenzweig Arts Center. Liner said this will include a book bazaar and author panels all day, a local author showcase in the morning, craft activities in the afternoon and more. This year's festival is also set to take place a little more than a month in advance of the Mississippi Book Festival on Sept. 13 in Jackson, giving readers a chance to meet authors without having to travel and potentially building their excitement to attend the statewide festival, Liner said. |
| Buc-ee's, a Pit Stop to Refuel Cars, Stomachs and Souls, Spreads Beyond Texas | |
 | On practically any other day, the acres of pavement would have had more than enough room for anyone needing a parking spot. Not on this one. Hundreds of vehicles pulling off Interstate 10 last Monday morning circled the giant lot. Television crews had come from hours away. Some people had even camped out overnight, aiming to be the first customers when the doors were unlocked and the gas pumps went online at 6 a.m. This wasn't just any gas station and convenience store. A Buc-ee's was opening in Mississippi. "We fell in love!" said Diane S. Carter, who was celebrating her 35th wedding anniversary but was referring to her and her husband's passion for Buc-ee's, so strong that they had driven nearly three hours and secured a hotel room in Biloxi to be there for the opening. The chain had long been a purely Texas phenomenon, and the cultish devotion it inspired could be explained, at least partially, by the Texan tendency to boisterously and unequivocally embrace things that are distinctly Texan. But lately, Buc-ee's -- rhymes with "luckies" -- has been broadening its footprint to places where its Texas roots are not enough to forge fervid loyalty. And building enthusiasm has not been a problem. Just go, some longtime customers say. You'll get it. |
| Beard qualifies for House District 41 seat | |
| Pierre Beard will face incumbent District 41 Rep. Kabir Karriem in a November special election for the state representative seat. The current Ward 4 Columbus councilman, who lost his re-election bid in the municipal election June 3, qualified as a Democrat, a candidate list released Friday by the Secretary of State's office confirmed. The special races come after a panel of federal judges ordered the Mississippi Election Commission to redraw certain legislative districts after ruling the 2022 maps diluted Black voting power in DeSoto and Chickasaw counties. As a result, other counties also saw a change in district lines, including House Districts 39 and 41, which both include parts of the Golden Triangle. After approving the redrawn House map in April, the panel of judges ordered more than a dozen special elections to take place in November, including in the two local districts. Incumbent Republican Dana McLean is running unopposed in District 39. |
| Trump curbs immigration enforcement at farms, meatpacking plants, hotels and restaurants | |
 | The Trump administration directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, after President Donald Trump expressed alarm about the impact of aggressive enforcement, an official said Saturday. The move follows weeks of increased enforcement since Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump's immigration policies, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump's second term. Tatum King, an official with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations unit, wrote regional leaders on Thursday to halt investigations of the agricultural industry, including meatpackers, restaurants and hotels, according to The New York Times. A U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to The Associated Press the contents of the directive. The Homeland Security Department did not dispute it. The shift suggests Trump's promise of mass deportations has limits if it threatens industries that rely on workers in the country illegally. Trump posted on his Truth Social site Thursday that he disapproved of how farmers and hotels were being affected. |
| Anti-Trump demonstrators crowd streets, parks and plazas across the US. Organizers say millions came | |
| Masses of demonstrators packed into streets, parks and plazas across the United States on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump, marching through downtowns and small towns, blaring anti-authoritarian chants mixed with support for protecting democracy and immigrant rights. Organizers of the "No Kings" demonstrations said millions had marched in hundreds of events. Governors across the U.S. had urged calm and vowed no tolerance for violence, while some mobilized the National Guard ahead of marchers gathering. Confrontations were isolated. Huge, boisterous crowds marched, danced, drummed, and chanted shoulder-to-shoulder in New York, Denver, Chicago, Austin and Los Angeles, some behind "no kings" banners. Atlanta's 5,000-capacity event quickly reached its limit, with thousands more gathered outside barriers to hear speakers in front of the state Capitol. "Today, across red states and blue, rural towns and major cities, Americans stood in peaceful unity and made it clear: we don't do kings," the No Kings Coalition said in a statement Saturday afternoon after many events had ended. |
| Thousands turn out for 'No Kings' protest against President Trump at Mississippi Capitol | |
 | More than 1,000 protesters rallied on the southside lawn of the Mississippi State Capitol Building in Jackson for the "No Kings" protest on Saturday, June 14. The day is also Flag Day, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army's creation and President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. Many protesters braved Saturday afternoon's spurts of heavy rainfall by huddling under tree branches or seeking shelter in cars. Undeterred by heavy rain, protesters reemerged into steamy weather with a sea of signs, echoing chants and a palpable energy of dissent. April Rowland, an organizer with 50501 Mississippi, previously told the Clarion Ledger in April that 400 protesters made for one of Jackson's largest turnouts. Saturday's protest surpassed that record by a landslide with Rowland estimating a crowd of "approximately 1,500 people." Rowland said the "No Kings" protest is aimed at rejecting the notion the country is ruled by a "king" and to show what democracy looks like: "people, united, refusing to be ruled." The protests in Jackson often draw a predominantly older, white crowd, but Saturday's demonstration saw a more diverse mix of ages and racial backgrounds. "It's people probably from 6 to 89-years-old here today, and there are a lot of younger folks, as you can see out here today," Rowland said. |
| A Patriotic Celebration Lays Bare the Fragile Nature of American Unity | |
 | The fragile nature of American unity was on display across the country Saturday. Joined by tens of thousands of spectators, President Trump presided over a military parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, a pageant of soldiers in Revolutionary War uniforms, Sherman tanks from World War II and heavy equipment from every modern military conflict. Hundreds of thousands of protesters used the day to take to the streets throughout the country to demonstrate against Trump's policies. The events, organized under the slogan "No Kings," weren't the only sign of America's volatility. The shootings of two state lawmakers in Minnesota, one of them fatally, brought the menace of political violence to the day. Gov. Tim Walz said the lawmakers had been political targets, and an official said the suspect they were seeking maintained a target list of individuals, including Democratic lawmakers, who support abortion rights. The air of peril contrasted with the celebratory yet subdued mood at the parade. Trump saluted as soldiers marched by and Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles rolled past his reviewing stand. Later, he led an enlistment ceremony for new and re-enlisting soldiers, one of many ways Army officials hoped the parade would boost recruitment and replace memories of recent challenges overseas, such as the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, with refreshed and more positive images. |
| Minnesota killings spread fear in country riven by violence against politicians | |
 | Daniel Hernandez, whose life has been shaped by violence directed at politicians, woke up Saturday morning to missed calls and messages from loved ones who had seen the news that two state legislators had been shot in Minnesota and immediately worried about his safety. Hernandez, a former Democratic state lawmaker who is now running in a special election to represent Arizona's 7th Congressional District, began his political career as an intern for former Rep. Gabby Giffords and was credited with helping to save her from a mass shooter in 2011. Last week, a bullet struck the car window of one of his campaign staffers outside his family home, which doubles as his campaign headquarters. His mother and staffers were inside, he said. More than a year ago, Hernandez began staying with his sister, Democratic Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez, because he worried for her safety after she faced threats over her support for Israel. President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. The Secret Service thwarted another potential assassin near Trump's golf course in Florida. And the violence in Minnesota revealed that America's political fractures have now penetrated into the most intimate spaces of democratic life: the homes where elected officials sleep. The full motives and ideology of the shooter, identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, remained unknown. But the attacks landed against a backdrop of surging political rhetoric and violence that has deeply penetrated American culture. |
| Minnesota Shootings Shake Capitol Hill, Spark Security Fears | |
| On Thursday, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill were at each other's throats. By Saturday, they were joining to decry political violence and seek more security. The middle-of-the-night killing in Minnesota of a top Democratic state lawmaker and the shooting of a colleague, allegedly by a suspect posing as a police officer who had a list of other elected officials, jolted Capitol Hill, eight years to the day after Republican lawmakers were targeted by a lone gunman at a congressional baseball practice. Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and the rest of Minnesota's congressional delegation released a joint statement saying they "speak with one voice to express our outrage, grief, and condemnation of this horrible attack on public servants." Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) and other lawmakers of both parties issued statements saying there is no place for violence in politics. House Republicans held an emergency call to talk about safety concerns, a person familiar with the call said. |
| Vance Boelter captured, charged in shootings of Minnesota lawmakers | |
| Gov. Tim Walz and law enforcement authorities briefed reporters Sunday evening just before 11 p.m. following the capture of Vance Boelter. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension superintendent Drew Evans said Boelter has been charged in the shootings and that the case will be reviewed for possible federal charges. He said had Brooklyn Park officers not confronted Boelter at House DFL leader Melissa Hortman's home early Saturday morning, he likely would have "continued throughout the day ... He was forced to abandon his plan," adding that Boelter's list of possible targets included people in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Evans said authorities were confident Boelter acted alone in "the violence he committed." He said Boelter was armed when he was arrested. Brooklyn Park police Chief Mark Bruley described the search for Boelter as "the largest manhunt in state history." Searching near Boelter's Sibley County property, an officer thought they saw him rush into the woods. Bruley said authorities hurried to set up a perimeter and with the help of technology and a State Patrol helicopter, they were able to call him out of the woods and into a field. Walz praised law enforcement for capturing Boelter. He mourned Hortman, saying, "One man's unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota." He vowed to "put every ounce of energy the state of Minnesota has to make sure the justice is served." Boelter was booked into the Hennepin County Jail just after 1 a.m. Monday, pending an initial court appearance scheduled for Monday afternoon. |
| How Amy Coney Barrett Is Confounding the Right and the Left | |
| As President Trump was leaning toward appointing Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court five years ago, some advisers shared doubts about whether she was conservative enough. But he waved them away, according to someone familiar with the discussions. He wanted a nominee religious conservatives would applaud, and with an election approaching, he was up against the clock. Soon after Justice Barrett arrived at the court she began surprising her colleagues. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. assigned her to write a majority opinion -- among her first -- allowing the seizure of state property in a pipeline case, according to several people aware of the process. But she then changed her mind and took the opposite stance, a bold move that risked irritating the chief justice. In another early case, as Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. tried to further his decades-long quest to expand the role of religion in public life, she preferred a more restrained route, setting off a clash in their approaches that continues. And in a key internal vote, she opposed even taking up the case that overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal right to abortion, though she ultimately joined the ruling. Now Mr. Trump is attacking the judiciary and testing the Constitution, and Justice Barrett, appointed to clinch a 50-year conservative legal revolution, is showing signs of leftward drift. That position is making her the focus of animus, hope and debate. |
| What's left for the Supreme Court to decide? 21 cases, including state bans on transgender care | |
| The Supreme Court is in the homestretch of a term that has lately been dominated by the Trump administration's emergency appeals of lower court orders seeking to slow President Donald Trump's efforts to remake the federal government. But the justices also have 21 cases to resolve that were argued between December and mid-May, including a push by Republican-led states to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors. One of the argued cases was an emergency appeal, the administration's bid to be allowed to enforce Trump's executive order denying birthright citizenship to U.S.-born children of parents who are in the country illegally. The court typically aims to finish its work by the end of June. The oldest unresolved case, and arguably the term's biggest, stems from a challenge to Tennessee's law from transgender minors and their parents who argue that it is unconstitutional sex discrimination aimed at a vulnerable population. At arguments in December, the court's conservative majority seemed inclined to uphold the law, voicing skepticism of claims that it violates the 14th amendment's equal protection clause. The post-Civil War provision requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. The court is weighing the case amid a range of other federal and state efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. |
| How expressing gratitude can transform your work and life | |
| The first thing Alison C. Jones does when she wakes up is to name three things she's grateful for. It can be as simple as the breeze from a fan or as meaningful as the way a friend showed up for her emotionally. Jones, an organizational development consultant, said the daily practice has helped her through hardships and the anxiety and vulnerability of starting her own business as a single mom. "When you practice gratitude, you train your brain to always look for the positive in anything. It just completely shifts everything you're going through," she said. "You start to see the lessons in the pain. You start to see the beauty in the very difficult times because you realize, 'Hey, I'm growing stronger.'" Practicing and encouraging gratitude can be a simple way to boost morale at a time when layoffs and economic uncertainty are causing stress and anxiety. Some employers have found that workers who receive expressions of gratitude show more engagement and willingness to help others. Other proponents say expressing and receiving appreciation can help reduce stress, as well as improve a person's mood and outlook. But despite its benefits, promoting gratefulness is often overlooked as a valuable way to spend time and resources in the workplace. |
| Saturday 'No Kings' protest remained peaceful | |
| Saturday carried much significance as cities across the country celebrated Flag Day as well as the 250th birthday of the United States Army. Additionally, the day brought protests in various cities around the country, including Oxford, against the policies of Donald Trump and the United States government. While tensions have been high in Los Angeles and D.C., the vast majority of protests have been very peaceful. Oxford was no different. A crowd of around 400 people attended the event and marched around Courthouse Square following speeches from guests. The event was organized by Cristen Hemmins and the Lafayette County Democratic Party and hosted several speakers on various topics including: Jamie Barnett, a native Mississippian and Ole Miss grad who retired as a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy after serving 32 years. Barnett also served as Chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau in the Federal Communications Bureau; Tommy Nichols, 2025 graduate of Oxford High and 2025 Mississippi Speech and Debate State Champion; Jade Craig, law professor at the University of Mississippi; Asia Guest, campaign manager for Ty Pinkins; and Cliff Johnson, the director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law. |
| Former Daily Journal editor retires after decade at Ole Miss journalism school | |
 | After more than a decade of service to the University of Mississippi, Mike Tonos is retiring from his full-time faculty role in the School of Journalism and New Media, but not from the campus or community he's poured his heart into. Tonos' path to Ole Miss began as an undergraduate in 1969 with aspirations of becoming a doctor. Inspired by the era of Watergate and fueled by a lifelong habit of reading newspapers, he shifted his focus and earned his journalism degree in 1973. That decision launched a storied career in Mississippi journalism, one that ultimately led him back to his alma mater as an educator and mentor. "Looking back, I never expected to teach," Tonos said. "But I've always loved working with people and helping them grow -- in the newsroom and in the classroom." Tonos spent decades in community journalism and held key editorial roles at newspapers across Mississippi, including managing editor of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and the Sun Herald. He earned a reputation for developing young journalists. "Journalism today looks nothing like it did when I started," he said. "But at its core, it's still about curiosity, writing clearly and telling compelling stories. That's what I tried to instill in every student." |
| ICC's Baldwin, Gammill complete prestigious MCCPF program | |
| Itawamba Community College's Dylan Baldwin of Pontotoc, dean of Career Education, and Josh Gammill of Fulton, director of Continuing Education, have recently completed the prestigious Mississippi Community College Policy Fellowship Program. Baldwin earned the associate's degree from ICC, the bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi and the master's degree from Mississippi State University. He joined the ICC faculty in 2013 as Collision Repair Technology instructor. Gammill, who is director of continuing education, has been a member of the ICC family since 2015, previously serving as career navigator and pathway coordinator. He earned the bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University and the master's degree from the University of Mississippi. The Mississippi Community College Policy Fellowship Program, which began in 2012, has more than 120 alumni. It is sponsored by the Mississippi Community College Board in partnership with Washington, D.C.-based AdvocacyBuild. The program focuses on leadership, networking, policy and advocacy. |
| U. of Alabama professor claims racial bias in student evaluations, pay | |
 | A communications professor at the University of Alabama is suing the university for racial and gender discrimination. Nikita Harris, a former associate professor in the communication studies department, says she lost opportunities, income and eventually her job after receiving a new, white supervisor. She also claims that the way university students rate professors also tends to be unfair to Black faculty. Harris, a Black woman employed at UA since 2016, said her career was initially going well. She earned a promotion in the communications college. She also was the program coordinator for the online Master of Arts program. In 2022, Darrin Griffin, a white man, became interim chair of her department. Harris said she soon was "abruptly stripped" of her program coordinator title. She said that Griffin used student opinions of instruction, a method UA uses to rate professors, to bolster his criticism. Griffin told Harris that her student opinion scores were "unacceptable." Because a majority of her students were white, she worried the student opinion scores were biased, consciously or unconsciously, against Black faculty. |
| Close to 1,000 'No Kings' supporters protest in Toomer's Corner | |
| On Saturday, June 14, at 4 p.m., Auburn and Opelika residents joined to participate in the "No Kings" protest. Part of a nationwide initiative organized by the 50501 Movement, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states and one movement, protesters gathered to show their defiance against President Trump's policies and reject what they call "authoritarianism." The event was scheduled to align with the Army's 250th anniversary celebration, Flag Day and the President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. The choice to hold No Kings protests on June 14 was purposeful, with organizers on the No Kings website stating, "The flag doesn't belong to President Trump. It belongs to us. We're not watching history happen. We're making it." Organizers also shared that their goal was to counteract President Trump's show of military "dominance" and that "We're not gathering to feed his ego. We're building a movement that leaves him behind." The No Kings protest in Auburn ran from 4 to 6 p.m., with close to 1,000 protesters present. Not only were anti-Trump individuals present, but those in support of President Trump showed up as well to voice their opinions. Kristin Hinnant, a steering committee member of the local Indivisible chapter, describes the purpose of the Auburn protest and other No Kings protests across the nation. "We're protesting because President Trump and his enablers have gone too far. From defying court orders to cutting vital programs to staging a $45 million self-glorifying parade, they've shown us exactly who they are," Hinnant said. "No Kings is a peaceful, powerful response to a president who thinks he's untouchable. He's not." |
| Proposal to ban DEI college courses, state policy dies in Louisiana Legislature | |
| The Louisiana Senate has refused to refer a bill targeting diversity, equity and inclusion to a committee where it could be debated, an unusual move that essentially means the proposal will die on the vine. House Bill 685 by Rep. Emily Chenevert, R-Baton Rouge, would have banned DEI practices across state government and prohibit state universities and colleges from requiring certain race and gender-based curricula for undergraduate students. It narrowly passed the House last month after a hours-long debate in which Black lawmakers called the bill "racially oppressive." "We couldn't figure out which committee to refer it to," Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said Monday in an interview. Chenevert said she was disappointed her bill didn't get a Senate committee hearing, adding she would consider sponsoring the legislation again in the future. "Sometimes it's not about getting all the way through," Chenevert said. "Maybe it's just bringing up the topic and having some ... open conversations about it." "To the extent the bill intended to prohibit the inclusion of certain concepts which are unrelated to specific courses or programs it would be unnecessary as professional best practices already set that standard," LSU Faculty Senate President Dan Tirone said in a statement to the Illuminator. |
| FIFA wants to continue turf research collaboration with U. of Tennessee beyond 2026 | |
 | The World Cup only happens every four years, but FIFA plans out future tournaments years in advance and would like to bring along the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to continue researching turf for the world's most elite athletes. But first, UT and its partner, Michigan State University, will put their research into practice with the Club World Cup starting June 14, ahead of the World Cup' kicking 's kickoff June 11, 2026. "It is my intention to continue the collaboration beyond 2026 given the time, effort, money and all-around goodwill that's gone on until now," Alan Ferguson, FIFA senior pitch management manager, said in a written response provided by UT. "I've seen the phenomenal success. It would be a tragedy if we shut it down now, so we are on it. Hopefully, we'll have something to announce in the near future." Ferguson echoes a passing comment FIFA President Gianni Infantino made during his visit to the university in February, saying he and the global soccer organization are "looking very much forward to continue this collaboration." In 2018, Ferguson and Sorochan met in a cafe in London to discuss a research collaboration, as Sorochan was preparing turf for a stadium to host an NFL game. When the collaboration was formalized, UT brought in Michigan State University to help. |
| Austin protesters disperse peacefully nearly 2 hours after 'No Kings' protest ends | |
| As Austin's first large-scale protest since Monday's anti-ICE demonstration -- which resulted in 13 arrests -- came to a close late Saturday night without major incident. "With the exception of a small number of agitators, the event remained largely peaceful," the Austin Police Department said in a post on X Saturday night. "Additional details regarding the event will be shared in the coming days." More than 10,000 people gathered on the Texas Capitol grounds for the "No Kings" protest. It was one of more than 1,800 planned across the country, aimed at garnering significant crowds to oppose what protesters describe as President Donald Trump's authoritarian-like rule. It coincides with Trump's birthday and a military parade in Washington, D.C. After the "No Kings" protest at the Texas Capitol concluded, hundreds of protestors spilled onto the streets of downtown Austin, chanting phrases like "Whose Streets? Our Streets!" and "ICE out of Austin now." That demonstration ended just after 11 p.m., according to a post on X from the Austin Police Department. |
| Undocumented students rethink their college dreams after Texas cuts their access to cheaper tuition | |
| Even though Jorge and his younger sister are only two years apart in age, their college experiences are headed in different directions. They were both motivated and highly engaged high school students in Central Texas. But after graduation, he went to Austin Community College and had to work three jobs to pay for tuition. She enrolled at Texas State University on a full scholarship. It wasn't academics or ambition that separated the siblings, but their immigration status. Their parents, seeking economic opportunity, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with Jorge in their arms when he was 1 year old. They had his sister in Austin a short time later. This fall, Jorge hoped to finally be on equal footing with her. The 21-year-old had saved enough money to afford tuition at Texas State and had applied to transfer there to study mechanical engineering. His plans depended on having access to in-state tuition, the lower rate that Texas residents pay to attend public colleges and is often half, or even a third, of what out-of-state students are charged. But the siblings' path may soon split for good. Last week, state officials agreed to the federal government's demand to stop offering in-state tuition rates to undocumented students living in Texas. Jorge is one of thousands of students whose education plans may have been truncated by the ruling. Their aspirations -- to become engineers or lawyers, or join other professions -- haven't disappeared. But the road has grown steeper. For some, it may now be out of reach. |
| NextGen MURR secures $50 million in state funding to propel cancer treatment research | |
 | Matt Sanford, executive director of the MU Research Reactor, spoke on a panel Thursday emphasizing the future of nuclear research at Mizzou and its impact on cancer treatment. "If you ask people in the world, 'Where do you go to solve tough, complex problems in nuclear science?' they say the University of Missouri," Sanford said, noting that Mizzou sets the standard for efficient, safe and reliable reactor operations. "We're internationally recognized -- I think we're more popular in the world than we are in our own hometown." The university aims not only to supply isotopes but to lead innovation by bridging pharmaceutical research and clinical use. Last year, 450,000 cancer patients were treated with isotopes produced at MURR. During the panel discussion, the prevalence of nuclear research in clinical medicine led to a common theme -- the importance of the university's second nuclear reactor, NextGen MURR, as part of a major investment in medical research. The total cost of the project is approximately $1 billion. The university recently secured $50 million in funding from the Missouri General Assembly. |
| Young Graduates Are Facing an Employment Crisis | |
| The U.S. labor market is holding steady despite extraordinary economic upheaval. But it is a bad time to be a job seeker -- especially if you are young. Recent college and high-school graduates are facing an employment crisis. The overall national unemployment rate remains around 4%, but for new college graduates looking for work, it is much higher: 6.6% over the past 12 months ending in May. That is about the highest level in a decade -- excluding the pandemic unemployment spike---and up from 6% for the 12-month period a year earlier. That rate, based on data from the Labor Department, applies to people ages 20 to 24 looking for work who have at least a bachelor's degree. (This group is mostly people 21 to 24, since few people graduate college sooner.) Young graduates typically face a higher unemployment rate than their counterparts who have been in the workforce longer, but the gap is growing wider between older workers and the young. Those ages 35 to 44 with bachelor's degrees had a 2.2% unemployment rate over the past 12 months, though that was up from 1.8% over the prior period. This follows an April report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York saying labor-market conditions for recent college graduates "deteriorated noticeably" in the first quarter this year, even for young college graduates who have been in the workforce longer. |
| How to get along when college grads move back home with parents | |
| A shaky economy. Overwhelming student debt. Few job prospects. Some recent college graduates have a burdensome mountain of reasons to move back home. For others, the choice may be easy as they seek to save money, or desire the physical and emotional comforts of family. But the familiar may feel different with the changing dynamics that come with growing up. One thing is certain: If you're a new grad or the parents of one, you're not alone in navigating new terrain. Maturity and respect among all parties is a good place to start before those packing boxes arrive. So is having a clear path forward. Richard Ramos, a parenting trainer and author of "Parents on a Mission," urges parents and their young adult children to break from their traditional roles. For parents, shift from authority to ally. "You're no longer parenting a teenager. You're relating to an emerging adult. Move from 'manager' to 'mentor.' Offer guidance, not control. Maintain your home as a launchpad, not a landing strip for them to get too comfortable in," he says. Grads, come home with humility. "You may have a degree, but you're still under your parents' roof," Ramos says. "Show appreciation. Contribute to the household. Asking before assuming you can simply take shows your growth as a young adult. Honor the space they've made for you." |
| Congress Opens the Credential Floodgates: Workforce Pell Would Extend Grants to Unaccredited Programs | |
 | The Senate's proposed higher education bill departed from the House version in many ways, but one provision remained almost completely untouched. That was workforce Pell, which would extend eligibility for the federal financial aid grant to students enrolled in short-term credential programs running between eight and 15 weeks long. If it passes, workforce Pell would give federal financial aid to likely hundreds of thousands more students a year and provide aid to many community college students in particular who don't currently qualify. It would also incentivize an explosion of interest in the burgeoning credentials sector. With few guardrails against for-profit and unaccredited providers, that could mean a flood of unvetted programs receiving federal funds to enroll vulnerable students. Lawmakers have been trying to pass some version of workforce Pell for years. It's gone by many names -- the JOBS Act, Short-Term Pell, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act -- and many of its iterations have had substantial backing from both sides of the aisle. Its proponents say that giving Pell Grants to students in short-term programs would increase access to a postsecondary pathway that is typically less expensive and time-consuming, provide a boost to much-needed workforce training initiatives, and benefit many low-income and nontraditional students. But the provision in the current budget bill differs from past versions in some crucial ways. |
| How Scientific Journals Became MAGA's Latest Target | |
| The Trump administration's attack on scientific institutions has been characteristically audacious: Eliminating the U.S. Agency for International Development, which funded healthcare interventions and research worldwide. Removing all the members of the vaccine advisory panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cutting healthcare research funding by $1.8 billion and overall funding for the National Institutes of Health by $3 billion. It has also homed in on what might seem like a small-bore opponent: the highly specialized world of science and medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association. In April, the Justice Department sent letters to 15 of the country's top science and medical journals inquiring about "fraud," "political bias" and "censorship." "I think it was an intimidation tactic," said Eric Rubin, the editor of NEJM, which responded to the letter with a statement citing its "rigorous peer review" process, editorial independence and First Amendment rights. As with its attacks on the federal bureaucracy and universities, the Trump administration's actions against scientific and medical publishing have been blunt-force and legally questionable -- and have exploited vulnerabilities in the field to advance its own political and policy priorities. |
| Federal Funding Uncertainty Halts Construction Projects | |
| Earlier this year the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees approved the design of a $228 million research facility that would expand UNC's work on virology, vaccine development and other areas. But now that project is suddenly on hold. UNC Chapel Hill is one of several major research universities pausing construction plans due to financial uncertainty provoked by the Trump administration's efforts to cap federal research funding reimbursement rates. In recent months multiple federal agencies have announced plans to cap research reimbursement rates at 15 percent. (While such rates typically hover just under 30 percent, some institutions have negotiated reimbursement rates upward of 50 percent.) Though court challenges have halted the rate cuts for now, the uncertainty has prompted some institutions to pause certain construction projects -- particularly research labs and related facilities. Institutions pausing or slowing plans to build new projects include some of the nation's wealthiest private universities: Yale, Johns Hopkins and Washington U in St. Louis, which posted endowments of $41.4 billion, $13 billion and $11.9 billion, respectively, in the last fiscal year, according to a recent study of endowments. (UNC Chapel Hill is among the nation's wealthiest public institutions, with a $5.7 billion endowment.) In some cases, construction on other facilities, like a new residence hall at UNC Chapel Hill, is moving forward while projects such as research labs have been halted. |
| In fight over research overhead funding, universities propose alternatives to Trump's cuts | |
| Facing billions of dollars in proposed cuts to research overhead payments from the Trump administration, a coalition of academic groups has devised plans it believes could be more sensible, measured ways to revamp how the federal government pays for scientific research. STAT obtained a copy of the proposals, which were developed by the Joint Associations Group, or JAG, a collection of 10 organizations that represent universities, medical centers, and other research institutions. The document lays out two ways the government could pay institutions for facility and administrative expenses connected with research. One would be to award overhead payments that would vary depending on both the type of institution and the type of research funded in a particular grant. The other approach would involve a detailed accounting of administrative and facility costs as line items in each grant proposal. Both strategies differ markedly from the current system, in which institutions receive overhead payments based on rates they negotiate with the federal government. These models also diverge from the Trump administration's attempt to set a hard cap on overhead payments -- a goal that alarmed much of the academic world and spurred a search for other solutions. |
| Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs Shares Subject Matter Expert Recommendations with Research Community | |
| The group announced that it is soliciting feedback on the provisional models it has developed from which it plans to synthesize a final model to present to Congress and the executive branch. Over the past two months, the JAG solicited and received input from the research community and, with its SME team made up of individuals who have broad knowledge of direct and indirect costs and represent research institutions of varying types and sizes, conducted a thorough evaluation of the current indirect cost reimbursement model and possible alternatives to it. In developing the provisional models, the SME team prioritized the goals of ensuring transparency, accountability, simplicity, and reasonableness. The provisional models presented today, though distinct, have many features in common; both create an auditable and transparent process for covering essential research costs. Kelvin Droegemeier, JAG's leader, praised the work of the SME team and the speed and thoroughness with which the group has developed the models, noting: "The models offer acceptable and reasonable approaches to fairly account for the essential costs required to conduct federally funded research." Droegemeier described the models as "two bookends that frame the range of options JAG will refine, after seeking additional community feedback, into a single final model to put forward." Over the course of the next couple of weeks, JAG will solicit input from the community on the pros and cons of the approaches developed by the SME team. This input will be used to fine tune and develop a final proposal by the end of the month. |
| A house divided against itself cannot stand | |
| The Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: Earlier this week, I wrote about how the race for Governor in 2027 is taking shape. The caveat, of course, being that we are more than two years out. Candidates and their odds of success will invariably change. The column covered how a crowded field could create a circular firing squad among Republicans and provide an opening, however small, for Democrats. But a crowded field could also disrupt the ideological dominance of conservatives within the primary process. With limited exception, being the "moderate" in Republican primaries in Mississippi is not the path to success. It's why Mississippi politicians go to such great lengths to protect their right flank. No one wants to be "out-conservatived." This is something Governor Tate Reeves instinctively understood about Mississippi in his election strategy. The winner of statewide elections is very likely to be Republican, and the winner of Republican nominations is very likely to be the most conservative, viable candidate. There are exceptions, but it's a good formula. ... One obvious gamechanger for any candidate vying for the state's top post would be an endorsement from one Donald J. Trump, President of these United States. Whatever happens in the country, I do not see the Republican electorate in Mississippi losing its affection and unfettered loyalty to Trump. |
| Mississippi recognizes Confederate Memorial Day, but some cities and counties instead celebrate Juneteenth | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Mississippians who are uncomfortable with the state recognizing Confederate Memorial Day as a holiday have options. The state's about 300 municipalities and 82 counties do not have to recognize the holiday. They can replace it with another holiday, such as the June 19 nationally observed Juneteenth, which commemorates the freedom of African Americans, or with a Mardi Gras holiday or with various other holidays. The Mississippi legal code recognizes 10 holidays ranging from the traditional ones like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Veterans Day. The state honors Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee on the same day in January. And baffling to many, the state has a Confederate Memorial Day holiday in April. Efforts have been ongoing for years by many to replace Confederate Memorial Day, which by the definition of what the confederates were trying to accomplish commemorates slavery. State leaders have rebuffed efforts to replace the holiday. |
| Legislative actions create winners and losers next month | |
 | Columnist Bill Crawford writes: July 1 will see winners and losers across the state courtesy of the Mississippi Legislature and Gov. Tate Reeves. ... Winners in the special session include public schools and prisons which received notable increases. Most agencies received level or almost-level funding. However, with inflation all those will actually be losers. "When you factor in annual inflation that amounts to a reduction of more than 5% in our operations budget for the coming year," Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum wrote in a letter to faculty, as reported by the Commercial Dispatch. "It is very disheartening to see this lack of support when the state of Mississippi is in great fiscal shape and seeing record-setting economic development." |
SPORTS
| Peyton Bair wins NCAA decathlon national championship | |
| Mississippi State decathlete Peyton Bair won the national championship at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday. "It feels awesome," Bair said to the media after the win. "It's something I've been working for for a long time. Just seeing my family, my wife and my coaches up there is something I'll never forget." Bair began the competition by setting personal bests in the wind-legal long jump, 400-meter, and high jump, and set a new NCAA decathlon record in the 100-meter on the first day of the competition. He followed up his good start to the competition with another strong performance on Thursday, with the 110-meter hurdles, javelin throw, discus and pole vault events. His javelin throw of 57.87 meters was another personal best, adding 706 points to his total tally and taking a 426-point lead over the closest competitor entering the final event. The runner-up finish a year ago stuck with Bair and fueled him to come back even stronger. "I think there was a lot of motivation to go off in the offseason and put in some work so I could come back and be better this season." |
| Mississippi State's Peyton Bair wins national decathlon title | |
| Mississippi State track and field standout Peyton Bair is now a national champion, taking home the decathlon title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Oregon this week. Bair notched 8,323 points across the 10 events, which include 100 meters, 400 meters, 1,500 meters, 110-meter hurdles, long jump, high jump, pole vault, discus throw, javelin throw, and shotput. The performance was the 14th-best in NCAA history and 10th-best in NCAA championship history. Bair, who used the title to improve on his already-existing program record for the decathlon, became the first American to win the event in a decade. The Kimberly, Idaho, native was runner-up during the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He never fell behind across the two-day competition, seeing personal bests in the javelin (57.67 meters) and in the 1,500-meter (4:35.69). A season-best effort for Bair came in the discus (41.59 meters). |
| Track & Field: Sam Navarro Earns All-American Honors On Final Day Of NCAA Championships | |
| Mississippi State middle distance runner Sam Navarro earned first-team All-American honors in his NCAA Championships debut. As State's sole competitor for the final day of the men's competition, Navarro entered the 800m seeded third overall. Staying in the pack for the entirety of the race, he earned a podium finish for sixth with a 1:47.33 effort. Navarro has been on an upward trajectory for the latter half of the outdoor season, dropping over three seconds from his best since the Maroon and White Tune Up. This race marked the conclusion of the 2025 track and field season. Select Bulldogs will continue competition throughout the summer, vying for a spot at the World Championships in Tokyo later this year. |
| Brian O'Connor wants high school recruiting to be 'foundation' at Mississippi State | |
| Former Virginia head coach Brian O'Connor was hired at Mississippi State on June 1 to replace former head coach Chris Lemonis, who was let go mid-season. He'll inherit a proud Bulldog program that boasts 12 Men's College World Series appearances. O'Connor, who is bringing along four players from Virginia via the transfer portal, revealed that he wants high school recruiting to be the foundation at Mississippi State. He explained more in his introductory press conference. "I really believe in the high school player," O'Connor said. "The high school player has to be the foundation of any consistent, successful college baseball program. It starts there because you bring them into the program and you have an opportunity for three or four years for them to continue to develop and you have a plan to understand what you have coming back the next year. That's crucial." In his 21 seasons in Charlottesville, the Omaha, NE native compiled an 885-370-2 overall record, including a 362-234-1 mark in ACC play. He was the conference's Coach of the Year five times, helped the Cavaliers to two ACC titles and won the Men's College World Series in 2015. "The exact breakdown, I don't know, it probably depends on what the roster size ends up being," O'Connor continued. "I think you have to look at 8-10 high school players in a class, depending on what your needs are. And then you fill in from there." |
| Baseball: Reese Receives More National Honors | |
| National honors continue to roll in for Mississippi State's Ace Reese. On Friday, the Bulldogs' sophomore third baseman was selected as a second team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Rawlings. It marks the third All-America honor for Reese this week after being named a first team choice by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association along with teammate Noah Sullivan and a third teamer by Perfect Game. Reese was also invited to training camp for the USA Baseball Collegiate National team along with incoming transfer pitcher Tomas Valincius. The Collegiate National Team Training Camp will be held from June 29-July 3 in Cary, N.C. with the team announced at the conclusion. Since 1984, a total of 21 Diamond Dawgs have represented MSU on the Collegiate National Team with pitchers Jackson Fristoe and Landon Sims, catcher Logan Tanner and assistant coach Bobby Austin last doing so in 2021. Reese started 57 games at third base for the Bulldogs this past season, his first at State. The Canton, Texas native led the team and finished in the top 10 in the Southeastern Conference with a .352 batting average, 80 hits, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, 66 RBIs, 163 total bases and a .718 slugging percentage. He also produced 25 multi-hit games, 20 multi-RBI games and five multi-homer games. |
| Reese and Valincius earn USA Baseball invites | |
| Mississippi State baseball players Ace Reese and Tomas Valincius picked up invitations to training camp for the USA Baseball Collegiate National this weekend. The All-SEC third baseman and transfer pitcher will head to Cary, N.C., for camp at the end of June. Only 21 Bulldogs have represented MSU at the Collegiate National Team level, and Reese and Valincius are the first to get invites since 2021, when Jackson Fristoe, Landon Sims and Logan Tanner earned call-ups. Reese started 57 games for MSU after transferring in from Houston, where he made the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. He was one of the most prolific batters in the SEC in 2025 with a .352 average at the plate, 80 hits, 21 home runs, 66 RBI and a .718 slugging percentage. Reese is coming off of another week of postseason honors, earning All-American recognition from the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings. He was also named a First Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association alongside teammate Noah Sullivan and was a finalist for the Ferriss Trophy. Valincius announced his transfer to the Bulldogs a week ago, following head coach Brian O'Connor from Virginia, where the pitcher enjoyed a prolific freshman season. |
| As college baseball reaches the CWS, the sport is primed for a House settlement-related boost | |
| The smoke rose, pyrotechnics flared and cowbells tolled. In a scene largely reserved for Saturdays in the fall, Mississippi State welcomed new head baseball coach Brian O'Connor in a way few programs can. The rigs and grills that facilitate the smoky haze that hangs over the outfield at Dudy Noble Field during the spring were opened to owners for tailgating. Concession stands poured $5 domestics and offered $3 hot dogs and nachos. Those who donated to MSU's "State Excellence Fund" in levels that ranged from $100 to $5,000, too, were rewarded with everything from commemorative baseballs and cowbells to Bulldogs jerseys. O'Connor glanced out at the crowd, a smile cresting on his face, and summed up the scene at one of the sport's cathedrals succinctly. "Wow," he mustered. "The Mecca of college baseball [is] right here in Starkville." The optics of O'Connor's ballyhooed arrival from Virginia to Mississippi State were unique, sure. Few, if any, places can mimic the pageantry and fervor for baseball on display at Dudy Noble Field -- albeit a similar scene will play out in the tailgate-like atmosphere at the College World Series in Omaha this week. And while baseball isn't the moneymaker its gridiron or hardwood counterparts might be, the sport enters a new-look college sports ecosystem as a winner in the passage of the House settlement earlier this month. |
| More parity in college baseball? 2025 MCWS could be a glimpse of things to come | |
| Every time a new team makes it to Omaha, Shane Hughes gets a hat. The Nebraska native has seen hundreds of games at the Men's College World Series, many involving schools such as LSU and Stanford. But Hughes loves it when a first-time team prompts him and his buddies to google the school to find out where it's located, like they did last week when Murray State, which is in western Kentucky, was beating Duke in a super regional. Hughes likes to commemorate those rare years when upsets bring new blood to Omaha by buying the first-time qualifier's hat. On Saturday morning, he walked past the farmers market and stopped inside the Hyatt Place in downtown Omaha, Murray State's team hotel, and bought a Racers' hat at a merchandise stand. Hughes figured the unique logo -- a horseshoe wrapped around a jockey and a horse -- would probably make for a good conversation piece, much like his 2012 Stony Brook lid. "I think Omaha old-school fans that go every year like to root for that newbie, that underdog," Hughes said, "because baseball is a romantic sport, man. ... We always like to see the little guy on the big stage do well. We like seeing the look on the peoples' faces when they think Omaha is nothing but a cornfield, and they get here and they realize it really is baseball's Disneyland." The college baseball postseason was a bumpy ride for blue bloods in 2025. No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 2 Texas were gone in the first weekend. Only three of the top 10 seeds survived super regionals, making this one of the most diverse Men's College World Series in recent memory. Soon, it might not be an anomaly. |
| Jans, Bulldogs look to address rebounding and 3-point shooting in offseason | |
| The college basketball season is still five months away, but the work starts now for Chris Jans and Mississippi State. Jans has seen the Bulldogs reach the NCAA Tournament three times in three seasons, but has yet to guide the team to a tournament win. The lights have been a bit too bright, but last season especially, the Bulldogs were weighed down by familiar problems throughout conference play and the postseason: rebounding and consistent outside shooting Jans knows it, and that's been a primary focus in who to target in recruiting, the transfer portal and now offseason workouts. "Every year it's different," he said. "When the dust settles, certainly you know who you've signed in the November recruiting class, but you've kind of got to wait a little bit to know exactly what you're seeking, depending on portal departures." |
| Men's Tennis Adds Siddiqui To Coaching Staff | |
| Mississippi State head men's tennis coach Matt Roberts announced the hiring of Derek Siddiqui as the program's new associate head coach. Siddiqui joins the Mississippi State coaching staff after serving as the head coach of the men's tennis program at Grand Canyon University for three seasons. After taking over a program that had won just six matches in 2021, Siddiqui improved the program each year, highlighted by a 13-win season in 2025, the program's best season since 2019. At GCU, Siddiqui coached a pair of First Team All-WAC performers and guided the Lopes to a berth in the WAC Championship match in 2024. Before his time at Grand Canyon, Siddiqui had coaching stints at Gonzaga and TCU. On TCU's staff for four seasons, Siddiqui was part of a Horned Frogs program that was in the nation's top 25 every week of his tenure. In 2022, TCU spent the entire season in the top five, with seven weeks as the nation's top team. Siddiqui was on staff for a historic run by TCU from 2020 to 2022, as the Horned Frogs posted a cumulative 57-17 record with two Big 12 regular-season titles and three straight Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA tournament. |
| Mississippi leaders give mixed reactions to college athletics revenue sharing settlement | |
| A landmark decision by a federal judge has shaken the landscape of college athletics at its core, and leaders are now having to quickly prepare for impending changes. Last week, U.S. Senior District Judge Claudia Wilken finally resolved three antitrust settlements, opening the door for universities' athletics departments to share up to $20.5 million of their annual revenue with student-athletes. Additionally, the NCAA is set to distribute roughly $2.8 billion in back pay over the next 10 years to current and former Division I athletes who competed since 2016. Now, athletics directors across the NCAA's 1100+ member institutions are looking to navigate the waters of the ever-changing makeup of college athletics as the former model of amateurism has essentially been ditched. Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter has pledged to allocate the full $20.5 million allowed to student-athletes through new scholarships and cash distributions, while student-athletes continue to receive NIL funds to make up for any figure they may desire while at Ole Miss. Mississippi State Athletics Director Zac Selmon, noting that there is still much yet to be revealed about how the new settlement will shape college sports, has expressed relief that there is more clarity now than there had been in prior months. Selmon is adamant that the revenue sharing model can help Mississippi State capitalize on its existing athletic infrastructure and bolster its various teams through a commitment to compensating student-athletes. |
| Why thousands of NCAA athletes might wait over a year for share of $2.8 billion settlement | |
| The attorney who negotiated the $2.8 billion legal settlement for the NCAA said Friday that thousands of former athletes due to receive damages could have to wait months or maybe more than a year to get paid while appeals play out. Rakesh Kilaru, who served as the NCAA's lead counsel for the House settlement that was approved last week, told The Associated Press an appeal on Title IX grounds filed this week will hold up payments due to around 390,000 athletes who signed on to the class-action settlement. He said he has seen appeals take up to 18 months in the California-based federal court where this case is playing out, though that isn't necessarily what he expects. "I will say that we, and I'm sure the plaintiffs, are going to push," Kilaru said. A schedule filed this week calls for briefs related to the appeal to be filed by Oct. 3. Kilaru doesn't expect anyone on the defendant or plaintiff side to file for extensions in the case "because every day the appeal goes on is a day damages don't go to the student-athletes." He said while the appeal is ongoing, the NCAA will pay the money into a fund that will be ready to go when needed. |
| What is NIL Go, and why is it the latest subject of debate among college sports leaders? | |
| The man steps onto a raised platform, walks behind a podium and leans toward the microphone. Before him, more than 200 college athletic administrators shift to the front of their seats. For months now, they've been waiting for this moment. "I'm Karl," the man says, "with Deloitte." Karl Schaefer is a young man with perfectly cropped hair, a sharp grin and slender frame. He is here to lead a 40-minute presentation on the single most talked-about concept of college athletics' new revenue-sharing era: the Deloitte-run clearinghouse dubbed "NIL Go." Though it remains unsaid by those in power, the goal of NIL Go is quite clear: prevent booster payments to athletes that, for four years now, have been masquerading as commercial and endorsement deals. How Deloitte and the new enforcement entity, the College Sports Commission, plan to prevent booster pay is the target of much criticism and fascination -- plenty of it shrouded in secrecy for the last many months. In central Florida, at an annual conference of administrators this week, the shroud was at least partially lifted. |
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