| Tuesday, August 19, 2025 |
| Mississippi State now offering culinary arts transfer pathway to ECCC students | |
 | Future chefs and other aspiring culinary art professionals now have an easier way to get their degree in Mississippi. Mississippi State University and East Central Community College announced a partnership to create a "seamless transfer pathway" for culinary arts students to pursue a bachelor's degree in culinology at the university. As part of the memorandum of understanding signed by MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum and ECCC President Dr. Brent Gregory on Monday, it will now be easier for students at the community college to transfer credits to the university in line with its culinology requirements. The program in Starkville integrates food science and culinary arts to prepare students for careers including experimental research, menu planning, food manufacturing, fine dining, and product development. Professor Wes Schilling, director of the university's Food Science Innovation Hub, said students from the community college will join others in receiving hands-on training. "Students will have opportunities to work directly with industry when companies bring projects to Mississippi State," he continued. |
| MSU, ECCC partner to offer culinary arts transfer pathway | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) and East Central Community College (ECCC) in Decatur are partnering to create a transfer pathway for culinary arts students to pursue a bachelor's degree in culinology at the university. MSU President Mark E. Keenum and ECCC President Brent Gregory signed a memorandum of understanding on August 18, 2025. "Our university is widely recognized for the innovative degree programs we provide and the collaborative culture we have. This agreement is the perfect example of how we're working with our partners to give students access to a high-quality academic experience with our world-class faculty and earn a degree that leads to successful and rewarding career opportunities," Keenum said. "It's an honor to work with Dr. Gregory and his team at East Central to offer this new pathway to their students." |
| Magnolia Mornings: MSU, ECCC partner to expand access to culinology degree | |
| Mississippi State and East Central Community College in Decatur announced a partnership Monday to create a seamless transfer pathway for culinary arts students to pursue a bachelor's degree in culinology at the university. The two schools said MSU President Mark E. Keenum and ECCC President Brent Gregory signed a memorandum of understanding, giving transfer students the opportunity to earn this degree in a field with 100% job placement. In addition to ECCC, MSU holds similar agreements with Coahoma, Copiah-Lincoln, Hinds, Holmes, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi Gulf Coast and Northeast Mississippi community colleges, and Jones College. The university's traditional four-year culinology degree is offered in partnership with the Mississippi University for Women. |
| Education: Stats Tell the Story: MSU's Famous Maroon Band students have what it takes to succeed | |
 | Mississippi State University members of the Famous Maroon Band aren't just good musicians – they tend to be students who make everything look easy, including maintaining a high GPA. With more than 425 band members this year, the group boasts a median ACT score of 27 and a median GPA of 3.6. In addition, 160 of these students have an ACT score of 30 or higher and many are listed on the university's honor roll lists, including nearly 40 band members with a 4.0 GPA. "There is often a strong parallel between the discipline required to succeed as a musician and the discipline needed for academic achievement," said longtime Director of Bands Elva Kaye Lance. "Participation in a college marching band offers students shared experiences with a wide range of peers who share a common passion," she said. "Beyond musical performance, the band experience helps shape students into well-rounded individuals, fostering valuable life skills and a strong sense of community." The band is known for creating a welcoming environment, Lance observed. "I think this is evidenced by the strong retention of our returning members each year," Lance said |
| Robertson named MSU Extension health specialist | |
| A familiar face to the Mississippi State University Extension Service is returning as its new health specialist. Mary Nelson Robertson rejoined MSU Extension in her new role on Aug. 16. She was most recently an assistant professor in the MSU School of Human Sciences, where she taught in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and conducted research for the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, or MAFES. Robertson said she is looking forward to reconnecting with MSU Extension family, health and wellness agents, specialists and the communities they serve across the state. "Dr. Robertson has been instrumental in MSU Extension's efforts to address Mississippians' most pressing health-related challenges," said Teresa Gammill, MSU Extension associate director and family, health and wellness lead. "Her previous experience with us along with her dedication to research and instructional background make her well suited for this vital position." Robertson replaces David Buys, who left the role in 2024 to become associate provost for health sciences at MSU-Meridian before he was named interim head of that campus. |
| City, OCEDA look to relocate sewage pumping station at NorthStar | |
| Supervisors unanimously agreed Monday to allow $700,000 left over state grant funding to be redirected toward relocating and upgrading the Josey Creek sewage pumping station, which serves NorthStar Industrial Park. The funds were originally part of a $2.5 million site development grant used to build a 200,000-square-foot pad at NorthStar near the Louisville exit off Highway 82 to market to new tenants, Golden Triangle LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said. "We think when those final bills get paid, we're going to be somewhere around $700,000 left over, plus or minus," Higgins told supervisors during a Monday meeting. "... We then started looking at what we could do. What would we spend to enhance the park? ... The city would really like to rebuild and relocate (the) sewage pumping station that serves the area there." Higgins said Mississippi Development Authority, which awarded the grant, has agreed the remaining $700,000 in funding can be reallocated to help cover relocating the station, which is estimated to cost about $2.2 million. The city and county split the local match for the grant. "We said that any other money, other than the grant money, would not be the board of supervisor's responsibility, but others," Higgins told supervisors. "In other words, the city or whoever they can get the balance of the money from, they fund it." |
| SPD warns people about locking car doors with recent weapon theft | |
 | More traffic on the roads is a sure sign that Mississippi State students are back in Starkville. This also means more car burglaries are happening. It's a common crime and common sight for Starkville police. "These auto burglaries typically occur or nearly always occur in unsecured vehicles," Sgt. Brandon Lovelady said. "Doing the simple things, such as securing your doors before you go to bed every night, can prevent most auto burglaries." Lovelady said stolen weapons often show up when officers are investigating violent incidents. "The most concerning part about auto burglaries is that things like firearms again a lot of times by juveniles then that can lead to more serious crimes or be used in more serious crimes," Lovelady said. The agency uses a social media campaign to remind people to lock their doors. "Starkville is not the only place that deals with auto burglaries," Lovelady said. "If you look on the internet, look on social media you'll see that agencies across the country are dealing with this and do different campaigns. Specifically we do 9 pm routines every single night to remind people to lock their doors, secure your valuables and secure you firearms. Because this is such a prevalent thing again across the country." |
| AVAIO Digital investing $6 billion in Mississippi data center campus | |
| Mississippi is getting another multi-billion-dollar investment, this time from a Connecticut-based developer and operator of sustainable data centers. Governor Tate Reeves announced Tuesday that AVAIO Digital was building a new $6 billion data center campus at the East Metropolitan Center Business and Industrial Park in Brandon. "Today is another historic day for Mississippi," Reeves said in a statement. "AVAIO Digital's $6 billion investment is the third largest in our state's history and a great vote of confidence in our people, our communities and our ability to get companies up and running faster." Reeves said the project will not only transform Rankin County and the Metro Jackson region, but it will transform that state's economic landscape and lead to even more high-tech leaders choosing Mississippi. The workforce opportunities include at least 60 direct, high-tech jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs ranging from construction to other related industries. AVAIO Digital expects construction of the data center complex to be complete during the first half of 2027. |
| AVAIO Digital to construct $6 billion data center in Rankin County | |
| The data center revolution in Mississippi is continuing, this time with a company eyeing Rankin County as the new home for a multi-billion-dollar investment. Gov. Tate Reeves announced on Tuesday that AVAIO Digital, a Connecticut-based developer and operator of sustainable data centers, has announced a new $6 billion data center campus at the East Metropolitan Center Business and Industrial Park in Brandon. AVAIO's economic development investment currently ranks No. 3 in state history, following projects from Amazon Web Services in Madison County and Compass Datacenters in Meridian. The campus, according to a press release, will feature high-speed, low-latency connectivity options, including direct access to multiple long-haul fiber routes nearby that link seamlessly to major data center hubs such as Dallas and Atlanta. The design features details such as water-efficient cooling, rainwater capture, and rooftop solar and cooling system economization to minimize power demands. Once fully equipped, the facility will support computer servers, networking, and data storage technologies that power cloud computing and artificial intelligence applications. Entergy Mississippi will provide reliable power for the project. |
| Entergy Mississippi completes project to power new development, including Milwaukee Tool | |
 | There are a lot of energy needs for economic development in Grenada County, and Entergy took a step to help alleviate any problems. This should impact booming Grenada County. First, in the fall of 2024, was the opening of the largest Milwaukee Tool plant in America. Then, The Hollingsworth Companies, the largest non-urban industrial real estate developer in the Southeastern United States, broke ground on April 29, on a $300 million industrial park just behind the Milwaukee Tool plant, that local and state officials believe will draw manufacturing business from throughout the nation. Then, on May 19, thermal management company Modine has announced it is upgrading one of its existing facilities in Grenada County to manufacture data center cooling equipment. The project will represent a corporate investment of more than $38 million by the end of 2028 and will create more than 450 jobs. Entergy Mississippi recently completed a $33-million project to support power load growth in Grenada's industrial corridor. The project includes a new substation, 2 miles of transmission lines and 3 miles of distribution lines. "The new Grenada Industrial Substation allows us to support economic growth and continue to provide reliable service in Grenada County at affordable rates," Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO said. The location of Grenada along Interstate-55, about halfway between Jackson and Memphis, has become a hot spot for projects. |
| Mississippi seafood industry faces possible shakeup from new aquaculture act | |
 | A new bipartisan bill aims to create opportunities for growth in the United States aquaculture industry, of which Mississippi is a leader, according to data. The Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act, introduced Aug. 4 by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is the latest in the struggle over more access to offshore fish farming in the U.S. "Aquaculture is an important part of Mississippi's economic growth," Sen. Wicker said in an Aug. 4 news release. "The Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act would cut red tape for job creators on the Gulf Coast and improve workforce development." Hunter Evans -- a James Beard finalist restaurant owner dubbed the 2019 Seafood King of Mississippi, according to Southern Living -- expressed his support for the bill in the release. "I'm excited about the potential to get more U.S.-produced seafood in my kitchen -- and on the plates of the people I'm proud to cook for," Evans said. Mississippi leads the nation in aquaculture sales and ranks sixth for number of farms in the nation, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
| Judge rules oyster reef private leasing law unconstitutional, issues injunction | |
 | Monday, Chancery Court Judge Jim Persons ruled a law allowing the state to lease Mississippi oyster reefs unconstitutional and issued an injunction, a victory for struggling oyster fishermen. "These oystermen, during the period of the injunction at least, can continue to harvest oysters like their forefathers have done for 200 years," said Gerald Blessey, the attorney representing Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United. In May 2024, Governor Tate Reeves signed the law that allows the leasing of 80% of public oyster reefs to private companies. State leaders said it would accelerate reef restoration, but some people on the Coast say state leases are hurting long-time fishermen. "Future fishermen are at stake here, and that's what it boils down to," said Michael McGill, a community advocate. "It's not so much these guys, but our sons, daughters, and the future fishermen of the Mississippi Gulf Coast." This year marked the first oyster season in Mississippi since the Bonnet Carre Spillway opening in 2019. |
| Why Senate Republicans won't scrap the 'blue slip' | |
 | President Donald Trump last month tried to goad Sen. Chuck Grassley into ending the practice of giving deference to home-state senators in the judicial nominations process -- a pressure campaign that quickly escalated into an all-out social media war on the 91-year-old Judiciary Committee chair. It didn't work. Despite Trump's threats to rally his base against Grassley, Senate Republicans rebuffed the attempts to get their colleague to give up on so-called blue slips, which allow members of the minority party power to effectively veto nominees for U.S. attorneys and district court judges who would serve their regions. It also doesn't look like their position will change heading into the fall, either, as Republicans have indicated they'll seek a rules change to speed up the confirmation process for certain Trump nominees on the Senate floor but not at the committee level. "As a practical matter, the Senate's not going to give up the blue slip," said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, in an interview. "So my appeal to the president is: please reconsider. Why do we want to have this fight for nothing?" It marks a rare instance where Hill Republicans have publicly broken with the president, underscoring how even Trump's most loyal allies are willing to stand up to him when it comes to protecting their institution's traditions -- and their own ability to exert influence back home. |
| Lawmakers Win Round in Spending Fight With White House | |
 | The Trump administration has restored a public website that tracks federal spending, marking a victory for lawmakers who complained that the White House was using the blackout to freeze funding without public disclosures. The dispute over the website has coincided with a fight between President Trump and Capitol Hill over the administration's aggressive efforts to curtail what it deems excessive spending, challenging Congress's power of the purse. The website was taken down in March by the White House Office of Management and Budget, prompting a lawsuit by an advocacy group that argued the administration was violating a public-disclosure law. A judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied the administration's motion to postpone the website's release pending an appeal earlier this month, giving administration officials until last Friday to "restore the database and disclosure materials withheld since March." Congress approved legislation in 2022 requiring the website. OMB didn't immediately comment on the website's restoration. OMB chief Russell Vought previously said restoring the site would disclose sensitive information, forcing the Trump administration to reveal how it made decisions. Lawmakers charged the OMB was making it difficult to tell if funds passed by Congress were being spent. |
| Trump vows to change how elections are run. The US Constitution doesn't give him that power | |
 | President Donald Trump on Monday vowed more changes to the way elections are conducted in the U.S., but based on the Constitution there is little to nothing he can do on his own. Relying on false information and conspiracy theories that he's regularly used to explain away his 2020 election loss, Trump pledged on his social media site that he would do away with both mail voting -- which remains popular and is used by about one-third of all voters -- and voting machines -- some form of which are used in almost all of the country's thousands of election jurisdictions. These are the same systems that enabled Trump to win the 2024 election and Republicans to gain control of Congress. Trump's post marks an escalation even in his normally overheated election rhetoric. He issued a wide-ranging executive order earlier this year that, among other changes, would have required documented proof-of-citizenship before registering to vote. His Monday post promised another election executive order to "help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm elections." The same post also pushed falsehoods about voting. The announcement signals yet another way that Trump intends to stack the cards in his favor in the 2026 midterm elections, after he already has directed his attorney general to investigate a Democratic fundraising platform and urged states to redraw their congressional districts to help the GOP maintain its majority in the House of Representatives. |
| The GOP spent millions supporting mail ballots. Now Trump's attacking them again. | |
| Donald Trump's renewed crusade against mail voting is once again threatening to undermine his party's efforts. Republicans poured tens of millions of dollars last year into convincing their voters that casting ballots by mail was safe after Trump spent years bashing the practice and baselessly insisting it was rife with fraud. And it worked, with GOP voters closing or even reversing the mail voting gap with Democrats in several states. But now Trump is attacking mail voting again as he ratchets up his push to protect Republicans' House majority in the midterms, scrambling a strategy Republicans effectively used to bank millions of votes in 2024. The president said Monday he wants to "lead a movement" to eliminate "corrupt" voting by mail ahead of the 2026 election and suggested he would sign an executive order to help do so. While he cannot unilaterally end mail voting -- election laws are set at the state level -- his renewed criticism could sow early seeds of doubt in the electoral process should the GOP lose in the midterms. And it's creating some whiplash for Republicans. Trump also has no power to simply end mail voting. The Constitution gives states the power to set the "times, places and manner" for federal elections and stipulates that only Congress can override state election laws. Still, his scaremongering alone could sway his base away from the practice and erase Republicans' gains. |
| Trump wants to end mail-in voting. Mississippi Senate, House elections chairmen respond | |
| President Donald Trump said Monday on Truth Social that his administration will work toward eliminating mail-in ballots and certain kinds of voting machines. While mail-in ballots have traditionally provided a way for registered voters serving overseas in the military, working overseas, or who have a disability to remain a part of the constitutional process, some states have expanded access to mail-in ballots in recent years. Mississippi State Senator Jeremy England (R), chairman of the Senate Elections Committee, agrees mail-in ballots involve a level of uncertainty, since it is hard to prove that the name on the envelope is truly the person casting the ballot. Additionally, mail-in ballots cause delays in providing accurate results on Election Day, given that it may take days or weeks to count and verify mail-in ballots. "I certainly think in-person voting is the safest and best way to vote, because the safeguards are better and results are quicker, so I look forward to seeing what suggestions come from this effort by the Trump Administration to at least curb mail-in ballots," England told Magnolia Tribune on Monday. "However, I don't see any way to completely end mail-in voting altogether, because we have members of our military overseas and people that work overseas, and we cannot just disenfranchise these citizens." England is also concerned for Mississippians who may be disabled or have other difficulties getting to a voting precinct on Election Day. "I also think we have to consider individuals with disabilities and those that may be unable to get themselves to a precinct or to their clerk's office. Election integrity is a balancing process in this way," England added. |
| Trump adds firepower to National Guard presence in DC | |
 | The number of National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C., will more than double in the coming days after Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia in the past several days committed troops to President Trump's federal takeover of the city. Coupled with indications that the guard members may soon be carrying weapons -- a reversal of their initial orders -- the new deployments mark a major escalation of Trump's efforts to take over law enforcement in Washington, D.C. The roughly 800 D.C. National Guard troops already deployed in the capital will be joined by about 200 personnel from Mississippi, between 300 and 400 from West Virginia, 150 from Ohio and 200 from South Carolina, beefing up a presence that has largely stood idle around typically low-crime, tourist-heavy areas in the city. "Crime is out of control there, and it's clear something must be done to combat it," Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement Monday, becoming the latest Republican governor to answer to a Trump administration request to send guard members to Washington. Still, some GOP governors are keeping their troops home, including Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R), who "politely declined" Trump's request to deploy Vermont National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C. |
| National pediatrics group splits with RFK Jr. on Covid vaccinations | |
| A major medical organization is splitting from the federal government in crafting recommendations for Covid-19 vaccinations, an unprecedented move that reflects a growing rift between the scientific community and the Trump administration's health agencies. On Tuesday, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its own immunization schedule ahead of respiratory virus season, including guidance on which children should receive RSV, flu, and Covid-19 vaccines. The organization recommended Covid shots for all children between 6 and 23 months old, as well as for children over 2 at high risk for severe disease. This guidance runs counter to the Food and Drug Administration's recent decision to limit access to the vaccines to people over 65 and others who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill if infected. "The AAP will continue to provide recommendations for immunizations that are rooted in science and are in the best interest of the health of infants, children and adolescents," AAP President Susan J. Kressly said in a statement. It's unclear how the splintering guidance will be interpreted by doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. |
| Hyperion Technology recognized with MSBDC Tech Manufacturer of the Year Award | |
 | Hyperion Technology is only the second recipient -- and the first in Lee County -- of the Mississippi Small Business Development Center's Tech Manufacturer of the Year Award. Hyperion provides custom electronic systems, such as embedded systems, signal processing, intelligent power and control systems, to government and industry consumers around the world. The company, founded in 2016, is recognized for its groundbreaking work in sensor technology, its impact on Mississippi's tech economy and its strong partnership with the RISE Center in advancing statewide innovation. The RISE (Resources for International Success and Expansion) Center at Ole Miss is a specialized program within the Mississippi SBDC Network. Launched in 2023, the RISE Center aims to enhance support for growing companies across all 82 counties of Mississippi. "This is something we'll be giving away annually," said Chip Templeton, RISE Center director. Chad Williams, president and CEO of Hyperion, said he was grateful for all the local, state and federal support the company has received over the years. |
| $2 million grant boosts undergrad nursing at UMMC | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) School of Nursing received a $2 million dollar grant to support undergraduate programs through the establishment of the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship. The donation, made by the Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, will create 167 full scholarships for traditional and accelerated BSN programs at the School of Nursing's locations in Jackson and Oxford over the next three years. "Nurses are the heart of every health care team," said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs. "Their expertise, compassion and dedication not only save lives but also shape the future of health care. We cannot achieve our vision of a healthier Mississippi without increasing the number of nurses in our state." According to a 2017 U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration report, Mississippi could see a 16.9% shortfall in the number of nurses by 2030, making nursing education critical for meeting the state's future health care needs. |
| 'Truly life-changing' grant opens door to UMMC Nursing for students in need | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing received a $2 million grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation -- DAF to support undergraduate programs through the establishment of the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship. This gift will create 167 full scholarships for traditional and accelerated BSN programs at the School of Nursing's locations in Jackson and Oxford over the next three years. "At Bedford Falls Foundation, our principal mission is to facilitate greater access to high-quality nursing education by removing the financial barrier, so students can focus on entering the nursing workforce with less stress," said Bill Conway Jr., founder and trustee of the Bedford Falls Foundation and founder of Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF. Dr. Tina Martin, dean of the School of Nursing, said the scholarships have the power to be life-changing for nursing students as well as for their future patients. "Because they're need-based, they will open the door for students who might not otherwise be able to pursue a nursing degree without taking on student loan debt," she said. "These scholarships will not only lead to nursing careers for our students, but they will ensure that nurses are there when care is needed." |
| UMMC School of Nursing gifted $2 million for new scholarship program | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing is establishing a new scholarship program courtesy of a $2 million donation. Students at the nursing school's Jackson and Oxford locations will now have access to the new Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship, which was ignited by a grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation. The gift will create 167 full scholarships for traditional and accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. According to the medical school's vice chancellor for health affairs, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, the scholarship fund comes at a time when Mississippi is facing a great nursing shortage. Expanding opportunities for prospective healthcare workers to earn a quality education could fill a widening gap in one of the nation's sickest states. With trends predicting an alarming shortage, officials are working to reverse course and have quality nurses educated and trained to meet the present and future needs of Mississippians. |
| USM's Gulf Park Campus building toward future as 2025-26 school year begins | |
| Kansas native McKenna Klamm is getting a brand new T-shirt to start the year off right on the first day of classes at the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Park Campus. "There is definitely a transition from my hometown to the Coast," Klamm said. Klamm is an incoming junior and a member of the Student Government Association, working to improve student engagement on campus this year. "With COVID, our numbers had really dropped down," Klamm said. "A lot of people just came to school and went home, and I feel slowly starting last year, we've been able to build that up." Klamm said she's ready for the education grind. "I'm excited to take more classes... learn more stuff. I'm actually getting into my major this year," Klamm said. The university broke ground on the Kelly Gene Cook Senior Hall project this past May. Associate Provost Dr. Jeff Hinton says it will be an expansion of the DuBard School for Language Disorders and the Children's Center for Communication and Development. Hinton said the Gulf Park Campus is also launching a secondary education program. "That's going to provide an array of comprehensive services," Hinton said. "That program is unique to us. It's offered in a residency model for transfer students; they'll get to spend two years here learning to be secondary education teachers." The university said it's launching a $5 million renovation project in Hardy Hall this November to house the campus's executive education programming. |
| USM recognized for 8th year as transfer-friendly university | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was once again recognized as one of the most transfer-friendly universities in the nation, earning a spot on Phi Theta Kappa's (PTK) 2025 Transfer Honor Roll. This marks the eighth consecutive year Southern Miss has received the distinction. Officials said Southern Miss is one of only 251 colleges and universities nationwide selected for the designation. "I'm proud of the transfer outcomes we're seeing at these Honor Roll colleges," said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. "These colleges are doing more than just opening doors -- they're walking students through them. Their commitment to creating clear, supportive pathways demonstrates what's possible when student success is truly the priority." |
| JSU deals with housing needs as new school year begins | |
| Jackson State University students returned to class for the new school year Monday. As they have in previous years, the university is having to figure out where to house some of its students as dorms quickly fill up. More than 500 people have signed a petition that urges school administrators to fix what some are calling a housing crisis. The situation is not letting the news semester dampen some students' spirits. "Everyone makes it feel like home and like family, and I really like that somewhere I felt like I would belong in," incoming freshman Ryan Alson said. Jarek Peterson is beginning his senior year at JSU. "We make sure you feel welcome, and they made me feel welcome from my past four years from being here," Peterson said. JSU said they have been proactive in their housing challenges by partnering with Holiday Inn Express on Graymont Street to provide students who need a room. The hotel has nearly 200 beds. |
| Workforce Development underway at MCITy | |
| The Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Millsaps College Else School of Management for a workforce development program. Assistant Professor Gerad Hardy taught the first class of the workforce development skills training class Tuesday at MCITy with the topic of "Having Difficult Conversations." Chamber of Commerce officials said the class enjoyed a "packed house." The next class will be held Sept. 9 and will concentrate on "Effective Team Building" also hosted by Hardy. The classes will be held through November. Those wishing to register may do so online. The fee is $25 for chamber members and $35 for non–members. |
| Better facilities, more students: PRCC meeting community needs | |
 | Pearl River Community College is celebrating record enrollment on its first day of classes for the 2025-26 school year. Leaders said enrollment is up 5%. "We'll have around, probably, 6,300 students this fall semester, college wide," said Dr. Jana Causey, PRCC's Forrest County Center vice president. "We're approaching 1,400 on this campus, (and) (w)e attribute that to the growth of our new programs." Monday marked the first day of nursing classes in the brand-new Asbury Allied Health and Nursing Building. The structure can accommodate larger lab spaces and larger class sizes. "A big part of nursing school, in general, is practice, especially practicing on your own or with a partner," said Kelsey Terrell, a third-semester nursing student. "I think just having so many more beds, so many more mannequins, vital-sign machines, gloves, hand sanitizers (that) (s)o many more small details (are) going to make that practice more realistic." "We have 13 medical programs on campus," Causey said. "Our students have a job before they walk across to get their diploma." |
| Jones College welcomes students back, sees enrollment increase | |
| Jones College welcomed students back on Monday. Sophomore Trinity Banks said she and her classmates were ready for another year at Jones College, this time making this year better than the last. "Jones has really helped me prepare," Banks said. "The people here, they get you ready for the world. It's a new adventure every day." An adventure that allows elder Bobcats to show newcomers the ropes. "It's fun," said sophomore Araylen Armond. "You know you get all the excitement out. "You get to see the freshmen coming in from the Class of (20)25, you get to show them around." From the long line at the bookstore to the crowded cafeteria, students are finding their way around campus. Not only was the excitement up at the college on Monday, so was the enrollment. "Last fall, we had 12% growth over the previous year," said Dr. Amanda McLeod, Vice President of Enrollment Management. "Summer was record-breaking and the second-highest enrollment we ever had. It's been really great to see the momentum over the past year. Students are back on campus, and we have also seen growth this fall." |
| The over-the-top world of luxury dorm decorating | |
 | When Melanie Turner asked her niece Kena what she wanted for a high school graduation present, the rising college freshman had her request ready. "I want you to do my dorm room like the ones on TikTok," said her niece, a student at Georgia State University. So Turner, who works as an event designer, got on the popular social media app and scrolled. She was shocked. Cinder block walls were covered with patterned wallpaper. Bed-in-a-bags had been replaced by luxury linens. Ruffled bed skirts fluttered above sheepskin rugs, and matching curtains framed dorm windows. Instead of posters held up by Command strips, framed artwork hung on the walls. Monogrammed pillows lolled against custom-cushioned headboards. On campuses across the country, students, parents and even professional interior decorators are transforming dorm rooms from spaces that look like petite correctional facilities into something more akin to seaside resorts. On TikTok, Turner saw parents spending between $5,000 and $10,000 to turn a single dorm room into a lacy, blush-colored paradise. "They plan a year in advance," she said. "They bought everything custom, from the linens to the pillowcases." These efforts, documented on social media, inspire more would-be designers, raising expectations for what a college dorm should be. Not all of the 18 million or so American college students live in expertly decorated dorm rooms --- but on social media, it feels like they do. And parents sending their kids to live without them for the first time grapple with the question: Does love mean buying a $469 mattress topper? |
| Alabama 'Queen of Sorority Rush' takes a step back: 'I've been struggling' | |
 | Kylan Darnell, famous on TikTok for her videos detailing the University of Alabama's sorority recruitment, recently announced she would be taking a step back from the rush process. Kylan, known online as the "Queen of Sorority Rush," told her 1.3 million followers in a post last week that she would be taking a break from her senior year of recruitment. "I won't lie to you guys about it, like, I've just not been enjoying it.... if I was to go on there and show these outfits and like, keep going, I would be lying to you guys and myself." Kylan's younger sister Izzy, who entered college with over a million followers on TikTok, has been posting about her own freshman year rush experience for the past few weeks. But she announced in an Aug. 16 video that she would be dropping out of recruitment one day before bid day, when sororities make their offers to incoming students. "Haha fooled yall again," reads text over the video. "Little do you know I dropped first," she added in the caption. Although Kylan is still a member of her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, and returned to the rush process shortly after her break announcement, Izzy has decided against joining campus Greek life this year. |
| Okra is easy to grow, but the harvesting's tricky. LSU AgCenter says to pick early and often | |
 | Okra holds a special place in the hearts of many Louisianans. For some, it's an essential ingredient in gumbo, and for others, it's a must-grow crop in the summer vegetable garden. It's no wonder why -- okra is tasty and nutritious. It's easy to grow and prolific, even in intense heat. "It is very tolerant of our hot summers," said Clark Robertson, an LSU AgCenter horticulture agent in Livingston Parish. "It does well from June all the way up to frost." Okra is a much lower-maintenance crop than many vegetables, with few disease and insect problems. It is efficient at pulling the nutrients it needs from the soil, so it typically doesn't need as much fertilizer as heavy feeders like tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. An application of complete fertilizer at planting followed by a light application before plants begin production is plenty, Robertson said. Check your garden daily for harvestable pods. They grow quickly, so they can go from being tender to too tough and woody almost overnight. "Harvest early and harvest often," Robertson said. "You don't want your pods to get too long." |
| UT Awarded $5 Million from Office of Naval Research To Develop Next Generation of Military Steel | |
| Multidisciplinary faculty teams at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in collaboration with colleagues from Mississippi State University, are using a $5 million award to apply their expertise in advanced manufacturing, metallurgy and welding to create new steels for the United States Navy. "The Naval Surface Warfare Center and the Office of Naval Research knew the country needed to revitalize its capability to develop military-grade steel for submarines and ship hulls," said Eric Lass, assistant professor of materials science in UT's Tickle College of Engineering. "For several decades, the U.S. offshored this work; we will be creating new steel technology that can improve national security and be produced domestically." The funding supports three years of research. In year one, the UT team will begin collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory on wire production and will explore multipass welding -- joining thick plates of metal -- and wire arc additive manufacturing of high-strength steels. In year two they will begin creation of new wire compositions and by year three they will use the technology to join plates of the new steel with new wire compositions. Mississippi State will research the development of stronger and lighter steel plate and will bring data science expertise to the project. |
| UT Knoxville awarded $5M to develop new Navy-grade steel with Mississippi State | |
| Multidisciplinary teams at the University of Tennessee are leading a $5 million project with Mississippi State University to create new steels for the U.S. Navy. The funding, awarded through the Naval Surface Warfare Center and the Office of Naval Research, will support three years of research in advanced manufacturing, metallurgy and welding. “The Naval Surface Warfare Center and the Office of Naval Research knew the country needed to revitalize its capability to develop military-grade steel for submarines and ship hulls,” Assistant Professor of Materials Science in UT's Tickle College of Engineering Eric Lass said. Early phases will take place at UT and Mississippi State, but as production scales up, testing will move to the Rapid Applied Materials Processing lab on Navy property at President’s Island in Memphis. “This $5 million award can really move the needle on research in these areas,” UT’s Director of National Security Research Initiatives James Andes said. “Combined with the opportunities of the RAMP lab, it allows for instrumentation and facilities we couldn’t develop on our own.” |
| UGA removes sexual orientation, gender identity from non-discrimination policy | |
| The University of Georgia has removed the terms sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy from the non-discrimination anti-harassment policy, which is administered by the Equal Opportunity Office at the university. The change was made on March 13 by the former EOO director, according to university spokesperson Rod Guajardo. "These changes were made to align the University of Georgia policy with University System of Georgia Board of Regents policy," Guajardo said. "This UGA policy continues to forbid all forms of discrimination and harassment prohibited under federal law." Janet Frick, an associate professor in UGA's psychology department, said that even though she has heard that the usage of the term "sex" in the policy includes gender identity and sexual orientation, she still feels the change needs to be explained. "If sexual orientation and gender identity are still covered by the policy, why was there any need to change the language? What does changing the language help? What does that accomplish?" Frick said. UGA has not publicly explained the reason for the changes, leaving some faculty and students questioning whether protections for sexual orientation and gender identity remain in effect. |
| U. of Florida Board of Trustees chair says no candidate yet for next interim president | |
 | The University of Florida Board of Trustees during its Aug. 18 virtual meeting did not reveal nor vote on a candidate for the university's next interim president. Current interim President Kent Fuchs had his contract extended by a month after the state Board of Governors stunned the university community in June by rejecting Dr. Santa Ono, the sole finalist for the university's 14th president. Fuchs, whose extended contract ends Sept. 1, has served as the university's interim president since Aug. 1, 2024, following the sudden resignation of Ben Sasse after just 17 months on the job. Fuchs previously served as the university's full-time president from 2015 to 2023. Board Chair Mori Hosseini told his fellow trustees that he is continuing the work of finding a suitable candidate for the interim position. The board is scheduled to meet for a two-day retreat on Sept. 18.One possible candidate that has surfaced is Robert P. George, a political philosopher and conservative legal scholar at Princeton University. George, 70, also is a senior fellow at the Witherspoon Institute, an independent conservative think tank and research center in Princeton, New Jersey, not affiliated with the university. Gov. Ron DeSantis' schedule shows he had a meeting with George on Aug. 15. The reason for the meeting, however, was not given by the governor's office. |
| Santa Ono Lands New Job | |
 | Santa Ono has a new job: leading a privately funded research institute with global reach. The Ellison Institute of Technology in Oxford, England, announced Monday that it has hired the former University of Michigan president as its global president, with a mandate to develop and expand science programs. The move comes several months after Ono left Michigan to pursue the presidency of the University of Florida, where he was approved by UF's Board of Trustees but rejected by the Florida Board of Governors over his past support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which he unsuccessfully sought to distance himself from. Ono was set to earn nearly $3 million a year at UF. When the Board of Governors shot down his appointment in June on a 10-to-6 vote, the move made national headlines. Now Ono, who previously led the Universities of Cincinnati and British Columbia, is returning to international higher education with his new role at EIT Oxford, a private organization established by software entrepreneur Larry Ellison, who co-founded Oracle. Though EIT is not a higher ed institution, it partners with Britain's University of Oxford on research initiatives and scholarship programs. The Ellison Institute of Technology also has a site in Los Angeles. |
| Confusion reigns as Texas colleges scramble to comply with ban on in-state tuition for undocumented students | |
| Katerin felt her whole body flush when she opened her fall tuition bill from the University of Houston: It had nearly doubled to $7,900. The 24-year-old has lived in Texas since her parents brought her to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 2. Thanks to the 2001 Texas Dream Act, she's always qualified for in-state tuition as she worked toward a master's degree in social work. A federal court ruling swiftly gutted the law in June, ending the benefit for thousands of undocumented students. But Katerin is in the country legally, as a recipient of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, which protects certain immigrants from deportation and allows them to work legally. Students like Katerin, who asked that her last name not be used over concerns about a relative's undocumented status, should still qualify for in-state tuition, attorneys for Texas said in a court filing. But advocates say some Texas universities are misinterpreting the court ruling, leaving students like Katerin with confusing messages and sky-high tuition bills just as classes are about to begin. Advocates call it an urgent and widespread problem fueled by the lack of state guidance on how to implement the ruling. They worry hundreds of students are being sent incorrect tuition bills and will not have the time, guidance, resources or support to challenge them. |
| Kohberger's sexist, creepy behavior alarmed university faculty and students before Idaho murders | |
| Bryan Kohberger developed a reputation for being sexist and creepy while attending a criminal justice program in the months before he killed four University of Idaho students in 2022, fellow grad students told investigators. His behavior was so problematic that one Washington State University faculty member told co-workers that if he ever became a professor, he would likely stalk or sexually abuse his future students, according to the documents. She urged her co-workers to cut Kohberger's funding to remove him from the program. "He is smart enough that in four years we will have to give him a Ph.D.," the woman told her colleagues, according to the report from Idaho State Police Detective Ryan O'Harra. She continued, "Mark my word, I work with predators, if we give him a Ph.D., that's the guy that in in that many years when he is a professor, we will hear is harassing, stalking, and sexually abusing ... his students at wherever university." Summaries of the interviews with students and instructors at Washington State University were included among more than 550 pages of investigation documents released by Idaho State Police last week in response to public record requests. |
| Blue-collar jobs are gaining popularity as AI threatens office work | |
 | Geoffrey Hinton's message on a recent podcast about artificial intelligence was simple: "Train to be a plumber." Hinton, a Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist often called "the Godfather of AI," said in June what people have now been saying for years: Jobs that include manual labor and expertise are the least vulnerable to modern technology than some other career paths, many of which have generally been considered more respected and more lucrative. "I think plumbers are less at risk," Hinton said. "Someone like a legal assistant, a paralegal, they're not going to be needed for very long." Even with the dramatic rise of AI and the evolution of advanced robotics, technologists and tradespeople are touting skilled trades as offering more long-term job security for workers who can do what computers can't. Last month, Microsoft revealed a list of jobs that could be endangered as Al advances. Occupations atop the list were interpreters, historians, customer service and sales representatives, and writers. As AI advances, many manual labor jobs figure to be around for the long haul. Whether or not AI does end up taking many jobs, the idea has been enough to push some people to reconsider their futures. |
| More Workers Are Getting Job-Skill Certificates. They Often Don't Pay Off. | |
| More Americans are turning to a booming market for skills credentials -- from digital-marketing certificates to online courses in artificial intelligence -- to bolster their résumés. Yet most programs deliver few material returns, a new study finds. These certificates, digital badges and other nondegree credentials have proliferated as more academic institutions and other providers spot a lucrative business. Workers, though, have few tools to assess which of thousands of options are worth their time and money. Employers, too, often struggle with what to value. Many credentials don't provide a pay boost or lead to a career transition, said Matt Sigelman, president of Burning Glass Institute, a nonprofit that analyzed the outcomes for more than 23,000 of the most popular certifications and other credentials. It found that just one in eight nondegree credentials delivered notable pay gains within a year of completion. Using a data set of 65 million American workers and their career histories since 2009, the study compared workers who received a credential with similar workers who didn't get one---then measured the difference in their pay gains and career movements a year later. Burning Glass's online tool lets people search for and assess each of the credentials it analyzed. |
| NIH Director Orders Review of All Current, Planned Research | |
| The National Institutes of Health's director ordered employees to "conduct an individualized review of all current and planned research activities," including active grants and funding opportunity announcements, according to images of a document provided to Inside Higher Ed. The review comes amid concerns that the NIH won't distribute all of its allocated grant money by the time the federal fiscal year ends Sept. 30, meaning those dollars will return to the U.S. Treasury. The document images, provided by a source who wished to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation, show that NIH director Jay Bhattacharya sent the memo Friday and that the review is effective immediately. According to the memo, "relevant NIH personnel" must review grants, funding opportunity announcements, contracts, contract solicitations, applications for new and competing renewal awards, intramural research and research training programs, cooperative agreements, and "other transactions." The order is part of a larger memo in which Bhattacharya outlined "select agency priorities" and said projects that don't align with these priorities may be "restricted, paused, not renewed, or terminated." The focuses are, among other things, artificial intelligence, "furthering our understanding of autism" and "ensuring evidence-based health care for children and teenagers identifying as transgender." |
| Over 6,000 student visas revoked for crimes and overstays, U.S. says | |
| The Trump administration has revoked thousands of international student visas for breaking the law, overstaying and "support for terrorism," the State Department said Monday, as its immigration crackdown continues. A department spokesperson said in an email that it has revoked more than 6,000 student visas, of which about 4,000 were for crimes including assault, driving under the influence and burglary. The story was first reported by Fox News. Between 200 and 300 student visas were revoked because of "support for terrorism," the official said, without elaborating. Trump administration officials have accused students of supporting terrorism by participating in pro-Palestinian activism in several high-profile cases this year. It was not immediately clear whether the students whose visas were revoked because of alleged law violations had been convicted of any crimes. The State Department told Fox News that students whose visas were revoked because of assault, for example, "either faced arrest or charges" over the allegations. International students have faced the threat of detention or deportation over activities including contributing to an opinion piece in a university newspaper and writing social media posts, which The Washington Post reported has caused some current and prospective students to rethink their plans. |
| 'People want proof of concept': The Trump campaign promise that doesn't have the votes | |
| Republican lawmakers trying to make good on President Donald Trump's campaign promise to abolish the Education Department are prepping for legislative surgery instead of rolling out the guillotine. Trump signed an executive order in March telling his Education secretary, Linda McMahon, to "facilitate" the closure of the agency she leads as a way to give states more control of the federal money for their schools. McMahon has also publicly embraced the president's call to put herself "out of a job" and pushed out about half of the agency's staff while exploring ways to move programs to other departments. But closing the Education Department requires congressional approval. And despite being a target of conservative ire since its founding, shutting it down may be a tough sell for Republicans with poor school districts and states that depend on its legal guidance, civil rights enforcement and other support. That need for careful calculus has made it clear to the two top GOP education leaders on Capitol Hill that a more "rational" and piecemeal deconstruction of the agency is necessary. While Trump has shown a preference for pushing massive domestic policy legislation through a Republican Congress reluctant to buck him, it was the administration's weekslong hold on billions of dollars in school funding last month that drew the rare intraparty rebuke. |
SPORTS
| 'We had great energy': Lebby praises MSU defense after second scrimmage | |
| Mississippi State football is 11 days away from kicking off the 2025 season at Southern Miss on Aug. 30. The Bulldogs held their second scrimmage of fall camp, again behind closed doors, at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday. Head coach Jeff Lebby held a press conference afterward in which he again praised his defense, citing a level of energy and playmaking ability that he was looking for coming into camp. The Bulldog defense was able to create turnovers in last week's scrimmage, and the playmaking display impressed the coaches again this week with some big stops on third down. MSU struggled mightily at getting off the field in 2024, and any improvement in the win column for 2025 starts with stops. "Again, defensively, we had great energy," Lebby said. "Made some huge plays in short yardage situations where we were able to get off the field defensively to end a couple of drives early in the scrimmage, and that created real momentum, which again, I thought was great to see. The highlight of the first scrimmage was a Kelley Jones scoop and score, but the main difference, according to defensive leaders Issac Smith and Jalen Smith, was the high level of communication and understanding. Lebby saw more of that playmaking edge from the unit, and it's what he wants to see at this stage of camp. |
| Stonka Burnside finding new home with a natural feel | |
| Prying an offensive playmaker away from that side of the ball might be one of the most difficult things a coaching staff could do, but Jeff Lebby hasn't had a problem from Stonka Burnside. While the former four-star pass catcher has proven he has what it takes to make plays on that side of the ball, there's always been something inside of him that has been drawn to being on the other side. After his true freshman season concluded last year, Burnside talked to the coaching staff about opportunities at safety and he was intrigued. Just a few years after Burnside had first made his impact on the high school level by playing safety, he had a new position in maroon and white. Chad Bumphis has been petitioning to work him back in at receiver and the results have been less than stellar. "Not very good," Burnside laughed about Bumphis' pitch. "Switching from offense to defense was a great move for me. I can use my best ability to be a great player." The reality of it is that Burnside has all the makings of a star in the defensive backfield. |
| CFP director doesn't want to 'rush' decision on expansion as new Big Ten idea emerges | |
 | Rich Clark, the executive director of the College Football Playoff, reacted Monday to the latest format idea by realizing he had to take back an earlier thought. "I used to joke, well, next thing they're going to say 30 (teams). Well, we're almost there," Clark said. The word broke over the weekend that the Big Ten was considering proposing a radical expansion idea to 24 or even 28 teams. This came amid an encroaching Dec. 1 deadline for the power brokers, principally the Big Ten and SEC, to agree on a new format. If they cannot, it stays at 12 teams for at least the 2026 season, and Clark would be fine with that. "I would rather stay at this than rush to a decision that's not good," Clark said. "So if the decision is that we stay at the 12-team playoff until we know more, until we watch that another year, until we can discuss the other options on the table a little bit more, it's worth sticking to the 12 team until we can come to really a solid, sound decision for the future." The Big Ten's idea is essentially a tweak --- a major one --- to the suggestion it has been pushing since earlier this year: a 16-team field with four automatic bids each for the Big Ten and SEC, two each for the ACC and Big 12, one for the Group of 5 and three at-large bids. And in Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti's vision, the Big Ten and perhaps other conferences would determine their automatic bids with play-in games on championship weekend. |
| Big Ten's radical idea for College Football Playoff expansion frustrates execs, piques interest from ADs | |
| The Big Ten's radical idea to expand the College Football Playoff from 12 to 28 teams is already off to a rocky start, according to industry sources who spoke to CBS Sports on the condition of anonymity. News of the Big Ten's internal socialization of an early blueprint to expand the College Football Playoff came to light on Saturday before many of the commissioners in the other nine FBS conferences were informed personally by Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti. Leaks around CFP formats over the last year are nothing new, but the timing -- with a Dec. 1 deadline looming for a new agreement -- intensified frustration. "We sound like immature children throwing garbage against the wall," one upset CFP executive told CBS Sports. "It's frustrating that these topics can't be discussed behind the scenes and brought out to the public once they've been vetted," an SEC administrator said. Petitti floated 24- and 28-team playoff models with Big Ten athletic directors last week, sources told CBS Sports. The SEC was informed later, but other conferences were left out until the leak surfaced. Administrators had been focused on 16-team formats in recent negotiations, making the Big Ten's larger proposals a surprise. Several SEC athletic directors surveyed by CBS Sports on Sunday were receptive to the Big Ten's pitch, though there was no consensus. Reaction was also mixed in the ACC and Big 12. Executives in the Group of Six conferences were not in favor. |
| Meet Matt Kelly, one of the most connected people in college sports you've never heard of | |
| Matt Kelly walks onto the rooftop of a swanky Uptown Charlotte hotel restaurant like a man hiding in plain sight. His slightly salt-and-peppered hair is movie-star coiffed. A pair of houndstooth sunglasses hide his eyes, while the gold embroidered logo of Augusta National Golf Club is woven into his polo on the left side of his chest. "I call him 'Clooney,'" longtime NFL head coach and Kelly client Bruce Arians quipped. That tracks. Kelly gives off a vibe matching the suave financiers frequenting this part of the Queen City. Where those business types make their hay in spreadsheets or marketing presentations, Kelly's weapons of choice are the iPhone he's slipped into his back pocket and the Apple AirPods he carries with him most everywhere. But outside of a reporter sliding into a seat across from him on an open veranda, notepad in hand, there's little to indicate who Kelly actually is: Perhaps the most connected man in college sports you've never heard of. Cowbells clanged as a remix of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams" blared from the Dudy Noble Field sound system on June 5, the lower bowl packed with Mississippi State faithful. Beneath the ballpark, new Bulldogs baseball coach Brian O'Connor strode through the tunnel on the third-base side, flanked by Athletic Director Zac Selmon and President Mark Keenum, prepared to deliver his first remarks since landing the role. Flames blasted from smoke machines on either side of their path as O'Connor fist-bumped Selmon and took the field. The cheers grew louder. Kelly was in the crowd that day. He wouldn't have missed it for two of his oldest contacts. "One of his superpowers is making meaningful relationships with people in our industry," Selmon said. |
| UGA athletics cracking down on students re-selling Georgia football tickets | |
 | Re-selling Georgia football student tickets isn't permitted. Now, UGA is taking greater steps to keep it from happening. Students this season are being asked to bring a form of photo ID to each of the seven Bulldog home games and some be will randomly selected with what the school said will be "spot checks," to match their ID to the name on individual tickets. If Georgia determines a student ticket was sold, the student ticket package will be voided and removed for the rest of the season and the students found to not have their name match the ticket will be asked to leave. Georgia athletics, via an email to the Athens Banner-Herald, said that its top priority is to make sure tickets are affordable for UGA students "and to maximize opportunities for our students to attend football games. We have the best student section in the nation and want to keep it that way." "We also want to make sure that tickets are going to UGA students and not fans of other teams," said Georgia, which indicated it collaborates with the UGA student government on student ticket policies. Georgia had allotted about 16,000 student tickets per game, the school said prior to the 2024 season but declined when asked for this story to offer numbers now or how many students have been found to be re-selling tickets. |
| Q&A: Alabama AD Greg Byrne addresses NIL, new arena, football scheduling and more | |
 | University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne spoke with The Tuscaloosa News recently to address a variety of topics relating to both Crimson Tide athletics, and college athletics at large. Both are at an inflection point with the advent of revenue sharing and other transformational changes. The Tuscaloosa News: What are your thoughts on the House vs. NCAA settlement and its impact on Alabama? Byrne: It's hard to believe that a $2.8 billion (judgment) in back damages, and basically almost a $25 million line item for your budget is a good thing, but if we can make this work, and instead of everybody trying to work around it, but instead work within it, I think it will be good for college sports. I think it will be good for our student-athletes, broad-based programming to have a lot of sports and help support the Olympic model giving opportunities to young men and women. And I'm going to be very slow to judge. I've already seen coaches and even some A.D.'s say it's not going to work, and I absolutely refuse to say that. We don't know. We need to give it some time and effort to try and make it work. |
| Underdogs Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt look to keep good times rolling | |
| It is so hard for anyone to stand out in Nashville because everyone in Nashville is always trying so hard to stand out. All of those off-the-bus would-be country music stars, performing in so many Broadway bars owned by so many actual stars, entertaining all those bachelorettes in pink cowboy hats and those dudes who look like they are attending a Luke Combs lookalike contest. Music City, USA is always a good time, but it also becomes very repetitive. This town aches for someone to come along and finally snap it out of its endless two-stepping loop. Say, a big-haired blond woman from Sevierville, Tennessee. Or a Man in Black on the train a-comin' from Folsom. Maybe a girl from a Christmas tree farm in eastern Pennsylvania. Or a Bama-beating water bug of a quarterback who rolled in off a desert wind that blew in from New Mexico. "Straight out the dirt, son," Diego Pavia says, the 24-year-old laughing as he sits up and slaps his hand on a meeting room table in Vanderbilt football's quarterbacks meeting room. "When I first got here, you would walk down to Broadway and everyone had on Alabama stuff or Georgia stuff or the bars would just have Tennessee flags out front. Now I see a lot of Vandy V's out there. I think maybe people didn't see that coming. Just like they didn't see me coming." |
| ESPN to Launch TikTok-Like Feed in Its Own App | |
| Having built the largest TikTok account among U.S. companies, with more than 50 million followers, ESPN will bring all its vertical short-form video knowhow to its own app later this week. An in-app feed (with a name to be announced) will offer a mix of highlights, reactions and user-generated content, sitting alongside a daily, personalized (and yes, vertical) version of SportsCenter that will launch as a beta product on Thursday. A recent Digital Media Trends survey found that Gen Z consumers spend more than two hours per day using social media and watching video on apps like TikTok and Instagram. Short, vertical clips have infiltrated nearly every media platform as a result, from the NBA app to The Economist. Now, ESPN hopes an algorithmic buffet built specifically for sports fans can earn its own portion of users' daily screen time. "We want this to be a fresh feed that you can get lost in whenever you open the app," ESPN SVP, digital, social and streaming content Kaitee Daley said. "Vertical, scrollable video is how so many fans get their information today. I'm just thrilled to be at that moment where we can deliver that." The new offering is decades in the making. |
| Could real estate in and around stadiums and arenas be private equity's clearest path into college athletics? | |
| Considerable brain power has been spent in the last two years pondering ways private equity could invest in college athletics. While PE taking ownership stakes in conferences, league media rights deals or athletic departments has been floated, investment in real estate and facilities appears to be one of the cleanest avenues through which more private capital enters college athletics. American universities and colleges are rich in land. That's fortunate because their broader campuses need investment, including affordable housing and new ideas to confront diminishing enrollment and attract more students. Their athletic departments need more money to fund revenue sharing with athletes. Investing in athletic facilities -- such as new revenue-generating premium spaces or LED ribbon boards on which to sell sponsorship -- and/or mixed-use developments around those venues can generate clear returns for investors. "New premium spaces in and outside stadiums is going to be the next big wave of capital investment in college athletics," said Elevate Chief Business Officer, Elevate College and Global Marketplace, Jonathan Marks. Unlike buying a piece of a conference or its media rights, there are existing examples of public-private partnerships (P3) benefiting both the university and the outside investor. |
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