| Tuesday, November 4, 2025 |
| MSU President Mark Keenum speaks at Starkville Rotary Club | |
 | Record enrollment and a knack for building Mississippi's professional ranks were a couple of the highlights from Dr. Mark Keenum's State of the University Address Monday. Keenum briefed members of the Starkville Rotary Club on Monday, November 3. He said enrollment has hit another record and is up by more than 400 students from the Fall of last year. And the university's momentum doesn't stop there, with more than $260 million raised, the endowment now stands at more than $1 billion, and there are also numerous building and renovation projects in progress and in the works. But the number that really stands out for Keenum is 64. That's the percentage of students who hail from the Magnolia State, and many of those put down roots after graduation. "When they graduate, a majority of our graduates stay in Mississippi to work, and an overwhelming majority of our graduates who go to graduate school, medical school, or law school, well, they stay in Mississippi. So, we're helping to address the 'brain drain' we see in many states. Mississippi State University, our graduates are either going to work here, or they're studying here, and many of them will stay here in Mississippi and contribute back to our state and to our economy," said Keenum. |
| MSU navigates federal, state challenges as semester nears end | |
 | Federal mandates, state funding concerns and state laws have been just a few issues Mississippi State University has faced so far this school year. The first challenge for the university came with the federal directive to universities to remove all diversity, equity and inclusion programming, University President Mark Keenum told the Starkville Rotary Club on Monday. "Every university in our country right now is experiencing some form or fashion of a headwind. We're not exempt from that here in Mississippi," Keenum said during the meeting at Hilton Garden Inn. Keenum also noted the university's most recent enrollment figures, which positions MSU as the only public higher institution to grow in enrollment 10 out of the last 11 years, a press release issued Monday said. Keenum said enrollment for the fall reached 23,563 students or about 400 more than last year. "We've instituted an enrollment plan, a strategic enrollment plan for our campus, and we started this about four years ago, and we're seeing the fruits of our efforts," Keenum told The Dispatch. "And we've invested heavily in our branding and our marketing and promotion of our campus and the programs we have here beyond just the state of Mississippi." MSU's campus also continues to grow with the construction of the university's new High Performance Computing Data Center at the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, which Keenum said should be complete by the end of the year. |
| MSU is state's only public university growing 10 of past 11 years | |
 | Mississippi State is seeing another record-breaking enrollment this fall and a 12.6% surge in first-time students, positioning the university as the state's only public higher education institution to grow 10 of the past 11 years. As the No. 1 college choice for high school graduates in Mississippi, MSU is recording a total of 23,563 students, an increase of more than 400 students over 2024's final count of 23,150. First-time in college students stand at 4,049, while returning undergraduates and professional students also are up. Mississippi State's pattern for record-breaking student numbers can be seen through its comprehensive strategies, focused recruitment, and a repeated affirmation of a college degree's value and significance. Strategic use of artificial intelligence in marketing and recruitment, improved advisory software, enhanced Career Center engagement, and a robust First-Year Experience program all have had roles in enrolling and retaining students. |
| MSU achieves another enrollment record, state's only public university growing 10 of past 11 years | |
 | Mississippi State is seeing another record-breaking enrollment this fall and a 12.6% surge in first-time students, positioning the university as the state's only public higher education institution to grow 10 of the past 11 years. As the No. 1 college choice for high school graduates in Mississippi, MSU is recording a total of 23,563 students, an increase of more than 400 students over 2024's final count of 23,150. First-time in college students stand at 4,049, while returning undergraduates and professional students also are up. "Every day, we're placing strong efforts in developing new programs and revising existing ones to ensure Mississippi State is a university that creates futures for students," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "We're working to create the programs students want and need, while at the same time, partnering with more and more employers to meet their workforce needs." |
| Four colleges receive Mississippi Science of Reading designations | |
 | Officials with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced four colleges received special designations for the 2025-26 school year. Mississippi College, Mississippi State University and Blue Mountain Christian University received the Mississippi Emerging Science of Reading Educator Preparation Program designation. Jackson State University received the Mississippi Science of Reading Educator Preparation Program designation. Officials said the recognition is for colleges and universities that have trained professors and teacher candidates in the science of reading, exemplified a change of instructional practices, and are ensuring that their graduates enter a classroom ready to instruct students in structured literacy practices. MDE's literacy leadership team will travel to each campus starting November 20, 2025, to celebrate this accomplishment. |
| Education: Mississippi State students among 2025-2026 MAMA scholarship winners | |
| Several Mississippi State University students are among the 15 recipients of the 2025-2026 Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association scholarships, awarded to students pursuing careers in the state's automotive industry. Since its founding in 2006, MAMA has awarded $471,000 in scholarships to 249 students across Mississippi community colleges and universities. This year, students from a range of majors -- from engineering to industrial technology -- were recognized for their academic excellence, leadership and commitment to advancing the state's automotive workforce. At Mississippi State, the recipients include seniors I'Jerius Brown, Joshua Jones, Vanessa Morales, Rahul Sah, and Cooper Shanks. MAMA Scholarship Chairwoman Judy Johnson praised this year's recipients: "We congratulate these students and look forward to seeing the impact they'll make in the years to come." By supporting students like those at Mississippi State University, MAMA continues to invest in the next generation of skilled professionals, ensuring Mississippi's automotive industry remains innovative and competitive. |
| Vote today: Mississippi holds special elections | |
| Voters in several areas of the state will participate in special general elections Tuesday to decide who will represent them in the state Legislature. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone in line to vote by 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot beyond the 7 p.m. closure. There will be 10 special legislative elections across the state Tuesday, seven general elections due to a court redistricting order, and three special nonpartisan elections to fill legislative vacancies from members who left before their terms were up. Voters in Hinds County also will elect a coroner, choosing from a crowded field of six candidates. A federal three-judge panel ordered Mississippi to conduct special elections for 14 legislative seats this year because the court determined the Legislature diluted Black voting strength when it redrew legislative districts. The federal panel specifically ordered the state to have special elections for House districts in the Chickasaw County area, Senate districts in the Hattiesburg area and Senate districts in the DeSoto County area. No matter the outcome of Tuesday's races, Republicans will still retain control of both chambers of the Legislature when lawmakers convene in January for their 2026 session. However, national Democratic organizations are hoping to end the GOP's two-thirds supermajority control of the state Senate. Unrelated to the redistricting lawsuit, voters in parts of the Delta and the Jackson metro area can participate in special elections Tuesday because of incumbents vacating their seats. |
| USDA tells grocery stores: No special discounts for SNAP recipients | |
 | The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) emailed grocery stores prohibiting them from offering discounts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients amid the government shutdown. The email, shared Sunday by MSNBC's Catherine Rampell to social platform X, said that grocery stores "must offer eligible goods at the same prices and on the same terms and conditions" to SNAP recipients. National Grocers Association (NGA) Vice President David Cutler confirmed to The Hill Monday that the email was sent to grocers. The NGA represents more than 21,000 independent grocery stores around the country. The Sunday notice states that unless a store has a waiver allowing it to bypass the program's equal treatment requirement, "offering discounts or services only to SNAP paying customers is a SNAP violation." On Monday, Trump administration officials told a federal judge in Rhode Island that it would provide partial SNAP benefits for November via a $4.65 billion contingency fund. Two federal judges had ordered the administration to do so Friday. |
| Trump rounds out endorsements of Mississippi's GOP congressional members | |
| President Donald Trump continues to dish out endorsements ahead of the 2026 midterms, using the weekend to round out his ringing reviews of every Republican currently representing Mississippi. After supplying U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith with an endorsement back in March and giving U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell a nod of approval last week, the commander-in-chief went to social media on Sunday to do the same for U.S. Reps. Trent Kelly and Michael Guest. In a pair of Truth Social posts, Trump touted Kelly and Guest for their support of securing the southern border, protecting Second Amendment rights, cutting taxes, among other policy points. Kelly, representing the state's first congressional district, is seeking a sixth full term after first being elected in 2015. Guest, representing the state's third congressional district, is seeking a fifth term after first being elected in 2018. Primary races for Kelly and Guest's seats and Mississippi's two other House seats will be held on March 10, 2026, with the general election slated for Nov. 3, 2026. Hyde-Smith will be on the ballot, as well, but U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker will not due to Senate seats being staggered. |
| George W. Bush remembers Dick Cheney: 'A calm and steady presence' | |
 | Former President George W. Bush paid tribute to his late vice president, Dick Cheney, on Tuesday, calling him "a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held." "Dick was a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges," Bush wrote. "I counted on him for his honest, forthright counsel, and he never failed to give his best. He held to his convictions and prioritized the freedom and security of the American people." Cheney, who served as Bush's powerful right-hand man in the Oval Office from 2001 to 2009, died due to complications from pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said in a statement Tuesday morning. He was 84. And even though the pair's relationship was strained toward the end of their time in the White House -- due in large part to Bush's refusal to pardon Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby -- the former president hailed Cheney as "among the finest public servants of his generation." "For those two terms in office, and throughout his remarkable career, Dick Cheney's service always reflected credit on the country he loved," Bush wrote. One key Republican who has remained conspicuously silent in the hours since Cheney's death was announced is President Donald Trump. Cheney's twilight in American politics was marked by his opposition to the president. |
| Bessent Plans to Attend Tariff Arguments at the Supreme Court | |
 | Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Monday that he would attend the Supreme Court arguments this week over President Trump's power to levy many of his tariffs, emphasizing how pivotal the case could be to Mr. Trump's signature economic policy. "I'm actually going to go and sit hopefully in the front row and listen, have a ringside seat," Mr. Bessent said on "Jesse Watters Primetime" on Fox News. Mr. Trump, who has called the case one of the most important in the nation's history, had mused about attending the arguments himself before backtracking. Had he shown up in court on Wednesday, he would have been the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court. Mr. Trump has made no secret that he would take a decision against him as a personal affront, and critics had said that his presence could have been seen as an attempt to intimidate the justices. But Mr. Bessent dismissed the idea that his own presence had any such purpose. "I am there to emphasize that this is an economic emergency," he said. "National security is economic security. Economic security is national security. As the Treasury secretary of the United States, I'm in charge of maintaining both." That is an argument the administration hopes resonates with the court as it considers the case, which could invalidate Mr. Trump's use of emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner. The effects of the decision, which is considered a tossup by legal experts, could ripple through Americans' wallets and around the globe. |
| What Happened When Small-Town America Became Data Center, U.S.A. | |
 | Yesenia Leon-Tejeda, like many people on the frontier of America's tech boom, is basking in newfound prosperity. Her hometown in northeast Oregon was not long ago known for a former chemical-weapons depot nearby, a state prison on the city's outskirts and the strip clubs once dotting its main drag. But a growing fleet of Amazon data centers has turned the region around Umatilla into an unlikely nerve center for one of the most expensive infrastructure build-outs in U.S. history. The tech giant has pumped jobs, people and money into the community of roughly 8,000, doubling many home prices and enticing builders to etch new neighborhoods into surrounding hillsides. That means dollar signs for Realtors like Leon-Tejeda. America's tech build-out has minted millionaires in Silicon Valley, helped a record-breaking stock market defy gravity and buoyed an otherwise uncertain U.S. economy. Companies are throwing money at digital innovation to become more profitable with fewer workers down the road. But the sheer scale of investment has obscured how it is already reshaping America, in the form of windowless buildings the size of multiple football fields where businesses store and process information. That development is injecting vast sums of cash into sometimes unexpected corners of the country -- many of them bypassed by previous boomtimes. Some wonder how long it will last. Leon-Tejeda shares concerns growing more common in Washington and on Wall Street that America's increasingly AI-crazed tech race might stall. The difference for her is that any fallout would hit home. |
| Seven of eight public universities in Mississippi see enrollment growth | |
| Every public university except one in the state of Mississippi experienced enrollment growth over the last year, with the largest growth by percentage seen at the Mississippi University for Women. On average, the entire system under the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning saw enrollment increase by 2.7 percent from 79,817 in 2024 to 81,961 in 2025. "Mississippi's universities continue to set a high standard for our students in terms of value and price, and these enrollment figures reflect the confidence that families from around the state and beyond have in our university system," said Dr. Al Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education. "With the support from the Mississippi Legislature and Governor Reeves, we know that our state's universities will continue to be seen as a place where investments in time, funding, academics, and research will have a strong return." Alcorn State University was the only institution to show a decrease in enrollment, down 3.2 percent over the year. Enrollment at ASU fell by 95 students over the last year, to a total of 2,900. |
| All but one public Mississippi university saw enrollment growth in 2025 | |
| All but one of Mississippi's nine public universities saw enrollment growth this fall. Mississippi's Institutions of Higher Learning reported Monday a nearly 3% growth in enrollment in fall 2025 compared to fall 2024. Total student enrollment across the system is 81,961, compared to 79,817 a year ago. Fueled by record enrollment at the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University, students flocked to universities statewide amid an anticipated dip in the number of students attending college nationwide. ... The momentum continued at Mississippi State, with the university topping its enrollment record this fall and seeing a 12.6% surge in first-time students. Mississippi State recorded a total of 23,563 students, an increase of more than 400 students over 2024's final count of 23,150. ... "Mississippi's universities continue to set a high standard for our students in terms of value and price, and these enrollment figures reflect the confidence that families from around the state and beyond have in our university system," IHL Commissioner Dr. Al Rankins Jr. said. |
| Mississippi universities see 3% enrollment rise in fall 2025 | |
| The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced data from Mississippi's public universities showed continued growth in student enrollment. According to the data, there was a nearly three-percent growth in enrollment in fall 2025 compared to fall 2024. Total student enrollment across the system is 81,961, compared to 79,817 in fall 2024. "Mississippi's universities continue to set a high standard for our students in terms of value and price, and these enrollment figures reflect the confidence that families from around the state and beyond have in our university system," said Dr. Al Rankins Jr., commissioner of IHL. "With the support from the Mississippi Legislature and Governor Reeves, we know that our state's universities will continue to be seen as a place where investments in time, funding, academics, and research will have a strong return." |
| All but one Mississippi public university increased enrollment in 2025 | |
 | Out of Mississippi's eight public universities, all but one saw an increase in enrollment in fall 2025 compared to last year's numbers, according to data from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning released Monday morning, Nov. 3. Alcorn State University was the only institution to see a decrease, a 3.2% decline compared to fall 2024. Last year, three of the eight reported decreases. Combined, enrollment at all eight universities reached 81,961 students, a 2.7% increase from the 79,817 students counted in fall 2024. Alcorn State University's enrollment is 2,900 in fall 2025, a 3.2% decrease from 2,995 in fall 2024. The university's enrollment has wavered in the past two years. From fall 2023 to fall 2024, Alcorn State University increased enrollment by 3.5%. The university's enrollment decreased by 1.3% from fall 2022 to fall 2023. |
| Education: The W announces broad growth in fall 2025 enrollment | |
| Mississippi University for Women reported its largest enrollment increase in nearly a decade, with an 8% increase bringing total unduplicated student enrollment to 2,371 for fall 2025. "This year's growth in enrollment reflects the great work done by our enrollment management staff and our faculty," said President Nora Miller. "We had increases in both new students and in continuing students, so recruitment and retention strategies are having a positive impact." Both the MUW School of Education and the College of Business and Professional Studies experienced significant growth, with increases of 13% and 16%, respectively. The W also reported an 8% increase in unduplicated graduate student enrollment, with graduate nursing programs growing by 26%. The College of Arts and Sciences saw its strongest growth in the Department of Music, up 32%, followed by Art and Design with an 18% increase. The university's largest college remains the Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences and experienced growth in all nursing programs. |
| Magnolia Mornings: Belhaven receives over half-million in research grant funding | |
| Belhaven University announced that the college had recently received confirmation that Dr. Ariel Kelley, associate professor of chemistry, and Dr. John Neiswinger, professor of biology, have both been awarded funding for their independent research projects. In addition, Dr. Rachel Roller, assistant professor of chemistry, collaborated with a faculty member at Millsaps College on a grant that will bring new scientific instrumentation to campus, expanding research access for Belhaven students. The new awards join two previously announced grants -- a $389,600 Mississippi AI and Technology Advancement Program (MAI-TAP) grant and a $75,000 INBRE startup grant awarded to Dr. Mariana Sá, associate professor of biology. Kelley was awarded $75,000 over 18 months from the Mississippi Research Alliance (MRA), funded through the National Science Foundation's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR). Her project, "Supramolecular Engineering of Nitrosamine Cocrystals for Risk Reduction," explores innovative ways to reduce the risks associated with certain nitrogen-containing compounds. Neiswinger received $20,000 from the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (MS INBRE) for his project, "Clinically Based and Novel Mutagenesis on the Human Kinome." His research will involve students beginning next semester, providing hands-on experience in molecular biology and genetic analysis. |
| Choosing a new president: LSU's board is set to select the university's leader today | |
 | LSU is set to pick its 29th president today from a field of three: a Louisiana university president with a business background and two out-of-state candidates with lengthy academic records at large research institutions. The LSU Board of Supervisors is to choose among Wade Rousse, the president of McNeese State University, who some close to the search say has the inside track; James Dalton, the executive vice president and provost of the University of Alabama; and Dr. Robert Robbins, a former president of the University of Arizona. The three men have presented different visions of LSU's future. Rousse has emphasized his significant business background, saying he aims to court companies to help fund research and institute metrics for success across the system. "This leader needs to be very politically savvy," he told the LSU Presidential Search Committee last week. Dalton touted his "student-centric" approach, advocating for more support services to increase student graduation and success rates. Robbins said doubling LSU research funding was an "achievable goal," saying he was able to achieve that during his time in Arizona. |
| Shutdown stops U. of Tennessee System SNAP grants, ROTC stipends | |
 | University of Tennessee System campuses have started feeling the pains of the ongoing federal government shutdown, with grant funding suspended for the UT Institute of Agriculture and stipends stalled for ROTC students at UT Martin. The shutdown has had limited effects on the flagship Knoxville campus, which is dealing with another set of federal issues: navigating the back-and-forth of grant terminations under President Donald Trump's second administration and understanding a new rule for H1-B visas that requires a $100,000 fee for each worker, which could affect how UT hires internationally. The UT Institute of Agriculture, adjacent to the main Knoxville campus, had funding suspended for two grants related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Both grants were for educational programs -- one to "help SNAP participants gain the training and skills needed to get a good job" and the other helping participants "learn how to choose and prepare healthy foods and feel empowered to move toward self-sufficiency," according to their online descriptions. |
| The Texas Way: UT faculty group issues new definition of 'academic freedom' | |
| The University of Texas affirmed its "non-negotiable" commitment to academic freedom and serving the public in a new faculty-drafted statement on academic integrity. The statement, released Monday, is designed to serve as a state model for balancing professors' rights to speech with higher education's responsibility to provide a balanced education. However, some freedom of speech advocates and a professor group worry the statement lacks specifics on what speech will be protected. In 900 words, the faculty group defines academic integrity as "the responsible exercise of academic freedom" in a manner that aligns intellectual honesty in teaching, moral responsibility and the pursuit of knowledge. It encourages universities, faculty and students to cultivate a culture of humility and curiosity to best question perceived truths, welcome new ideas and encourage respectful debate -- while adhering to the limits of academic freedom. |
| Oklahoma's first-ever chief AI officer shares vision for artificial intelligence's role on campus | |
| Shishir Shah's new office was bare, aside from a few textbooks on the bookshelf and a balloon sign that read "Welcome Dr. Shah," a reminder of his new position as the University of Oklahoma's first university-wide chief artificial intelligence officer. "Truthfully speaking, I didn't have much time to visit Norman before I joined (OU)," Shah said. "We're still in the process of finding a place to stay. Most of our evenings are spent looking for a home." In August, Shah was announced as OU's new chief artificial intelligence officer and director of the School of Computer Science. Before coming to OU, Shah spent over 20 years in the department of computer science at the University of Houston as a professor and in various leadership positions. Shah also directed research at the University of Houston's Quantitative Imaging Laboratory, focusing on an AI field called "computer vision," where machines are able to process and make decisions based on videos and images. "A significant portion of what we perceive is what we see. ... That kind of sensing is critical in us doing a variety of cognitive-level tasks," Shah said. "The question is, 'Can we figure it out and allow computers to mimic that process?'" In 2020, OU launched "Lead On, University," an eight-year strategic plan centered around five pillars to represent significant goals set by the university. As part of the plan, which was refreshed in March, the university aims to prepare students to navigate artificial intelligence effectively after graduation, according to a mass email announcing Shah's appointment in August. |
| A Look Inside a Rapidly Growing Sector: Dual Enrollmentual Enrollment | |
 | Dual enrollment is a massive and growing trend; according to federal data, 2.8 million high school students were enrolled in at least one college class in the 2023-2024 academic year, the most recent year available. At the average college, dual enrollment students accounted for more than a quarter of all enrollment. Despite its increasing prevalence, the field is still relatively young-- its membership organization and accreditation body, the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, celebrated 25 years at its Los Angeles conference last week -- and programs vary wildly from state to state and institution to institution. Some programs are offered in high school settings while others take place on college campuses. Some states have fewer than 10 percent of high schoolers enrolled in dual-credit courses, while in others the share is approaching 50 percent. Most programs are targeted at high school juniors and seniors, but some extend all the way down to ninth grade. It's also a field that's changed a lot from its earliest days, when it was seen as an elite opportunity for talented high schoolers to take classes that adequately challenged them. |
| Public workers could be denied loan forgiveness if cities defy Trump, lawsuit alleges | |
 | The cities of Albuquerque, N.M., Boston, Chicago and San Francisco are suing the Trump administration over changes it plans to make to the popular Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, or PSLF. The lawsuit, which also includes the nation's two largest teachers unions and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, comes less than a week after the U.S. Department of Education published a rule change to PSLF. Effective July 1, 2026, the department says the change will allow it to deny loan forgiveness to workers whose government or nonprofit employers engage in activities with a "substantial illegal purpose." The job of defining "substantial illegal purpose" will fall not to the courts but to the education secretary. PSLF was created by Congress in 2007, and signed by then-President George W. Bush, to cancel the federal student loan debts of borrowers who spend a decade working in public service, including teaching, nursing and policing. According to the lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the plaintiffs fear that a city or county government's resistance to the administration's immigration actions, for example, or anti-DEI policies, could lead the secretary to exclude that government's public workers from loan forgiveness. They worry that a local nurse or first responder could be denied loan forgiveness because their local leaders defied the Trump administration. |
| Trump Partially Funds SNAP as Colleges Scramble to Feed Students | |
| In the last week, campuses scrambled to shore up resources as 42 million Americans, including over a million college students, prepared to lose federal assistance to buy food. Payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, didn't go out on the first of the month as they normally would amid the ongoing government shutdown. Now the Trump administration plans to dole out some of the benefits this month -- but not all -- in response to two federal court orders. In court filings Monday, the Trump administration agreed to expend emergency reserves to issue partial benefits this month, but also said the funds will only cover half of eligible households' current benefits. And for at least some states, payments could take months to come through because of bureaucratic hurdles. Erika Roberson, senior policy associate at the Institute for College Access and Success, said she worries students who rely on SNAP will still get less food than they need. "Some food is not nearly enough food -- especially when students are left to decide between finding their next meal and studying for an exam," Roberson said in a statement to Inside Higher Ed. "Food should not be a luxury, but today, sadly, many college students are finding themselves in a position where that's their reality." |
SPORTS
| Soccer: Rematch With No. 4 Arkansas Awaits State At SEC Tournament | |
| Mississippi State returns to the pitch at the SEC Tournament on Tuesday against No. 4 Arkansas in a matchup of the last two regular season conference champions. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network in the third game of the day in Pensacola, Florida. Just one game into the event, it's already been a historic tournament for the Bulldogs. Tuesday night saw the team record its highest shots, shots on goal and corners totals in an SEC Tournament match while posting the first SEC Tournament shutout in school history. MSU's 11 shots on goal are already tied for the single-year program record at the conference tournament. Tuesday's match will see the teams responsible for the last three SEC regular season championships go head-to-head. With a win, State would advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the third year in a row and would play the winner of four-seed Tennessee and five-seed LSU. The semifinals are set for Thursday, Nov. 6, and kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. |
| How Jeff Lebby sees opportunity for Mississippi State in 4 SEC coaches getting fired | |
| Mississippi State football not very long ago was the SEC program with instability. Coach Mike Leach died unexpectedly in December 2022. His replacement, Zach Arnett, was fired midway through the 2023 season. Then the Bulldogs went 2-10 and winless in the SEC in 2024 in coach Jeff Lebby's first season. But 2025 has been a turnaround for MSU, which dramatically beat Arkansas on Nov. 1 to snap its 16-game SEC losing streak. Mississippi State (5-4, 1-4 SEC) needs to win just one of its last three games to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2022, starting with No. 5 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 8 (11 a.m., ESPN). There appears to finally be stability at Mississippi State in Lebby's second season. Some other teams in the SEC aren't in that position though. Four SEC coaches have been fired this season, most recently Auburn's Hugh Freeze on Nov. 2, and more openings could still come. That could be a benefit for Mississippi State as it also builds for the future. "I think there's so much uncertainty in a lot of other places right now," Lebby said on Nov. 3. "There hasn't been stability here as we've talked about a lot in the first year and a half. With the ability to have stability, you see us taking the right steps. We got to continue to find ways to win. That's the most important thing." |
| Women's Hoops Earn Gritty Opening Day Victory | |
| The Mississippi State women's basketball team earned their 22nd consecutive opening day victory after taking down the Davidson Wildcats, 66-57. "That felt great," head coach Sam Purcell said. "I could not be more excited about a great win, and most importantly, we're going to get better." The Bulldogs put the first points on the board with a basket from Destiney McPhaul. That foreshadowed the night for her, as she would go on to score a career-high 20 points on 60 percent shooting, including a pair of three pointers and a perfect 6-6 night at the charity stripe. "I feel like I played decent," McPhaul said. "I could have done a lot of things better, but overall, I feel that I gave my team some energy. I love it." The Mississippi State Bulldogs will be back in action on Friday when they take on Georgia State on Education Day inside The Hump. Tipoff for the contest is set for 11 a.m. on SECN+. |
| Destiney McPhaul has career-high 20 points in Mississippi State win | |
| Destiney McPhaul described her performance in Mississippi State women's basketball's season-opening win as "decent." But "decent" for her was a team-leading 20 points, and the most points the guard has scored in her two seasons with the Bulldogs. McPhaul shot 6-for-10 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line as Mississippi State's offense struggled in the 66-57 win against Davidson on Nov. 1 at Humphrey Coliseum. "Early on I was able to hit some shots, but I feel like after a while I was a little loose with the ball," McPhaul said. "I can clean up some things, but I can definitely do better than I did tonight." Neither team led by more than seven points until MSU (1-0), playing without injured guard Saniyah King, pulled away late in the fourth quarter. Davidson (0-1) even had a 44-43 lead with 1:25 remaining in the third quarter. McPhaul only made and attempted one field goal in the fourth quarter, but it came at a pivotal time. Both teams hadn't scored a field goal in over five minutes as Davidson only trailed by four points with 4:20 to play. That's when McPhaul crossed up her defender at the top of the key, drove to her left and banked in a layup through contact. Two-and-a-half minutes later, the Bulldogs had their biggest lead of the game at 62-52. |
| Elevating The Experience: What's New At Humphrey Coliseum in 2025-26 | |
| Another exciting season of Bulldog basketball is nearly here, and Mississippi State Athletics continues to ensure Humphrey Coliseum stands as one of the premier venues in all of college hoops. This season, fans will have the opportunity to enjoy multiple gameday enhancements and celebratory events inside The Hump. Here's a peek at many of the things you can look forward to in the season ahead. A revamped gameday page (HailState.com/Gameday) will help redefine the gameday experience for basketball ticket holders by connecting them with everything needed to plan their campus visit in one centralized location. The site will feature interactive arena maps, seating charts, parking information and directions to concessions and retail locations, providing everything fans need for a seamless driveway-to-driveway experience. Both the MSU and visiting team benches have moved to the east side of the floor this season, bringing a new look to the sideline setup and creating a host of premium seating opportunities. Many of the successful stops fans have enjoyed at Davis Wade Stadium this football season will now be available inside The Hump as well. |
| Auburn AD John Cohen on the football coaching search: 'I am the committee' | |
 | Hugh Freeze is out at Auburn, meaning the university's third football coaching search since 2020 is officially underway. Auburn athletic director John Cohen held a news conference on Monday just over 24 hours after Freeze's dismissal, and said in no uncertain terms who will be selecting the next head coach. "I am the committee," Cohen said. "Even though I will listen, and I will do as good a job as I possibly can of taking in information, I will be the committee." Cohen was asked specifically if Auburn would use a search firm to make this hire, to which Cohen said he's "not sure." Whether there is or not, Cohen's comments made it clear that he will be the one ultimately selecting Freeze's successor. Hiring Freeze was Cohen's first major action as Auburn's athletic director, and three years later that choice did not pan out. Who Cohen eventually lands on will likely define his tenure as Auburn's athletic director |
| We asked former ADs about the chaos at LSU after Brian Kelly's firing | |
| Mike Alden calls them investors. Sure, most college football people would label them as donors or boosters, but Alden -- who was the Missouri athletic director for 17 years -- said they are investors because their investment comes with a sense of power over the decisions that are made within the program. The introduction of NIL and revenue sharing isn't the first time collegiate athletes have been paid, but creating a direct correlation between the athletes and donors has changed the power dynamics within college sports, Alden said. "Investors believe they're going to have a higher say into what takes place in an athletic program," Alden said, "probably than ever before." Perhaps no school has experienced this shift more violently than LSU last week. The whiplash and chaos of the week didn't settle until Friday, when LSU announced a five-man committee, led by interim athletic director Verge Ausberry, that will select the next coach. But the drama of the past week at LSU has made hiring the next coach more difficult. |
| NCAA sends concerns over 'integrity' to prediction market Kalshi | |
| The NCAA sent a letter to Kalshi, a company that offers prediction markets on college basketball and football, expressing its concern about the company's "commitment to contest integrity and the protection of contest participants," according to a copy of the letter obtained by ESPN. In the letter, dated Oct. 30, NCAA chief legal officer Scott Bearby asked Kalshi how it monitors collegiate sports markets for integrity concerns and activity by prohibited customers, who it considers a prohibited customer, whether it will report integrity concerns to the NCAA and whether the company will cooperate with NCAA investigations. "We welcome Kalshi's stance on its efforts to protect the integrity of NCAA competitions and to reduce instances of abuse and harassment directed at student-athletes and other participants," Bearby wrote. Prop betting markets, Bearby noted in the letter, heighten "the risk of integrity and harassment concerns." In March last year, NCAA president Charlie Baker called for a ban on prop bets on college athletes in states with legal sports wagering. |
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