| Monday, November 3, 2025 |
| MSU boasts three Rhodes Scholarship finalists | |
 | Three Mississippi State students are finalists for the prestigious international Rhodes Scholarship. The finalists are advancing to the last round of interviews Nov. 12-15 in consideration for one of the world's highest academic honors. Claire Green, a senior biochemistry major concentrating in entomology from North Little Rock, Arkansas, interviews in Kansas City, Missouri; Christopher Jolivette, a senior psychology and English double major from McCalla, Alabama, interviews in Birmingham, Alabama; and Tafada Wright, a senior communication major concentrating in broadcast and digital journalism from Spanish Town, Jamaica, interviews in Kingston, Jamaica. "It is an incredible testament to the quality of our students and MSU for us to have three competing for the Rhodes this year. Being chosen to interview indicates that each of these students lives up to the extremely high standards and selection criteria of the Rhodes Trust," said Professor David Hoffman, director of MSU's Office of Prestigious External Scholarships. "They are not only excellent scholars but also committed to using their talents, energy and character to lead both here at MSU and into the future. It is truly exciting that they will be representing MSU in rooms filled with other future leaders from the world's most prestigious institutions of higher education." |
| MSU's Seitz to headline renewed Grisham Lecture Series | |
 | Mississippi State University is bringing back the Grisham Lecture Series, a signature event showcasing its most distinguished faculty, after a five-year hiatus. Holli Seitz, associate professor of communication, will headline the series' first event on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in Mitchell Memorial Library's John Grisham Room. Named after internationally recognized best-selling author and Bulldog alum John Grisham, the Grisham Master Teacher Award is one of MSU's highest distinctions for teaching excellence. The award was established in 1993 after Grisham provided funds to endow the honor. "The revitalization of this lecture series reflects our commitment to recognizing and elevating the role of outstanding teaching," said Jim Dunne, MSU associate vice president for faculty affairs. "These talks offer a unique opportunity for the campus community to engage with the pedagogical insights, scholarly reflections and personal narratives of faculty who exemplify the highest standards of instruction. We are especially grateful to the Grisham family for their continued support of this award and lecture series. Their generosity and vision have made it possible for Mississippi State to honor and advance the work of our most dedicated educators." |
| Theatre MSU's 'Unified Theatre' project showcases ACCESS student talent | |
| Mississippi State's Theatre MSU is partnering with the university's ACCESS Program to launch a "Unified Theatre" project celebrating student creativity in a collaborative performance of Jack and the Beanstalk. Unified Theatre is a nationwide program that brings together students of all backgrounds and learning styles to create and perform productions collaboratively. Entirely organized, written and directed by the students themselves, Unified Theatre dissolves barriers and fosters acceptance. Since its founding, the program has engaged more than 4,000 participants and nearly 10,000 audience members in about 50 schools nationwide. Established in 2010, MSU's ACCESS Program is the state's first residential, postsecondary education program for students with diverse learning needs. The show will be presented in local schools on Nov. 12. A free, public performance is scheduled for Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. in the McComas Hall Theater. The production is directed by Jacob Uithoven, a senior in MSU's ACCESS Program who has been actively involved with Theatre MSU since arriving on campus in 2022. Uithoven's directorial debut is backed by years of hands-on theater experience, said Tonya S. Hays, assistant professor in MSU's Department of Communication, Media and Theatre. |
| Mississippi Businesses Navigate a New Frontier with Technology | |
 | C Spire stands as a testament to what Mississippi companies can achieve with artificial intelligence (AI). The telecommunications provider has integrated AI across customer service, network optimization, and operations, delivering substantial efficiency gains and cost savings. What distinguishes C Spire's success is its investment in workforce development and cultivation of an innovation-embracing culture, according to Dr. Kollin Napier, director of the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN). "What makes C Spire successful is its commitment to developing an AI-ready workforce and fostering a culture that embraces innovation," Napier explained. "This people-first approach demonstrates how leadership, training, and trust in technology can work together to deliver measurable results." That people-first philosophy represents a crucial lesson as businesses across the Magnolia State and beyond grapple with AI implementation. Mississippi's AI task force is building the knowledge base necessary to recommend sound policy to the Legislature. The group has held three meetings since its formation in late spring, including sessions at Mississippi State University (MSU) and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. At MSU, members toured AI-integrated programs, including the CAV Center's autonomous vehicle research and agricultural AI initiatives. "The tour was more about gaining an understanding of how Mississippi State is infusing AI throughout the university across all of their educational and research programs," said Gerard Gibert, a radio host of SuperTalk Mississippi and business-appointed member of the Mississippi AI task force. |
| Jeff Tarsi: Delta Native Now Leading Largest Global Ag Retail Company in the World | |
| Jeff Tarsi grew up on a farm in the Mississippi Delta, and as a young man, all he wanted to do was farm. But, when he graduated from Mississippi State in 1985, the farm economy was in a deep downturn and his dream of becoming a farmer was not possible at that time. Instead, he pursued a degree in agricultural economics from Mississippi State University and joined a global agriculture input supplier -- a move that would launch a forty-year career in the agricultural industry. Today, he serves as Executive Vice President and President of Global Retail at Nutrien Ag Solutions, the world's largest agricultural retailer, with more than 1,900 retail locations and 25,000 employees worldwide. "I get a bird's eye view of some of the largest agricultural regions in the world," says Tarsi, who's based in Memphis but rarely there. "I've been traveling to Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Australia since 2010. It opened my eyes to global agriculture. You learn a lot by seeing how growers approach similar challenges in different areas of the world. I've always been curious about science and agronomy. Farmers may speak different languages, but no matter where you go, they're driven by the same passion -- to produce food and fiber for a growing world." Tarsi and his wife, Cindy, have three children. Their eldest, Elizabeth Tarsi Ward, is a urogynecologist in Tupelo and recently welcomed her first child, Lucy Elizabeth. Their son, Andrew, lives in Memphis where he works as an architect and is the father of a 16-month-old daughter, Maggie Suzanne. Their youngest, Mia, is a junior at Mississippi State University majoring in Interior Design. All three children attended Mississippi State. |
| SCOTT WALLER: President/CEO of Mississippi Economic Council | |
| Scott Waller has not only spent much of his career covering Mississippi business in the newspaper industry, he's also helped oversee some of Mississippi's greatest economic triumphs as the current President and CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC) known as the state's "chamber of commerce," Waller took over the reins in 2017. Born and raised in Shubuta, Mississippi, as the youngest of five siblings, Waller's father, Nelson, worked with the U.S. Postal Service while also owning a television repair business on the side, "so I got to see entrepreneurship up close while growing up," said Waller. His mother, Dorothy, worked for a natural gas company. After graduating from Quitman High School and eventually obtaining his B.S. degree from Mississippi State University in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in business and communication in between various work stints, Waller considered architecture as a career before embarking on what would become a stellar 20-plus year storied career in journalism. Blake Wilson, Waller's predecessor as CEO of MEC, was someone he had gotten to know through his work at the paper. One fortuitous day, Waller got a call to go to lunch from Wilson. "I didn't think anything about it," recalled Waller. "But it was over that lunch that Blake offered me a job as MEC's lobbyist and to run their communications shop. That was in 2006, and he wanted me to come to work for him, which I did. I was under Blake's tutelage for 10 years and we remain close to this day." |
| $750K library facelift gains traction with aldermen | |
| Starkville-Oktibbeha Public Library System Director Phillip Carter is hopeful for city support in a nearly $750,000 renovation project aimed at revitalizing the public library. Carter presented the renovation proposal to the board of aldermen Friday morning during its work session at City Hall. The plans include modernizing the library's appearance, improving accessibility and ADA compliance and expanding community spaces. "This is going to give us the opportunity to extend the Main Street Renovation in a way that wasn't in the Main Street plan originally," Carter said. "I would like to see us become the eastern gateway to downtown because we are." Carter said the building, constructed in 1967, is showing significant signs of wear including rotting window sills, deteriorating doors, cracked floorboards, falling ceiling tiles and a buckling foundation in the downstairs bathroom. Ward 2 Alderwoman and Budget Chair Sandra Sistrunk expressed strong support for the project. "I do think there's a lot of potential for growth," Sistrunk said. "... I think this is a lot of bang for the buck. It's not often that we invest less than a million dollars and get that kind of improvement in services. ... It's a third place that really helps build community identity and is a gathering place for a lot of people, ... so I'm very supportive of this." |
| Historic preservation: Restorations planned for one of the state's most endangered buildings | |
| Once a cornerstone of Starkville's Black business district, the Fred Gandy Barber Shop, located at 119 Dr. Douglas L. Conner Drive, now sits vacant on a shifting foundation, its stucco walls crumbling and windows shattered. Though Cyndi Parker, assistant professor in the Department of Interior Design at Mississippi State University, has plans to bring the building back to life. "It's important to maintain its history and strengthen and help revitalize this portion of downtown that once was known as the African American Business District," Parker wrote in an email to The Dispatch. "For any and all historical buildings, each has a story and it's just sad, and should be criminal, to see them abandoned, dilapidated and eventually demolished." Parker has researched the building for more than a year and plans to buy it from current owner Mike Frayser. She hopes to redevelop the building into a mixed-use property with three residential units and a commercial space -- a project she estimates will cost more than $500,000. Built in 1950, the two-story structure housed Fred Gandy's barbershop downstairs and a tenant office upstairs. Though little is known about Gandy's life, Parker uncovered through archives that his first tenant was Civil Rights activist Dr. Douglas L. Conner, the city's first Black physician. |
| Shoe Country Warehouse launches its own sneaker brand as it celebrates its 10h anniversary | |
 | While its roots date back more than a half-century, Tupelo's Shoe Country Warehouse officially turned 10 years old this year. What better way to mark the celebration than launching its own shoe? Store owners Brandon and Christy Davis developed the 24 West brand after just a few months. Having sold thousands of shoes over the years, and carrying 15,000 shoes in the store, the Davises have deep knowledge about the kind of footwear consumers like and need. The brand name, 24 West, pays homage to the original Shoe Country's location on Main Street, as well as the percentage of the store that Brandon owned before fully acquiring it in 2018. The shoe was quickly developed over four months starting in July, with Brandon meeting his shoe manufacturer from Guangdong province in southern China and providing the details he wanted. "We wanted to make a better sneaker for the market," Davis said. The new shoe line isn't the only thing that's kept the Davises busy. They opened an SCW Run store in Starkville last year, and this year bought a store in Meridian. In retail, businesses can't remain still, and the Davises are making sure the Shoe Country Warehouse's name stays relevant for many more years. |
| Drake Waterfowl opens first store in Olive Branch | |
 | Drake Waterfowl, a popular hunting brand, opened their first store this weekend in Olive Branch. Hours before opening, a sea of camouflage, flannel, and trucks flooded into their parking lot. Customers were lined up and wrapped around the building while waiting for the store to open. When the clock struck 8:00 A.M, Kevin Williams, chief financial officer of Drake Waterfowl, opened the door and personally welcomed customers to The Drake Store. "I didn't anticipate a line that long," Williams said. "We are incredibly grateful for everyone here." Founded in 2002, Drake Waterfowl did not have a physical storefront until their grand opening this Saturday. "We decided to open this store up only six weeks ago," Williams continued. "We bought this location, gutted it, and completely renovated it." The Drake Store offers hunting gear and equipment, including clothing options such as scent-controlled jackets, Kevlar-lined waders, and windproof vests. The store also sells essential hunting supplies like headlamps, rifle bags, and field essentials. "We sell almost everything you need to go hunting here," Williams said. "We just don't carry any black barrel rifles or decoys here." |
| New pickleball courts in Madison County offers professional grade courts | |
 | The pickleball craze continues to roll across Mississippi with the latest court having just opened. Magnolia Pickleball has opened this month with professional grade indoor and outdoor courts with more to come as well as a restaurant. Rachel Bolaños, general manager of Magnolia Pickleball, said she and her husband Danny came up with the idea about three years ago. "We saw how pickleball was exploding across the country, and so we have been working on this since about 2022," said Rachel Bolanos, who also chaired Mistletoe Marketplace for the Junior League of Jackson in 2023. "It's one of the fastest growing sports in America, and it has really taken off in Mississippi, for sure. We have had so much support from the local community." Magnolia Pickleball, located at 547 Church Rd. in Gluckstadt, has indoor and outdoor courts that are considered professional grade. While there are other indoor courts in the area, the courts at Magnolia specially made and not just lines drawn over tartan volleyball courts. While the pickleball is already hot and people are swarming the courts, there is a restaurant portion of the project that is still in the works. The couple plan a sports-bar-type restaurant that should take flight in the next six to eight months that will allow patrons to come and spend more time at the facility. |
| After 'targeted harassment,' Mississippi Health Department alters restaurant inspections | |
 | Something is different on Mississippi's inspection reports that show how a restaurant, school cafeteria or other commercial kitchen scored for safety and cleanliness. Until now, the public could go on the Mississippi Health Department website and see how restaurants performed on their inspection that is done at least annually, and more often when deemed necessary. The kitchens score an A if the inspector finds no violations, a B if any violations are caught and corrected during the inspection and a C when a critical health violation is found. The public also could see the name of the inspector who did the most recent inspection and for prior years. Revealing the inspectors' identity became an issue, said Greg Flynn, external affairs and media relations director for the health department. "MSDH did change to ID codes as some inspectors were being singled out in newspaper articles and social media posts, which led to targeted harassment," he said. While the new code names adopted by MSDH protect inspectors, restaurant owners tell the Sun Herald they are being targeted by inspectors, but are afraid to report it because they fear retaliation with a failing grade. One owner who has more than one restaurant in South Mississippi said the inspections are inconsistent. What passes at one location fails at another with the same conditions, the owner said. |
| Mississippi needs policies to help moms, advocates tell lawmakers | |
| Moms face a public health crisis that's putting Mississippi behind every other state, and it could get worse under federal changes, speakers said at a Legislative Black Caucus hearing. Amid the cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, exacerbated by the ongoing shutdown, advocates called on the state to take action. They said lawmakers should expand Medicaid, protect food assistance programs, create standardized paid parental leave, support midwives and doulas and invest in child care and early childhood education. Mississippi is one of the most dangerous places to give birth, especially for Black women, who are four times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related deaths, or deaths that occur during pregnancy or up to one year postpartum and are caused in part by the pregnancy. A combination of poverty, chronic diseases, provider shortages and policies that have shut out tens of thousands of Mississippians from health care contribute to bad outcomes for mothers and babies. Now, cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs threaten to walk back progress that has been made over the years, speakers said Thursday at the state Capitol. |
| Senate Armed Services Committee leaders press DOD for legal justification of boat strikes | |
 | The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee are publicly pressuring the Pentagon to provide its legal rationale for the military strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats. Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., on Friday released two letters they previously sent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting the execute orders, legal rationale and designated terrorist lists underpinning the military campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that has killed at least 61 people. "To date, these documents have not been submitted," the news release about the letters said. Democrats have publicly griped for weeks about the lack of information the Trump administration was providing about the strikes. But Wicker's inclusion in Friday's release underscores the frustration is bipartisan. Wicker and Reed are going public with their concerns as the strikes appear to be getting more frequent and speculation grows that President Donald Trump will soon expand the campaign to land targets inside Venezuela. |
| Sen. Wicker joins Democrat Reed to press Hegseth to explain, justify U.S. boat strikes | |
| Sen. Roger Wicker, Armed Services Committee chairman, and his Democratic counterpart have asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide the legal basis for the U.S. military's attacks on supposed drug boats off the South American coast. Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, and Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, also requested the directives Hegseth approved for the military strikes and the unedited videos of some of the attacks. The requests from the high-ranking senators were made in two letters, one from late September and the other from early October, which were released on Friday by Wicker and Reed. The two senators said in a joint news release that they had not yet received the requested information by Friday. President Donald Trump's administration has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. Some senators from both parties have questioned the administration's use of military force without congressional approval, though neither of Mississippi's senators has done so. |
| Federal judge thanks Trump, orders him to make SNAP payments | |
| A federal judge in Rhode Island followed up Friday's oral ruling with a written order Saturday requiring President Donald Trump's Agriculture Department to make full food-stamp payments no later than end of day Monday, or alternatively, partial payments by the end of the day Wednesday. Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island was responding to the administration's request for a written order, as well as Trump's Friday night social media post asking the court for clarity as to how USDA could legally make the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments. "I do not want Americans to go hungry," Trump wrote on Truth Social after McConnell's earlier ruling from the bench on Friday afternoon. "[I] ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible. . . . If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding." In his seven-page order Saturday, McConnell acknowledged the president's social media post and wrote in a footnote: "The Court greatly appreciates the President's quick and definitive response to this Court's Order and his desire to provide the necessary SNAP funding." |
| Bessent says food benefits could flow by Wednesday | |
 | It's not clear when millions of families will receive their November food aid benefits, even after two federal judges ruled last week that the Trump administration needs to make at least partial payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as the government shutdown continues. The payments appeared set to stop at the beginning of November, as the shutdown has stretched into a new week. But federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled Oct. 31 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture needs to use $5.25 billion in contingency funds to make at least partial payments. Both judges said the Trump administration has the option to use certain discretionary money to provide the benefits in full for November. They gave the administration a limited number of days to provide an update on what it's doing. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that President Donald Trump wants to hear from the courts about how to legally move money around to fund SNAP payments, but he noted during an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" that it "could" flow by Wednesday. "There's a process that has to be followed," Bessent said. "So, we've got to figure out what the process is." The Cabinet secretary also told the outlet that the Trump administration will not appeal the rulings. |
| Government shutdown could become longest ever as Trump says he 'won't be extorted' by Democrats | |
 | The government shutdown is poised to become the longest ever this week as the impasse between Democrats and Republicans has dragged into a new month. Millions of people could lose food aid benefits, health care subsidies are set to expire and there are few real talks between the parties over how to end it. President Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Sunday that he "won't be extorted" by Democrats who are demanding negotiations to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire at the end of the year for millions of Americans. Echoing congressional Republicans, the president said on CBS' "60 Minutes" he'll negotiate only when the government is reopened. Trump's comments signal the shutdown could drag on for some time as federal workers, including air traffic controllers, are set to miss additional paychecks and there's uncertainty over whether 42 million Americans who receive federal food aid will be able to access the assistance. Senate Democrats have voted 13 times against reopening the government, insisting they need Trump and Republicans to negotiate with them first. The president said Democrats "have lost their way" and predicted they'll capitulate to Republicans. "I think they have to," Trump said. "And if they don't vote, it's their problem." |
| The White House thought the shutdown would be quick. Now they're frustrated. | |
 | In early October, several Trump administration officials had a friendly pool going of how long the shutdown would last. The White House, at the time, was confident Democrats would quickly fold. No one guessed more than 10 days. The account, relayed by a person close to the White House granted anonymity to discuss internal thinking, underscores just how much the administration miscalculated the Democrats' will to keep the government closed even amid furloughs and imperiled social programs like food assistance. As the shutdown heads into its second month, President Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated. On Thursday, he called for Republicans to abolish the filibuster to reopen the government -- a plea he knows is futile, but that demonstrates his growing irritation with Democrats, said a second person close to the White House. When the shutdown began, White House officials were certain the Trump administration was better positioned to battle the left during a funding lapse. Trump and his top aides thought that unpaid federal workers, closed and limited federal facilities and threats of ever-more job cuts from Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, would be too much for Democrats to handle. They were buoyed when two moderate Democrats -- Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) -- and Independent Angus King voted with Republicans two days into the shutdown. But not much has changed since. |
| Trump says China's Xi has assured him that he won't take action on Taiwan during Republican's term | |
| President Donald Trump says that Chinese President Xi Jinping has given him assurances that Beijing would take no action toward its long-stated goal of unifying Taiwan with mainland China while the Republican leader is in office. Trump said that the long-contentious issue of Taiwan did not come up in his talks with Xi on Thursday in South Korea that largely focused on U.S.-China trade tensions. But the U.S. leader expressed certainty that China would not take action on Taiwan, while he's in office. "He has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, 'We would never do anything while President Trump is president,' because they know the consequences," Trump said in an excerpt of an interview with the CBS' program "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday. U.S. officials have long been concerned about the possibility of China using military force against Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which has governed U.S. relations with the island, does not require the U.S. to step in militarily if China invades but makes it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent any unilateral change of status by Beijing. |
| Surging Power Costs Are Putting the Squeeze on Customers | |
 | Gerry Clauss is a former electrician. But he had never worried so much about paying for electricity until the power bill on his single-family home hit $422 a month. That was over the summer, so he turned off the air conditioner, began freeze-drying bulk food purchases rather than storing them in his electric freezer, and started shutting off his lights more often. "It's got to the point where people will do what they gotta do to survive," the 65-year-old from Hainesport, N.J., said. He said he plans to vote for Republican Jack Ciattarelli in Tuesday's election for governor, motivated in part by soaring energy costs in an open race where they have become a hot topic. Clauss agrees with Ciattarelli's goal to quit a regional carbon-reduction program, which the former state assemblyman has pitched as a way to lower power bills -- though Clauss supports clean energy. Big power bills are overlapping with rising food prices and inflation that remains persistently above the Federal Reserve's target, frustrating Americans. Fall weather lightens electric bills as people stop using air conditioning, but a cold winter could hike bills again for those who rely on electric heat systems. Consumers can mitigate their power use somewhat, but they have to keep the lights on, too. "If strawberries are expensive, I'll buy apples -- there are substitutes," said Meredith Fowlie, an energy economist at the University of California, Berkeley. "Electricity, in the long run, there aren't many substitutes." |
| Actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor honored at Tougaloo College convocation | |
| Actress and Tougaloo College alumna Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was recognized on her alma mater's campus on Friday and will soon receive a key to the city of Jackson. According to city officials, Ellis-Taylor will officially be awarded the key in December. Ellis-Taylor was presented with this honor by Jackson Mayor John Horhn before the opening ceremony of The Convocation: A Gathering of Black Women Artists. In addition to this prestigious award, Ellis-Taylor was also honored with Oct. 31, 2025 being named "Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Day" in the city of Jackson. Many Tougaloo College students were present at the time of the award presentation and said they felt inspired by the ceremony. "It was amazing to be in a room with such a wonderful individual," Mya Stewart, junior broadcasting student, said. "It was a beautiful thing to witness and she is well-deserving of it." University officials emphasized how Ellis-Taylor's rich filmography reflects the legacy of Tougaloo College "as a bastion of academic excellence, social justice, and intellectual freedom." Ellis-Taylor's work in "When They See Us", "Origin", and "Fannie" are prime examples of her gifts and talents, as well as her impact in the world of art and entertainment. |
| UGA president Jere Morehead asks football star to be spring commencement speaker on air | |
 | University of Georgia president Jere Morehead often gets interviewed on the Georgia football pregame radio show. This time, he turned the tables by asking sideline reporter D.J. Shockley if he'd like to be the spring undergraduate commencement speaker. "That's pretty cool," the former Bulldog SEC championship winning quarterback said before the Georgia-Florida game on Saturday Nov. 1. "I can't turn that down. That's pretty awesome." If Shockley got a heads up what was coming, he didn't act that way. "I wasn't expecting that," he said on air. Georgia's undergraduate commencement is scheduled for Friday, May 8. Shockley is the Fox 5 Atlanta sports anchor and has worked as the sideline analyst for Georgia since 2021. He led Georgia to the 2005 SEC championship. |
| Tamar Shirinian sues U. of Tennessee for suspending her after Charlie Kirk comment | |
 | Assistant professor Tamar Shirinian is suing the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for suspending her over a social media comment she made criticizing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated. The complaint filed Oct. 29 in federal court names the university, Chancellor Donde Plowman, UT System President Randy Boyd and Faculty Senate President Charles Noble, saying they were under national political pressure to fire her and tried to protect the university against backlash from donors instead of backing her free speech rights under the First Amendment. Shirinian says in the suit her comments were private political speech, and she is asking to be allowed back in the classroom and for the university to drop the termination proceeding it launched against her. "Dr. Shirinian's social media comment was made on her personal time, on her personal device, using her personal account, without any reference to UTK and in her private capacity as a citizen," the lawsuit says. Shirinian became the center of controversy after posting a Facebook comment Sept. 12 regarding Kirk's assassination. The complaint details the professional roles of the defendants, the political climate and Shirinian's role at UT. |
| New Emails Show What Happened Before a Texas A&M Professor's Firing | |
 | When the then-president of Texas A&M University at College Station fired a professor after a video of her children's literature class went viral in early September, he framed his decision as "academic responsibility." The discussion of gender and sexuality captured in the video, recorded on July 29, didn't "align with any reasonable expectation of standard curriculum," the president, Mark A. Welsh III, said. He added that he only learned "yesterday" -- September 8 -- of a decision by two administrators that approved plans for a fall course teaching content inconsistent with its published description, which led him to both fire the instructor and remove the administrators from their roles. However, emails obtained by The Chronicle via a public-records request show Welsh was more involved in managing the situation than his statements suggested. Welsh, who resigned September 19, did not respond to messages seeking comment on Friday. In late July, Welsh corresponded directly with several students who raised objections about the course content and atmosphere. In August, he repeatedly communicated with administrators and the instructor, Melissa McCoul, regarding the status of her fall course, a young-adult literature offering that would also cover LGBTQ themes. And McCoul said that based on conversations with her department head, she had gotten the message that she had Welsh's backing to teach her fall class. As she relayed it, Welsh's primary concern was a repeat of what happened over the summer. |
| Palantir Thinks College Might Be a Waste. So It's Hiring High-School Grads. | |
| At first, the idea of skipping college to take a fellowship for Palantir Technologies seemed preposterous to Matteo Zanini. But he couldn't stop thinking about it. "College is broken," one Palantir post said. "Admissions are based on flawed criteria. Meritocracy and excellence are no longer the pursuits of educational institutions," it said. The fellowship offered a path for high-school students to work full time at the company. After deciding to apply, Zanini found out he got the fellowship at around the same time he learned of his admission to Brown University. Brown wouldn't allow him to defer and he had also landed a full-ride scholarship through the Department of Defense. "No one said to do the fellowship," said Zanini, who turned 18 in September. "All of my friends, my teachers, my college counselor, it was a unanimous no." His parents left the decision to him, and he decided to go with Palantir. Zanini is one of more than 500 high-school graduates who applied for Palantir's "Meritocracy Fellowship" -- an experiment launched under Palantir CEO Alex Karp's thesis that existing American universities are no longer reliable or necessary for training good workers. |
| A Tumultuous 5 Years Leading the Nation's Diversity Officers | |
 | Paulette Granberry Russell is stepping down as president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education after a dramatic and unpredictable five years at the helm. She represented campus diversity professionals amid the national racial reckoning that accompanied the Black Lives Matter movement, and then through the dizzying years that followed as anti-DEI laws swept the country. She also spent 22 years as a diversity professional at Michigan State University. Granberry Russell told Inside Higher Ed she never planned to stay at NADOHE longer than five years, so she's ready to move on and facilitate a "smooth transition and handoff." But what a tenure it's been. She spoke with Inside Higher Ed about how she navigated the headwinds facing diversity professionals and the future of diversity, equity and inclusion work on campuses. |
| Under McMahon, ED Is Diminished but Not Dead, Experts Say | |
| Nine months into President Donald Trump's second term in office, he and his education secretary Linda McMahon have essentially gutted the 45-year-old Department of Education as they work toward their "final mission" of shutting it down. First, they cut millions in grants and terminated hundreds of contracts. Then, they eliminated nearly 2,000 employees via buyouts and layoffs, slashing the department's staff from just over 4,000 to about 2,400. With some offices erased entirely and others just a skeleton of what they once were, the administration started to ship certain grant programs and oversight responsibilities to other agencies entirely. All the while, some colleges started to experience funding delays, financial aid officers said no one was on the line to answer their questions and students said their civil rights complaints weren't being processed. (Distribution of Pell Grants and federal student loans has remained largely unaffected.) Trump officials have also continued to use the agency as part of its pressure campaign on higher ed. These events, combined with the department's latest attempt to fire another 500 employees in October, have shown how a determined executive branch can dismantle ED without congressional approval and fueled concerns about the agency's ultimate demise. Republicans in Congress who have repeatedly stressed that only the legislative branch can shut down the department have remained largely silent. |
| How Much More Will Colleges Have to Pay to Hire Foreign Employees? | |
| Colleges are facing a reckoning over a practice they have long used to hire top researchers and other employees with in-demand skills. The Trump administration has taken aim at higher ed's hiring of foreign employees on H-1B visas, as part of a larger crackdown on immigration. Colleges hired over 22,000 such workers in the 2024 fiscal year. Last month, President Trump announced a new $100,000 fee per H-1B hire for American employers -- an attempt to dissuade them from hiring international candidates over citizens. The news sent some universities into "full-blown panic mode" over fears they'd suddenly have to shoulder an added cost of up to eight figures, said Ian Wagreich, who leads the immigration practice at the law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson. New guidance this month calmed the initial chaos: The fee only applies to potential H-1B employees who are outside the United States. Many of colleges' H-1B employees are hired from within the country while on a student or other non-immigrant visa. Still, The Chronicle's analysis -- based on estimates using data from the Department of Homeland Security -- shows that some large universities will have to pay millions more per year if they want to continue hiring employees from abroad. For small colleges, even six-figure costs for a few employees could be a major barrier. |
| Trump Research Funding Plans: Penalize 'Repeat Players,' Reward Compact Signers | |
| The Trump administration's "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" continues to make headlines. Nine selective institutions were originally asked to agree to reduce transgender and foreign students' rights and make other changes in exchange for federal funding priority and other unspecified benefits. All of these universities either rejected the compact or gave noncommittal responses, while a few relatively unknown, non-research-intensive institutions have publicly expressed interest in signing. If the current top research institutions all refuse to sign, but up-and-coming colleges do, and the administration makes good on its promises to reward signatories, the compact could start to shift billions in research funding from the haves to the have-nots. And the compact isn't the only way the president can make that shift. Back in August, he issued an executive order directing "senior appointees" to take charge of awarding, or denying, new grants. He also told them to apply certain principles in their award decisions, which could sap money from the top research institutions. Before Trump retook the presidency, the federal government had already implemented some programs to distribute more research funding to states, institutions and researchers that have historically won less. One is the National Science Foundation's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). |
| Private schools would take public fund vouchers, but not with strings attached | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: During a recent meeting of the special Mississippi House committee studying school choice, private schools made it clear that they would not participate in any voucher program that required them to follow the same rules as public schools. An official told legislators the private schools would not submit their students to state assessment tests and would not require their schools to have open enrollment. When asked about a possible middle ground, Barrett Donahoe, executive director of the Mid-South Association of Independent Schools, replied, "I don't think we have to compromise anything. I think our schools do a good job." The private schools' refusal to bend on certain issues should not be a surprise to legislators. While House Speaker Jason White, House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar of Senatobia, Gov. Tate Reeves and advocates have touted the need for and advantages of vouchers, the private schools historically have been relatively quiet on the issue, though they do say now they would take the public money as long as they did not have to follow some of the rules adhered to by public schools. But in recent years, as late as 2024, private schools embraced state tax credits being used to benefit them instead of direct taxpayer payments through vouchers. They reasoned there would be less oversight with tax credits. |
| Could data-center focus stymy manufacturing growth in Mississippi? | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: As Mississippi basks in its AI data center boom, all is not copacetic in the AI economy. "Tens of Thousands of White-Collar Jobs Are Disappearing as AI Starts to Bite," read a recent headline in the Wall Street Journal, citing Amazon laying off 14,000 corporate jobs, UPS reducing its management workforce by another 14,000 positions, Target cutting 1,800 corporate jobs, and pending cuts from Rivian Automotive, Molson Coors, Booz Allen Hamilton, and General Motors. "Behind the wave of white-collar layoffs, in part, is the embrace by companies of artificial intelligence, which executives hope can handle more of the work that well-compensated white-collar workers have been doing." AI is also impacting manufacturing. President Donald Trump's tariff agenda and tax benefits in his One Big Beautiful Bill intended to cause significant reshoring of manufacturing jobs from foreign countries. So far, however, uncertainties tied to tariffs have held that up. The National Association of Manufacturers, a big supporter of the pro-business provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill, cited tariffs as a major concern and predicted that capital expenditures would rise only 1% in the coming year. Meanwhile, the boom in AI data centers is "crowding out" resources for traditional manufacturing from capital to land to construction crews to electrical capacity. ... Will these national trends impact Mississippi? |
SPORTS
| SEC Network's 'SEC Nation' Returns To The Best Small Town In The South For Mississippi State-Georgia Matchup | |
| SEC Nation Presented by Regions Bank, SEC Network's traveling pregame show, will return to the Best Small Town in the South on Saturday, as Mississippi State hosts No. 5 Georgia at Davis Wade Stadium. The show will broadcast live from The Junction from 9-11 a.m. CT on SEC Network. Host Laura Rutledge will be joined by Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Jordan Rodgers and Tim Tebow to preview the weekend's SEC action and share stories from across the conference. SEC Nation is part of a full weekend of SEC Network programming from Starkville. Marty & McGee will air live from 8-9 a.m. CT Saturday, featuring Marty Smith and Ryan McGee. Fans can also take part in #FinebaumFriday when The Paul Finebaum Show broadcasts live from 2-6 p.m. CT Friday in The Junction. Mississippi State and No. 5 Georgia will kick off at 11 a.m. CT Saturday on ESPN. Fans can purchase tickets at HailState.com/Tickets. |
| Dave Portnoy and 'The Barstool College Football Show' will broadcast live from Starkville as Georgia visits Mississippi State | |
| Fox's Big Noon Kickoff is airing live from Ohio Stadium once again as the Ohio State Buckeyes host the Penn State Nittany Lions, and fans will seemingly have to get their fill of Dave Portnoy this weekend before the Barstool Sports owner takes a break. According to Portnoy, his cold war with the Big Ten is still running hot, and after he makes a second appearance in Columbus this season, the decision to put him on the bench for next week comes as part of ongoing tensions with Fox's biggest college football partner. In the latest episode of his Unnamed Show podcast, Portnoy broke down the situation, emphasizing that Barstool's partnership with Fox remains strong despite the Big Ten taking itself "way too seriously" and pushing back on his Big Noon Kickoff appearances. As a result, The Barstool College Football Show will air live from Starkville, Mississippi, next weekend as Mississippi State hosts Georgia, separate from Big Noon Kickoff, which Portnoy suggests will air from a Big Ten campus. "I know this is 100 percent the truth," Portnoy explained. "We have a great relationship with Fox, and I am not trying to make their lives more difficult because we have a great relationship. That is why we're going to Mississippi State." |
| Football: State Culture Shines As Bulldogs Break Through | |
| Mississippi State had every single reason in the world to quit on Saturday at Arkansas. The Bulldogs were down by 14 entering the fourth quarter, but everyone who bleeds Maroon understood there was really more to it than that. Adversity stared State straight in the face once again, this on the heels of all the recent heartbreak. Tennessee. Florida. Texas. All could haves. Would haves. Should haves. It's been gut punch after gut punch after gut punch over the last month or so for MSU. Now a two-touchdown deficit on the road? A team can only take so much. Something special was needed. One day after Halloween, MSU didn't just need a comeback. It seemingly needed an exorcism. Then, it happened. Over the course of 15 glorious (and incredibly stressful) moments of game action, the Dawgs did it. Blake Shapen's go-ahead touchdown pass to Anthony Evans III with under a minute to play wasn't just a game-winning score. It was the Dawgs kicking their demons to the curb. Mississippi State had every reason in the world to quit. But the culture that head coach Jeff Lebby has built in Starkville made sure the Bulldogs finally found their Southeastern Conference breakthrough. "I'm incredibly proud of our guys," Lebby said. "I'm so proud of our fight [and how we were] playing the next play." |
| Mississippi State scores with 48 seconds left to overcome Arkansas 38-35 | |
| Blake Shapen threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Evans III on fourth down with 48 seconds left, lifting Mississippi State over Arkansas 38-35 on Saturday for its first Southeastern Conference victory of the season. The Bulldogs (5-4, 1-4 SEC) trailed by 14 points with 13:43 left before Shapen led scoring drives of 75, 43 and 69 yards to overcome the deficit. Arkansas (2-7, 0-5 SEC), which entered with the seventh-ranked offense in FBS, lost a total of 15 yards on its final three drives. Shapen, who completed 16 of 28 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, missed a chunk of the third quarter after taking a hit on the first play of the second half when Arkansas was flagged for a roughing-the-passer penalty. Back-up Kamario Taylor entered and led two scoring drives, one capped with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Evans and the other with a 20-yard touchdown run before Shapen returned. "We needed an old guy to be able to go win this game, felt that way and he did," Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said. "Came back in, plays unbelievably tough and he leads us down the field to go win the game in the fourth quarter." |
| Bulldogs end SEC-losing run with 4th quarter comeback in Fayetteville | |
| Mississippi State finally found what it was looking for on Saturday night at Razorback Stadium. As a team, the Bulldogs found a way to execute when it mattered most, shedding four painful losses to get into the win column in SEC play. The defense found a way to produce big stops, and the offense found its stride with two different quarterbacks. True freshman Kamario Taylor had to come in with Blake Shapen undergoing evaluation for a concussion, and ignited the offense with two touchdown drives. Upon return, Shapen still faced a 14-point deficit, but led three scoring drives to win 38-35 against a prolific Arkansas team. In the final minute, Shapen found Anthony Evans, Evans found the end zone, and head coach Jeff Lebby found his first SEC win as head coach. "We don't just say it to say it: Play the next play," Lebby said. "It's the only play that matters because it's the next one. And you have to have that mentality. The people that we play week in and week out, that's the reality of the game. Things are going to be far from perfect for us, but being able to play the next play and control the controllables will ultimately give us an opportunity to do what we want to do." The Bulldogs play their next play in Davis Wade Stadium Saturday against the No. 5-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. |
| Arkansas football bested by QB duo again in loss to Mississippi State | |
| The scariest thing the University of Arkansas football team could've seen in Saturday's 38-35 loss to Mississippi State, a day after Halloween, was a backup quarterback. A week ago, backup Ashton Daniels led Auburn from a 21-10 halftime deficit to a 33-24 win at Reynolds Razorback Stadium without a glamorous stat line. On Saturday, Mississippi State freshman Kamario Taylor entered on the Bulldogs' first drive after halftime, trailing 13-7. Four plays later, Taylor flung a 45-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Evans III to tie the game. "I thought he did a nice job running the ball for them and then he hit that post for a touchdown," Arkansas interim Coach Bobby Petrino said. "So, it was a concern when he came in, because a lot of our game plan this week was how to stop the running back. Then he became an issue." Kyle Ferrie (Harding Academy) hit the upright on the extra-point attempt, but an offsides flag against Arkansas gave him another chance to take a 14-13 lead. The Razorbacks were charged with a school-record 193 penalty yards. |
| Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen gives game ball to Kamario Taylor | |
| Blake Shapen was given a game ball after Mississippi State football broke its 16-game SEC losing streak. It made great sense. The Bulldogs' quarterback threw the winning touchdown pass in the final minute and led a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback in the Nov. 1 38-35 win at Arkansas. It was also Shapen's first SEC win as the second-year starting quarterback. But Shapen did not keep the game ball. Instead, he gave it to freshman quarterback Kamario Taylor, who scored two touchdowns while Shapen was being evaluated for a concussion in the third quarter. "The reasoning for that was he was able to step in and be able to lead two touchdown drives," Shapen said. "For me, that's a big deal for him. He's a true freshman. He hasn't been put in that situation before. We wouldn't have been in the game without him." Taylor didn't throw the winning touchdown like Shapen did but was just as important in the win for Mississippi State (5-4, 1-4 SEC). It was his first extended playing time of his career, and he met the moment to keep MSU in the game. And he showed he can be a reliable player with MSU needing one win in its last three games to clinch bowl eligibility. The Bulldogs host No. 5 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 8 (11 a.m., ESPN). |
| How Mississippi State football finally ended 16-game, two-year SEC losing streak | |
| Mississippi State football found itself in a familiar position. The Bulldogs were in another tight game in the fourth quarter, like three of their previous four SEC games. All of those ended in losses, with MSU seemingly finding different ways to lose each time. But this time, Mississippi State came out on top. The Bulldogs overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Arkansas 38-35 on Nov. 1 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The MSU (5-4, 1-4 SEC) win was thrilling, with quarterback Blake Shapen throwing the game-winning touchdown to Anthony Evans III with 48 seconds remaining on a fourth down. Players were yelling and screaming in celebration as they entered the locker room afterward. The win was more than an achievement on its own. It also snapped Mississippi State's 16-game SEC losing streak that dated back to 2023 and was approaching the program record of 19. It was also second-year coach Jeff Lebby's first SEC win. "It feels good to get a win," Lebby said. "It absolutely does. I've continued to focus on this football team, this season and who we are in the moment. Not comparing ourselves to any teams in the past. Who are we today and what gives us the best opportunity to win every single Saturday. That's been our focus. I guess the streak will not be talked about anymore, which I do love because we have a happy locker room and the guys played their butt off to go win." |
| Soccer: Borman's Late Winner Advances Bulldogs In SEC Tournament | |
| Mississippi State advanced in the SEC Tournament with a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma on Sunday night thanks to an 89th-minute winner from Tatum Borman. The Bulldog freshman played 35 minutes off the bench and made every one of them count. She fired off three shots, all on frame, culminating with her unassisted winner. Borman received a throw in and dribbled past two defenders before shooting from the top of the box for a successful strike off the crossbar. "I'm really proud of the way we played tonight. You know from the start of the game, we created some really good chances," head coach Nick Zimmerman said. "We played our style of football. You know, we wanted to have it. We dominated possession, and we created really good chances. Credit to this group and the resiliency to keep fighting and score an absolute worldly to win the game. Really, really proud of the group, and now we rest and recover as we get ready to play against a really good Arkansas team." The Bulldogs will now turn their attention to No. 4 Arkansas in a matchup of the last two SEC Regular Season Champions. Mississippi State continues its postseason journey at 4:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The match will air on the SEC Network. |
| Tatum Borman stunner sets up Arkansas rematch at SEC Tourney | |
| Mississippi State battled through 88 minutes of deadlock before something special happened at the SEC Tournament. Freshman Tatum Borman took possession on the right wing and darted inside, skipping past a couple of defenders and opening up space for a shot on her left foot. She sliced the ball toward goal, sending a ferocious shot looping over the goalkeeper and catching the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net. "Honestly, I was dribbling and I was trying to look for a slip ball, but no one stepped to me so I just decided to rip it," Borman said in her postgame interview. Borman was mobbed by teammates in celebration both after the goal and during her interview on SEC Network after the game, but she gave plenty of credit to them for their support and the leadership from the seniors like Ally Perry. "I couldn't be here without my teammates," she said. "This is honestly a dream come true." To that point, the Bulldogs (11-5-1, 5-4-1 SEC) had outshot the Sooners 20-6, creating nine chances on goal while dominating possession. It was the sort of performance that head coach Nick Zimmerman wants to see in terms of control, but it took persistence to finally find the back of the net. "I'm really proud of the way we played tonight. You know from the start of the game, we created some really good chances," Zimmerman said. |
| Women's Basketball: Bulldogs Open '25-26 Season Against Davidson Inside Humphrey Coliseum | |
| The Mississippi State women's basketball squad is set to begin their 2025-26 campaign on Monday, as they welcome the Davidson Wildcats to Humphrey Coliseum for their season opener. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on SECN+. Mississippi State enters the 2025-26 season fresh off the 13th NCAA Tournament bid in program history. In three seasons under Head Coach Sam Purcell, the Bulldogs have made the Big Dance twice. Coach Purcell has collected 67 overall wins and 24 SEC wins, the most of any coach throughout three seasons in program history. The Bulldogs see nine new faces on this year's team. Six players came to Starkville through the transfer portal: Trayanna Crisp, Awa Fane, Saniyah King, Favour Nwaedozi, Kharyssa Richardson and Faith Wylder. Madison Francis, Nataliyah Gray and Jaylah Lampley are three freshmen additions to this year's team. The trio were the 10th ranked class according to ESPN, which is the second-highest signing class in program history. Destiney McPhaul and Chandler Prater are the two active returners from last year's team. Rocío Jiménez returns as well but has not seen action in the Maroon and White due to injury. |
| Volleyball: State Shuts Down LSU In Four Sets | |
| Mississippi State volleyball moves back into the winning column after a four-set victory over LSU Friday evening. "What a hard-fought road win for the dogs," said head coach Julie Darty Dennis. "We were locked in and focused today and ready to play hard and compete against a physical LSU team. I loved our serve and pass game and felt like we executed our game plan well. I think we saw a lot of different faces and pieces tonight, and that is what makes this team special and great! I am so proud of this team and excited to continue conference play. Hail State!" The Bulldogs now sit at 15-6 over the season and 5-6 in conference play. Lindsey Mangelson led the team in kills at 23 off 59 attempts, ending the match at a .322 hitting percentage. Mele Corral-Blagojevich earned a career-high of 16 kills in the game off 35 attempts for a .371 hitting percentage. McKenna Yates and Cayley Hanson were the only Bulldogs to earn double digits in digs, with Yates leading at 18. Hanson earned a career high of 13 digs in the match. Gha'Naye Whitfield-Moss led the team in blocks at 4, with two of them being solos. State will return to action Wednesday as they take on Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. |
| Mississippi State announces plan for more concerts on campus, benefitting student-athletes | |
| More concerts will be coming to Mississippi State, as part of a new collaboration the university's athletics department reached with an entertainment company. Mississippi State Athletics and Peachtree Entertainment, an agency out of Nashville, have announced a multi-year partnership to program live music experiences at Humphrey Coliseum and Davis Wade Stadium, the school's basketball and football venues. In an era of revenue sharing, where universities' athletics departments can deliver up to $20.5 million of their income to student-athletes, some colleges are beginning to get more creative with ways to make money. Though Mississippi State officials did not cite revenue sharing as a driver for the new partnership, it stands to reason that a new source of cash would only help efforts to build and maintain competitive sports teams. The partnership will also offer more entertainment options, with the potential of landing high-profile artists to take the main stage at the two venues. In a cross-campus collaboration, Peachtree Entertainment will also work with Music Maker Productions, a Mississippi State University non-profit student-run organization, to provide experiences and education within the music industry. |
| MSU Athletics, Peachtree Entertainment team up for concert programming at Davis Wade and The Hump | |
| Mississippi State Athletics is looking to capitalize on the potential of its two biggest arenas in the near future, partnering with Peachtree Entertainment in an effort to bring concerts to campus as soon as spring 2026. MSU Director of Athletics Zac Selmon announced the new partnership with Peachtree CEO Nathan Baugh on Thursday. "Humphrey Coliseum was synonymous with live music until roughly ten years ago," Selmon said. "This is something we've been working on for a while, and we identified Nathan and his team at Peachtree as the right partners to bring concerts back to Mississippi State University. It's important that we do our part in bringing economic impact to the city of Starkville while also providing memorable experiences for our student body. For this to line up with the 50th anniversary of Humphrey Coliseum's opening is even more special." Peachtree is notably involved with Southern-based rock-and-roll and country artists. The Hump and Davis Wade Stadium have both undergone renovations in recent years, with light and structural reinforcement at the historic football field the most recently completed project. More than $9 million was spent on upgrading the stadium, and plans are still in place to upgrade the sound system in the stadium ahead of the 2026 season. |
| James Carville says he will burn LSU diplomas, gear after school parts ways with AD | |
 | James Carville, the ever-colorful political consultant and LSU superfan, is not happy with Gov. Jeff Landry and LSU's decision to part ways with athletic director Scott Woodward, even threatening to burn his LSU diplomas and merch. "I plan on burning all of my LSU gear, both of my diplomas and both of my daughter's diplomas," Carville said on Friday's episode of the sports podcast The Tony Kornheiser Show. Carville, a veteran Democratic campaign guru who became famous for his work electing Bill Clinton as president, also told Kornheiser he wasn't just talking, he would film the burning and has spoken to legal counsel about looking into the conservative Landry's comments criticizing Woodward's coach contracts at LSU and Texas A&M. "I believe, and I've engaged the services of Williams and Connolly, that the governor libeled our athletic director when he erroneously talked about Jimbo Fisher's buyout at Texas A&M," Carville said. While Woodward hired Fisher and Kelly, It was Woodward's successor, Ross Bjork, who signed Fisher for the extension that led to Fisher's buyout, a fact which Carville believes could be grounds for a suit against Landry. Carville began his appearance on the podcast by saying previous Republican governors Mike Foster and Bobby Jindal were supportive of LSU football, but said the reputational damage done to LSU under Landry had been "incalculable." |
| What a Governor's Intervention at LSU Says About Political Oversight and Golden Parachutes | |
| The past week in Louisiana politics has felt like something out of the 1930s: a governor unabashedly inserting himself into the management of Louisiana State University's football program, which, by the end of the week, had lost its coach and athletic director amid a search for a new president. Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, lambasted football coach Brian Kelly's $53-million buyout at a press conference Wednesday and announced that LSU's athletic director, Scott Woodward, would not be selecting the next coach. "I'm tired of rewarding failure in this country and then leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill," he said. By Thursday, Woodward was out. The only real precedent for this kind of intervention is Huey Long, according to Robert Mann, an emeritus professor of journalism who published a book about the famed politician's relationship with the flagship called Kingfish U: Huey Long and LSU. "Long was making no bones about the fact that he was running LSU," Mann said. Landry has not gone so far as to draw up football plays or grow the marching band, like Long did, but, Mann added, "no other governor that I know of got that involved." The imbroglio at Louisiana State feels all too familiar to F. King Alexander, who was LSU's system president and main campus chancellor from 2013 to 2020. In 2019, Alexander recalls, members of the Board of Supervisors at LSU effectively ordered him to fire Joe Alleva, who was then athletics director, and replace him with Woodward. Over dinner at Jubans, a local Creole restaurant, one of the board members, Alexander recalled, wrote Woodward's salary requirements on a cocktail napkin. The board was obsessed with football and little else, Alexander said. |
| Auburn fires football coach Hugh Freeze after 2-plus seasons | |
| Football coach Hugh Freeze, whose 15-19 record in his two-plus seasons at Auburn was capped by a listless home loss to Kentucky on Saturday, has been fired, athletic director John Cohen announced Sunday. Freeze, 56, will be owed $15.8 million in buyout money. "I have informed Coach Freeze of my decision to make a change in leadership with the Auburn football program," Cohen said in a statement. "Coach Freeze is a man of integrity, and we are appreciative of his investment in Auburn and his relentless work over the last three years in bolstering our roster. Our expectations for Auburn football are to annually compete for championships and the search for the next leader of Auburn football begins immediately." Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin has been named interim head coach of the Tigers. Freeze ends his run without recording a winning season at Auburn in three tries. In fact, the Tigers last had a winning season in 2020, when they were 6-5. And they have won more than eight games only twice (2017, 2019) since playing for the national championship in 2013. "I wish I could ask for patience, but that's not something that people want to give in this day and time, and I understand that," Freeze said Saturday night. "I just think we're so dang close." |
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