| Monday, January 12, 2026 |
| Seeing Eudora Welty through a different lens | |
 | Eudora Welty is best known as one of Mississippi's most celebrated writers, but long before her stories found their way into classrooms and anthologies, Welty was traveling the state with a camera, quietly documenting everyday life. That lesser-known side of Welty is now on view at the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum through Jan. 29 in The Photography of Eudora Welty, a traveling exhibit on loan from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The exhibit features 12 photographs taken during the 1930s and 1940s, many of them created while Welty worked for the Works Progress Administration and traveled through all 82 Mississippi counties. To help visitors better understand the connection between Welty's photographs and her later writing, the museum will host a lecture at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday by Nancy Hargrove, professor emerita of English at Mississippi State University and a longtime Welty scholar. "People tend to think of Welty as a shy, retiring person who stayed at home and wrote," Hargrove said. "But that's really not true at all. She was traveling all over Mississippi, often alone, observing closely and taking risks. That experience shaped the way she saw the world." |
| Love, lies, and crypto: Starkville police warns about online scams | |
 | A friendly message. A new connection. Starkville police say it can quickly turn into a costly mistake. Investigators say scammers are increasingly reaching out through dating apps, text messages, and social media, often pretending a message was sent by accident. However, police warn that innocent introduction is usually the first step in a carefully planned scam. "It's called a pig butchering scam," said Starkville Police Sergeant Christopher Jackson, who works in the department's Cybercrime Investigations Division. Jackson says the scams are happening far more often than people realize. "In the grand scheme of things, scamming is a business," Jackson said. "These scammers go to work eight to five scamming people." By the time victims realize what's happening, police say the scammer is gone and so is the money. "I've seen thousands of dollars lost, people's life savings," Jackson said. "I've seen people mortgage their homes. These scams are meant to milk the victim." Starkville police say common warning signs include pressure to act quickly, secrecy, sketchy credentials, and problems withdrawing money. |
| Law enforcement reveals details of a shooting spree spanning three houses that left six dead | |
| A suspect is in custody after a Friday night shooting spree left six dead. Daricka Moore, a 24-year-old male, was booked on first-degree murder charges, Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said at a Saturday press conference. Moore was booked at 3:25 a.m. Saturday, after allegedly killing six people at three different homes. Those charges are expected to be upgraded to capital murder before Moore's initial hearing at the Clay County Court Complex Monday, Scott said. He said additional charges are likely as the investigation continues. "This is really, really shaking our community, and for me, almost 30 years, and this is one of the toughest ones we've had to work," Scott said during the Saturday press conference. "...Our job right now is to thoroughly investigate and make sure that we get our district attorney's office everything that they need to prosecute." Scott detailed a narrative of the alleged crime at the press conference. Currently, Scott said, a motive is unknown, but for this sort of crime it would require "something drastic." 16th Circuit District Attorney Scott Colom said that his office is seeking the death penalty in this case due to the severity of the crimes committed. |
| Suspect arrested in predawn fire that left parts of Mississippi's largest synagogue in charred ruins | |
 | A fire heavily damaged Mississippi's largest synagogue before dawn Saturday -- the same house of worship in northeast Jackson that the Ku Klux Klan bombed in 1967 because the rabbi supported civil rights. The Jackson Fire Department, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested a suspect Saturday night in the latest blaze after the fire department ruled it arson, according to chief fire investigator Charles Felton. Investigators did not immediately release the name of the suspect or the charges the person could face. The fire was reported shortly after 3 a.m. at Beth Israel Congregation on Old Canton Road. No congregants were injured. "We have already had outreach from other houses of worship in the Jackson area and greatly appreciate their support in this very difficult time," the congregation president, Zach Shemper, said in a statement. The state Homeland Security Office is also assisting in the investigation, said Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bailey Martin Holloway. |
| Once Again, Oldest Mississippi Synagogue is Attacked With Fire | |
 | A suspect has been arrested and charged with arson for setting fire early Saturday morning to a Mississippi synagogue, authorities said. The fire, which occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on Saturday, caused extensive damage to Beth Israel, the only synagogue in Jackson, Miss., said Charles Felton, chief of investigations at the fire department. No injuries were reported. The suspect, whose name was not released, was arrested and charged at a nearby hospital on Saturday evening, where the person was recovering from non-life-threatening burn injuries, Mr. Felton said. Once released from the hospital, the suspect will be taken into F.B.I. custody. The F.B.I. and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are working together with the Jackson Fire Department, and are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, Mr. Felton said. "The community here is very outraged," he said. Jeffrey Planchard, is a congregant of Beth Israel and lives in Madison, a suburb north of Jackson, with his wife and five children. Even though the house of worship had been targeted in the past, Mr. Planchard did not fear an antisemitic attack, saying he had never personally experienced any hatred. "This was the last place I expected it to happen," he said. Now, he added, "that illusion is shattered." |
| NWS: 6 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi during Friday and Saturday severe weather | |
| After severe weather hit portions of Mississippi on Friday and Saturday, six tornadoes have been confirmed to have touched down. Survey teams from the National Weather Service in Jackson said Friday's weather included EF-0 tornadoes in Madison and Leake County and Jones County along with an EF-1 twister in Walthall County. Saturday's weather included an EF-0 tornado in Lauderdale County and EF-1 tornadoes in Jefferson Davis and Simpson counties. NWS concluded its surveys on Sunday, although "further tweaks to existing paths are possible as additional information is received." Minor damage has been reported in some areas, including at a John Deere dealership and other businesses in Laurel. No injuries or deaths have been reported from the storms. |
| State employees receive hands-on AI training | |
| AI is here and it's here to stay. That's why Snowflake, an AI data sharing company, came to help train state employees to use this technology. They are learning about collecting and sharing data. "The goal here is to bring that workforce development component to all Mississippians," explained Dr. Kollin Napier, Director of the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network. "So, we talk a lot about artificial intelligence and utilizing it, but we don't talk much about the back-end of it, which is really the data and the management, the authorization, the security. So, this is what today's training and workshop is about: understanding that back-end side of it." The Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network was established back in 2023 in response to the arrival of AI. It is the first of its kind. It created a statewide initiative to get the Magnolia State ready for a new generation of jobs. "There's a lot that's happening and changing in the business and institutional standpoint. So, it made sense to establish this network to bring together our higher education portion, our state government agencies, and more to tackle this and make sure all Mississippians are ready for this next wave and this evolution of the workforce going forward," Dr. Napier continued. |
| Legislative session: School choice bills stir talk of Columbus-Lowndes consolidation | |
| The Mississippi House and Senate both released plans this week to make it easier for public school students to transfer to districts they don't reside within. While the change is intended to provide parents a wide array of education choices for students, District 17 Sen. Chuck Younger, R-Lowndes County, said "it could be" a litmus test for consolidating school districts. For some school districts, including Lowndes County and Columbus Municipal, that could be a good thing, he said. "In the long run, eventually it will cause districts to consolidate," he said. "I'll get beat up for it (but) Lowndes County School District is doing so good, and Columbus Municipal School District (is) not doing as good. It's like (former CMSD superintendent Cherie) Labat said, it's the rich versus the poor, and that's really not fair to the kids. So it probably would be a good thing to consolidate the districts." Board of Trustees President Robert Smith said easing portability between districts so substantially could be devastating to Columbus Municipal School District. "It definitely wouldn't be good for the CMSD or no public school," he said. "Especially with the school districts that have a low rating from the state. You know what the parents will do. Just like (CMSD) – if you've got a C, and you've got say New Hope or Caledonia (which are rated) A, where do you think parents are going to send their kids to?" |
| Senate wants $1 billion directed to PERS over the next decade | |
| The Mississippi Senate passed legislation transferring $1 billion over 11 years from the state's Capital Expense Fund to the Public Employees' Retirement System, or PERS, in an effort to buoy the system. A unanimous vote came after 30 minutes of debate Wednesday. The bill, SB 2004, would transfer $500 million from the Capital Expense Fund to the PERS account as of July 1. Subsequent transfers of $50 million would be moved from the Capital Expense Fund to PERS each year until July 2036. The legislation, titled the Mississippi PERS Stability Act, states if the Capital Expense Fund has a balance below $50 million, the State Treasurer, along with the State Fiscal Officer, "shall transfer the balance of the unobligated funds from the Capital Expense Fund and a sum in the amount necessary from the State General Fund so that a total sum of Fifty Million Dollars" is transferred to PERS. State Senator Daniel Sparks (R) explained on the floor that the PERS unfunded liability is about $26 billion. He said in 2020, the PERS liability was at $20 billion and since then $6 billion has been added due to changes in the rate of return assumption, which dropped to 7 percent. Sparks said the state is seeing record revenues flowing into its coffers, including the Capital Expense Funds, an account that has approximately $1.5 billion in it. |
| Slowest Labor Market in Years Leaves Job Seekers Stuck | |
 | America's unemployment rate is low. But so is its job growth. That means Americans without stable, full-time work are locked out of a job market that has settled into a low-hire, low-fire stasis. Job data released this week shows that the U.S. entered the new year with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, after the lowest monthly pace of job gains outside a recession since 2003. People without jobs are enduring longer searches, and millions of people are stringing together multiple gigs to get by. Last month, more than 5.3 million Americans were working part time because they couldn't get more work. Though the number was down from November, the year ended with about 3.1% of the U.S. labor force stuck in these part-time jobs, up from 2.6% 12 months earlier. For those out of work, the median unemployment time reached 11.4 weeks in December, the highest level since December 2021. And job seekers who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more now make up 26% of all unemployed workers, up from 22% a year ago. "It's not a robust job market by any means," said Mike Taiano, vice president of the financial institutions group at Moody's Ratings. "It looks like a stagnated labor market." |
| The number of long-term unemployed is growing. What does that tell us about the economy? | |
| The December jobs report, out Friday morning, reflected a sluggish job market. The unemployment rate fell a tad, to 4.4%. But the economy added fewer jobs than it did in November, and that seems to be weighing on the long-term unemployment rate. Of the people who were unemployed and looking for work, 26% have been out of work for 27 weeks or more. It's the highest that number has been since the pandemic. The job market is maybe the economic indicator to watch right now. Though it's not looking bad, it's also not looking good. "The labor market feels very fragile," said Michael Linden, senior policy fellow at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. He said a lot of the fragility is in the long-term unemployment rate. Before and after the pandemic, the number of unemployed people out of work for 27-plus weeks hovered around 20%. Which makes this spike unusual. "We don't often see increases in long-term unemployment outside of recessions," Linden said. It means something funny is happening in the labor market right now. |
| For Years, Powell Avoided Fighting Trump. That's Over. | |
| For years, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has responded to President Trump's broadsides in ways that generally avoided escalation. That changed on Sunday night. In an extraordinary two-minute video message, Powell accused the administration of using the threat of criminal prosecution to pressure the Fed into lowering rates. He framed the Justice Department investigation as nothing less than a head-on challenge to the Fed's ability to operate free of political control. The subpoenas arrived late Friday. Powell, a lawyer by training, spent the weekend huddled with advisers, weighing how to respond. Powell made clear by releasing the video statement that he wasn't going to let this play out in the shadows. A criminal investigation of a sitting chair is without precedent. And Powell's message was, too. It was wrapped in a directness that he had spent years avoiding. Powell often chooses his words carefully, and Sunday's unusually stern delivery lacked the diplomatic off-ramp and studied neutrality of his past comments about the White House. "The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president," Powell said. By going public, Powell was making sure that pressure applied in private couldn't stay private. |
| GOP senator: DOJ 'credibility' is 'in question' over Powell investigation | |
 | Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, is questioning the "credibility" of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) investigation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and threatening to oppose President Trump's nominees to the central bank until the matter is resolved. "If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none. It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question," Tillis said in a statement. Tillis is also vowing to keep Trump's nominees to the Fed bottled up in the Banking Committee until the criminal investigation is "fully resolved." "I will oppose the confirmation of any nominee for the Fed -- including the upcoming Fed Chair vacancy -- until this legal matter is fully resolved," he said. Tillis issued his statement after Powell, whom Trump appointed as Fed chair in 2017, confirmed that the Justice Department has served the Fed with grand jury subpoenas and accused federal prosecutors of retaliating because of his refusal to cut interest rates more quickly and dramatically. |
| Trump to be briefed on range of options in Iran | |
 | President Donald Trump will be briefed on Tuesday on "some kinetic and many non-kinetic" options in Iran, two administration officials told POLITICO on Sunday. All eyes are on the president's next moves after he threatened to strike the Iranian regime if it killed civilian protesters. Reports on Sunday indicated hundreds of Iranians have died during the current unrest, though information is limited. The options being presented to Trump would range from targeted strikes inside Iran to offensive cyber attacks, one official granted anonymity to discuss ongoing conversations said, adding that the administration would want to avoid options that create massive civilian impact so things that can be tailored to targeting Iran's military forces are preferable. The administration is also looking at whether it can send terminals for Elon Musk's satellite-based internet service, a former U.S. official said. "We could step up the pressure campaign in a number of ways," the official said. "The window [for the President to take action] is small but the people are angry." Trump is not expected to send American forces to the country, and the second official said at the moment no large troop or asset movements are currently in the works. Some in the administration fear that U.S. action might inflame tensions in the Middle East or backfire in its attempt to help the escalating protest movement. |
| Eyes are on Gorsuch as Supreme Court weighs rights of trans athletes | |
 | Justice Neil M. Gorsuch surprised many in 2020 when he wrote one of the Supreme Court's most consequential rulings expanding legal rights for gay and transgender people. The 6-3 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County held that the ban on sex discrimination in a core federal civil rights law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, covers discrimination against gay and transgender people. "That's because it is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex," Gorsuch wrote. Conservatives were aghast. Some said the ruling heralded the "end of the conservative legal movement." Liberals praised Gorsuch's opinion. Some even speculated that Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald Trump, would take on the role of former Justice Anthony M. Kennedy -- the Reagan-nominated justice who was critical in landmark gay rights rulings, including establishing the right to sex-same marriage. With the Supreme Court set to weigh the question of transgender athletes this week, Gorsuch is again in the spotlight. Supporters of allowing transgender women and girls to play on women's sports teams have a difficult task persuading the conservative-majority court. They see winning over Gorsuch as key and appear to have crafted their arguments with him in mind. Lawyers involved in the two cases before the court expect that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who joined Gorsuch's opinion in Bostock, might side with him again. Together with the court's three liberals, that would be enough for a narrow majority. Gorsuch and Roberts, however, have more recently handed defeats to advocates for gay and transgender rights. |
| Congress is debating the possible consequences for ICE and even Noem after Renee Good's killing | |
 | The killing of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is reverberating across Capitol Hill where Democrats, and certain Republicans, are vowing an assertive response as President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation operations spark protests nationwide. Lawmakers are demanding a range of actions, from a full investigation into Renee Good's shooting death and policy changes over law enforcement raids to the defunding of ICE operations and the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in what is fast becoming an inflection point. "The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace," House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said as details emerged. "And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats." Yet there is almost no consensus among the political parties in the aftermath of the death of Good, who was behind the wheel of an SUV after dropping off her 6-year-old at school when she was shot and killed by an ICE officer. The killing immediately drew dueling narratives. But Good's killing, at least the fifth known death since the administration launched its mass deportation campaign, could change the political dynamic. "The videos I've seen from Minneapolis yesterday are deeply disturbing," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in a statement. |
| Cassidy on RFK Jr. vaccine schedule change: 'Let's just take care of people and move beyond your ideology' | |
| Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) expressed further frustration Sunday with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changing the childhood vaccine schedule. The CDC, overseen by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reduced the number of recommended vaccines for children from 17 to 11 on Monday, putting it in line with Denmark. "Let's just take care of people and move beyond your ideology," Cassidy, a medical doctor, told host Jacqui Heinrich on "Fox News Sunday." The Louisiana Republican, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, cast a key vote supporting Kennedy's nomination for HHS secretary in February. Cassidy added Sunday that health officials who changed the schedule "totally bypassed" normal procedures by not utilizing a scientific review committee and not going through the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Kennedy previously removed all 17 members of the ACIP panel in June and appointed a trove of loyalists to replace them. "I wish the people making this decision knew what I knew," Cassidy said. |
| Parents on RFK Jr.'s advice on sweets: 'Completely unrealistic' | |
| New dietary guidelines from the Trump administration have some big asks of Americans, from prioritizing protein to avoiding highly processed food. The most onerous directive, though, was probably for moms and dads. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins want them to stop giving their kids sugar until they turn 11. That, says Keri Rodrigues, a mother of five boys and the president of the National Parents Union, is "completely unrealistic." Her group, which has been critical of other administration policies, represents 1.7 million parents. "Sugar is everywhere," she said. "It's in bread, it's in all kinds of other things," she said. No one is saying kids can't eat foods that contain natural sugar, such as bananas and fresh mango, but avoiding added sugar -- which most everyone agrees should be limited -- would require incredible diligence. The old rules, which most parents failed to abide by, only asked them to hold the line till their kids turned 2. The new guidance, strictly followed, would mean a wholesale overhaul of most kids' diets and the traditions of childhood. There'd be no more Halloween candy, ice cream cones at the county fair, Cracker Jack at the ballgame or even a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. Agriculture Secretary Rollins said Wednesday that her department will begin the process of implementing and redrafting its rules to reflect the new dietary guidelines, with school meals her top priority. |
| RFK Jr.'s Rise Drives Democratic Doctors to Run for Congress | |
| Dr. Richard Pan has been doused with blood over health policy. The pediatrician and former California state senator says that was the price of authoring some of the country's strictest vaccine laws nearly a decade ago. The legislation turned him into a target for antivaccine activists and put him at odds with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then one of the most vocal skeptics of vaccines. In 2019, a protester hurled blood from the visitors gallery onto the floor of the California state legislature, targeting Pan and some of his colleagues. Now Pan is preparing for a new fight in Washington. Kennedy's appointment to lead the nation's top health agencies persuaded him to run for Congress in California's recently redrawn sixth district in the Sacramento area. He says he wants to "beat RFK's lies in Washington the way I beat them in California." Pan is part of what Democratic groups see as a wave of Democrat physicians running for Congress, with many targeting competitive House seats this fall. The surge is driven in part by concerns about healthcare costs and coverage, as well as alarm at the appointment of Kennedy. The health secretary has unsettled many in medicine by elevating vaccine skeptics, changing immunization guidelines and overriding career scientists within the federal government. Democrats are fielding more physician candidates than Republicans in the current cycle, even as Republicans retain an edge among sitting doctor-lawmakers. |
| Southern studies professor aims to change the world one film at a time | |
 | Filmmaker Angela Tucker knows how films have the power to change the world, a sentiment she shares with students as a new assistant professor of practice in documentary expression at the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture. The native New Yorker who called New Orleans home for the past 11 years features underrepresented communities in unconventional ways through her films, which include roles as director, producer and creator. "Mississippi has a lot of stories that need to be told by local storytellers, and this program gives them the chance to do that," said Tucker, who joined the Ole Miss faculty in August. This fall, she co-taught SST 106: Introduction to Southern Documentary, alongside Melanie Ho, assistant professor of practice with the Southern Documentary Project. "I taught a fairly large 65-person undergraduate class, and it was great to be able to hear their perspectives about what's happening in the world," Tucker said. "I felt the students were really engaged and I was appreciative of how open they were and how they really pushed themselves in terms of subject matter." |
| Ellis Hall renovation to add 64 new beds to Co-Lin campus housing | |
 | Copiah-Lincoln Community College has officially begun renovations on Josie G. Ellis Hall, marking a major investment in campus housing and the overall student experience. The approximately $6 million project will provide a complete overhaul of Ellis Hall, located behind the Ewing Administration Building, adding space for 64 students to Co-Lin's campus housing options. The project is designed to modernize the 10,000-square-foot, two-story building constructed in 1939 while expanding residential capacity to better serve current and future students. Each room will have two beds and a private bathroom. An apartment for the residence life advisor will be located on each floor. Renovations will also include converting the building from exterior-entry access to interior-entry access, enhancing security and safety for students. "Campus housing plays a vital role in student success and engagement," said Co-Lin President Dr. Dewayne Middleton. Major Design Studio Architects in Columbus is serving as the architect for the project, with Paul Jackson & Son of Brookhaven selected as the contractor. |
| How Mississippi Transformed Its Schools From Worst to Best | |
| In Kim Luckett-Langston's first year as principal of Hazlehurst Elementary School, one of the lowest performing schools in what had been one of the lowest performing states, she quickly diagnosed the problem. Children at her school, outside Jackson, Miss., were suffering from what she calls A.B.T.: "Ain't been taught." Kindergartners arrived not knowing their letters from their numbers. After a few years in school, they were still far behind. A decade ago, just 12 percent of Hazlehurst students were reading on grade level. Today, Hazlehurst has clawed that figure to 35 percent. And Mississippi has emerged as one of the best places in the country for a poor child to get an education. Mississippi has gone from 49th in the country on national tests in 2013, to a top 10 state for fourth graders learning to read -- even as test scores have fallen almost everywhere else. "If you want to ask the question, 'Which states are helping kids coming from difficult circumstances learn as much as they can?' Mississippi is now doing much better than many other states, including wealthier states in affluent progressive areas," said Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a center-right think tank. Mississippi's gains have been confined mostly to the early years, where the state has focused its efforts. Yet Mississippi has figured out something almost no other state has, and it has involved far more than just changing the way reading is taught, the most common explanation for its success. |
| Pink snails, feral hogs, 'air potatoes' -- LSU Ag Center gets $1M to fight invasive species | |
 | Clusters of hot pink apple snail eggs cling to reeds and cypress trunks, a backdrop fitting for either an alien invasion movie or a Floam commercial. As the snails advance in Louisiana's waterways, they destroy aquatic ecosystems, eating their way through native flora and fauna and infecting other animals with parasites. Their presence can spell ruin for a rice crop or a crawfish pond. Hot and humid climates of the Mississippi River Valley are teeming with invaders like the apple snail that wreak havoc on ecosystems and agriculture. There's the milky larva of the Mexican rice borer, which tunnels through rice stems and sugarcane stalks. There are packs of the notorious feral hog, infamous for its destruction of crop fields by rooting around the soil in search of plants and grubs. And there are "air potatoes," a kind of yam that grows above ground on fast-growing vines, crowding out native plants. A new multi-state initiative led by the LSU AgCenter aims to detect these and other invasive species before their populations reach exponential levels -- and manage the numbers of those already established. The Mississippi River Invasive Species Consortium will develop and implement techniques for monitoring and removing non-native organisms, with eradication being the goal for some emergent species. The new consortium, launched with $1 million in federal funding that was announced Tuesday, will include the University of Arkansas and Mississippi State University. |
| When will LSU break ground on a long-anticipated new library? | |
 | Utility work is kicking off for the construction of a long-awaited, $154 million library on the LSU campus, but students still have a few years to go before they will be able to hit the books in the new space. According to Paul Favaloro, executive director of planning, design and construction, the plan is to break ground in spring 2027, with doors opening in fall 2029. The new building will sit at the corner of Field House Drive and South Stadium Drive and replace the LSU Main Library, formerly known as Middleton Library. The project aligns with LSU's increasingly southward orientation and will create a "hub for student engagement," Favaloro said. "The library location was in a place that was considered more centric to the university, but now with our master plan, things are moving toward the south," Favaloro said. "This repositions that library to a better location." The new library will be 198,000 square feet and contain three levels. It will be able to hold between 1.6 million and 2 million books and media. In addition to publications, the library will house a cafe and numerous student support services. LSU is striving to build the "modern library," Favaloro said. The project will be funded through a mix of state and donor funds. The LSU Foundation has set a $35 million fundraising goal, with nearly $12 million contributed to date, according to a foundation spokesperson. |
| U. of Tennessee ups enrollment goal as online classes take off | |
 | The University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees started 2026 strong by increasing its already lofty enrollment goal. UT System President Randy Boyd upped the 2030 enrollment target to 85,000 students, including 17,000 who are fully online, according to his latest report. He previously set his sights on 71,000 students enrolled across all five campuses by 2030, but the new figure adds online students to the mix as the university's flagship Knoxville campus partners with Arizona State University on virtual courses. The online classes are a major driver in enrollment increases. "With record enrollment, improved retention and growing demand for both in-person and online learning, the university is positioned to responsibly aim higher," UT System spokeswoman Melissa Tindell told Knox News via email. "Including online enrollment as part of the total reflects how students are increasingly choosing to access a UT education and ensures our goals align with how we are serving learners today and into the future." |
| U. of Kentucky employee investigated for Charlie Kirk comment has returned to work | |
 | A University of Kentucky employee who wrote a Facebook comment about Charlie Kirk's death returned to work after a six-week investigation by the university, according to spokesperson Jay Blanton. Brad Van Hook, who worked as UK's key shop manager at the time he made the comment, returned to work on Oct. 28 after a six-week internal review. Blanton said he was reassigned to the position of surplus operations manager, but his compensation remains the same. The comment went viral after an account on X called Libs of TikTok highlighted the remark in a post. Libs of TikTok has 4.5 million followers, and the post has been shared thousands of times. Van Hook was placed on paid administrative leave while UK investigated. Blanton previously said the comment does not reflect the university's community and was cruel, insensitive and wrong. |
| Texas Launches Portal for Public to File Complaints Against Colleges | |
 | The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board officially launched its Office of the Ombudsman website Friday, providing a portal where students and members of the public can file complaints against the state's public colleges and universities. The new office was mandated by Senate Bill 37, legislation that went into effect Jan. 1, which increases state control over public higher education by giving governing boards authority over curriculum, faculty governance and hiring and requiring academic program reviews. It also established the ombudsman's office to manage complaints and investigations into alleged violations of the state's DEI ban or of the other provisions of SB 37. In October, Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Brandon Simmons as ombudsman. Simmons is a former tech company executive, corporate attorney and venture capitalist who previously served on the Texas Southern Board of Regents and as an entrepreneurial resident and distinguished professor of business at Wiley University in Marshall. The new ombudsman's office will have five days to notify any college or university named in a complaint through the portal, The Austin American-Statesman reported, and the institution will have 175 days to respond. If it is found in violation of state law, the ombudsman can recommend that the Legislature withhold funding until the institution comes into compliance. |
| Shake Smart brings protein-focused dining option to MizzouRec | |
 | Mizzou students will be able to purchase protein-focused shakes and snacks inside MizzouRec beginning Jan. 16 when Shake Smart, a new health conscious, to-go diner, opens on campus. Located near MizzouRec's southeast entrance, the business will open seven days a week: Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. "In recreation centers, we try to have the broadest hours possible because we know that students workout at all different times," said Mary Staka, director of communications for Shake Smart. "We definitely see a spike at night, which is something that differentiates us from a lot of other retail concepts." The business began with a mission to provide students with healthy, budget-friendly food options. In 2011, a group of students at San Diego State University noticed a lack of post-workout food options on campus. To help fill this void, they started running the business out of a tent outside of the recreation center. Shake Smart's impact quickly began to spread to college campuses around the country, with Mizzou marking its 55th location. |
| Former U. of Michigan law dean selected as next president | |
| The next University of Michigan president is a UM alumnus and New York resident. Kent Syverud, chancellor of Syracuse University, will be the next UM president and will replace interim President Domenico Grasso, sources close to the presidential search process said. Syverud has served as the 12th chancellor of Syracuse University since January 2014, according to his Syracuse University College of Law profile. The university previously announced in August 2025 Syverud will step down from his chancellor role at the end of the 2025-26 school year, Syracuse.com reported. The UM Board of Regents will have a special meeting to formally elect the next university president at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan 12. "He'll be terrific," UM Regent Michael Behm said. "He's just who we're looking for to lead the university." Behm called Syverud a "fearless listener" and said he is interested in "achieving great things" across the three campuses. "He takes meetings with anyone and everyone, which is something I think that we sorely miss from a leader at UM," Behm said. "He has a track record of imagining goals and making them reality." |
| Education Department Panel Signs Off on New Earnings Test | |
| After a week of talks and a final compromise from the Education Department, an advisory committee on Friday signed off on regulations that would require all postsecondary programs to pass a single earnings test. The new accountability metric, set to take effect in July, could eventually cut failing programs off from all federal student aid funds -- an enhanced penalty that appeared key to the committee reaching consensus Friday. Before the compromise, programs that fail the earnings test would only have lost access to federal student loans. Under the proposal, college programs will have to show that their graduates earn more than a working adult with only a high school diploma. In the course of negotiations, committee members repeatedly argued that allowing failing programs to receive the Pell Grant didn't sufficiently protect students or taxpayer funds, and it appeared unlikely that without more significant changes, the committee would reach unanimous agreement. But now, failing programs will also lose eligibility for the Pell Grant if their institution doesn't pass a separate test, which measures whether failing programs account for either half of the institution's students or federal student aid funds. If either condition is met in two consecutive years, the programs will be cut off. The timing of the two tests and consequences mean that it will take at least three years for institutions to lose all access to federal student aid. Individual programs lose access to loans after failing the earnings test in two consecutive years. |
| Trump's college agenda may have a lasting impact on research, culture | |
| The Trump administration's unprecedented drive for control over American universities has upended schools coast to coast, pushing -- or outright forcing -- vast and wide changes to the rules, culture and finances of higher education. It is hitting schools large and small, public and private, in states red and blue, with profound implications for the economy, national security and the future of science. While some of the shifts could unravel if political agendas reverse -- and some of the cuts are still being litigated in court -- university leaders are concluding that many of the changes made so far to research, diversity and campus culture are likely to last long after President Donald Trump leaves office. That is partly because the Trump administration has fundamentally altered the partnership between government and higher education, forcing university leaders to rethink how they fund and run their institutions. It's partly because some changes are baked into laws that will be hard to undo. It's partly because even after the administration is over, a conservative Supreme Court will remain. And it's partly because, in some cases, school leaders agree that some of the reset was needed. "This is a moment of structural change," said Andrew Martin, chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis. "Our relationship with the federal government is going to be different going forward, and we need to adapt to that reality." |
| Want to Transform College Accreditation? Trump Has a Grant for You. | |
 | The Trump administration's $14 million in new grants for overhauling college accreditation went mostly to established organizations looking to shake up the process and a few colleges looking to switch agencies. There were also some unusual recipients, like the Fruition Charitable Arts Foundation. It received $1 million to create "the nation's first programmatic accrediting agency for AI workforce programs, with a fundamentally reformed governance and operating model." The foundation, created in 2021 and based in Huntsville, Ala., has limited experience in accreditation or even higher education generally. According to its latest IRS filing, from 2023, it also had expenses of roughly $18,000 and no revenue. Reached by phone, one of the foundation's two employees said they were out looking for office space. The money was awarded under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, known as FIPSE, which on Tuesday also announced $60 million to support civil-discourse programs, $50 million for projects to incorporate artificial intelligence in teaching and learning, and $50 million to develop short-term programs that may qualify for the new Workforce Pell Grants. In the past, the fund was used to support programs aimed at improving student outcomes at colleges serving veterans, for instance, or rural communities, or Hispanic students. But the Trump administration has set new priorities for the money, raising concerns that it was ignoring the intent of Congress. |
| Democrats have found success in other states. Can they find it here against Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith? | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: One variation of an old saying goes, "If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers," and another goes, "If a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his backside when he jumps." Those sayings are meant to dissuade people from hypothesizing about an event that is not likely to happen. They are adages for a reason. They hold elements of truth. Despite the warnings established by those adages, it is still worth noting that if the Mississippi electorate follows the pattern established by voters in other states in recent elections – even in solidly Republican areas -- the Mississippi contest for the U.S. Senate later this year could be closer than expected. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a close ally of President Donald Trump, is a heavy favorite to win reelection this November and continue serving in the nation's Capitol as Mississippi's junior senator. Heck, a Democrat has not won a statewide election in Mississippi since Jim Hood garnered reelection as attorney general in 2015. But in 10 special elections, granted district elections not state contests, held across the country since Dec. 9, Democrats have performed on average 13% better than they did in the previous elections in those same districts. |
| Precipitous events loom for next year's elections | |
 | Columnist Bill Crawford writes: Even amidst a new legislative session and mid-term elections, Republican rumblings about next year's elections grow as precipitous events loom. Likely gubernatorial candidate Tommy Duff is rumored ready to put $10 million into his campaign account. This would start dominoes tumbling. Attorney General Lynn Fitch and State Auditor Shad White would likely skip that race. Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, however, will leave his hat on and in. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann says he remains in. Pundits say former House Speaker Philip Gunn, former Rep. Greg Harper, and current Rep. Trent Kelly have their toes dangling, hoping events cause the money and interest waters to reach them. What might Lynn and Shad do? If she seeks re-election, he would likely take her on – a potential race of the year. White, who will not seek re-election, could also run for Lt. Governor. That would pit him against Secretary of State Michael Watson, who is running, State Sen. Briggs Hopson who wants to, and former State Sen. Chris McDaniel who ran in 2023. Hosemann, like Gov. Tate Reeves, is prohibited from seeking re-election. |
| Trump White House endorses Speaker Jason White's universal school choice plan | |
| The Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon issued the White House's endorsement of a plan to create Education Savings Accounts pushed by House Speaker Jason White. HB 2 would, among other things, permit money already allocated by the state of Mississippi on a per student basis to follow the child to the school of their choice, including private schools. In a post to various social media platform, McMahon said she was "thrilled to see Mississippi advancing an ambitious school choice expansion in their 2026 session" and that "[g]iving parents options is essential to improving education outcomes and ensuring every child finds the learning environment that best fits their needs. Well done, Jason White." The endorsement of the proposal was not entirely unexpected. President Trump has made dozens of statements in favor of providing school choice to every child in America, identifying it as a priority of the administration, while calling it "the Civil Rights issue of our time." Trump has said that no child in America should have their future determined by their zip code. ... So what stands on the other side of Donald Trump that might entice Republican lawmakers to shirk their own Party's platform? If you said the Southern Poverty Law Center, you'd be right. |
SPORTS
| Fall Semester Continues State's Academic Success | |
| The recently-completed fall semester saw Mississippi State's student-athletes' success in the classroom continue. For the 17th-straight semester, Bulldogs combined to post a GPA over 3.0, finishing with a departmental GPA of 3.33. Every MSU athletic program earned a GPA over 3.0. Leading the way was the men's golf team and the group's all-time program-best 3.74 GPA. The women's golf and volleyball squads both put together GPAs of 3.68 to set the pace on the women's side. Football earned its highest-ever fall GPA at 3.09. It's the team's fourth straight semester with a GPA over 3.0. Both volleyball (3.68) and women's track (3.46) earned best-ever fall GPAs. 75 student-athletes achieved President's Scholar status by finishing the semester with a GPA of 3.8 or higher. 70 student-athletes had GPAs between 3.5 and 3.79 to earn Dean's Scholar status. 53 student-athletes achieved Top Dawg honors, finishing with a 4.0 GPA. 280 student-athletes finished with a GPA of 3.0 or higher to earn spots on the Bulldog Honor Roll. 36 student-athletes graduated. Also, the fall saw MSU achieve its highest NCAA Graduation Success Rate to date, earning a 96. The mark tied with Alabama for the highest score in the Southeastern Conference and ranked seventh among all Power 4 programs. |
| Men's Basketball: The Final Horn: Kentucky 92, State 68 | |
| Mississippi State dropped a 92-68 decision to Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington on Saturday night. The Bulldogs came out firing with a 12-2 run over a 2:38 span to claim an early 16-6 edge, but the Wildcats would respond later in the half with a 12-0 run of their own to leap in front and eventually take a 44-39 lead going into the locker room at halftime. The second half was a tight battle through the first 10 minutes, but Kentucky went on a run to claim a double-digit lead at 74-62 with 7:35 remaining, and the Dawgs were unable to get over the hump and pull off a comeback. Josh Hubbard led the Bulldogs with 20 points, five assists and two steals. Achor Achor posted 13 points to go with 11 boards and two takeaways in the effort, but it wasn't enough for the Dawgs. A big key to State falling short was the 14-9 margin of offensive rebounds in favor of Kentucky as well as a 22-9 difference in second chance points. Mississippi State returns home to host Alabama at the Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and the contest will be aired on SEC Network. |
| Nate Oats blasts Alabama basketball after Texas loss: 'Losing doesn't bother them enough' | |
 | Alabama basketball had every chance to beat Texas on Saturday. Time and time again, UA pulled it close, only to blow the opportunity to win. Instead, the Crimson Tide fell 92-88, dropping to 1-2 to begin SEC play, and taking its second straight defeat. Afterward, Nate Oats went off on his team. "We got guys that don't care enough to lock in and follow a game plan," Oats said during his postgame press conference. "Losing doesn't bother them enough yet. I don't know how many losses it's going to take 'till it bothers them, but it's bothering me. It bothers the coaching staff, and as soon as it starts bothering the players enough, I'm sure they'll change." On the defensive end, Alabama couldn't get enough stops when it needed to. Texas' Jordan Pope led all scorers with 28 points, tying his career high. Dailyn Swain and Tramon Mark had 18 each for the Longhorns. UT averaged 1.314 points per possession. Alabama's defensive efficiency dropped to 79th in the nation following the loss according to KenPom. Alabama travels to Mississippi State on Tuesday to try and get back on track, before a Saturday trip to Oklahoma. |
| Women's Basketball: Bulldogs Drop Road Contest To #18 Rebels | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball fell on Sunday night in Oxford to the 18th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels, 68-93. Chandler Prater picked up 15 points on 75 percent shooting in her return to the floor, including shooting 3-4 from distance in the game. Madison Francis also collected 15 points for the Dawgs, her 13th game in double figures. She also collected seven rebounds in the contest. Favour Nwaedozi earned her eighth double-double of the year with 14 points and 11 rebounds. She has scored 10 or more in 12 games and recorded 10 or more rebounds in 10 games. Destiney McPhaul recorded 12 points, including a pair of makes from distance at a 50 percent rate, while leading the team with four assists. The Bulldogs will be back inside of Humphrey Coliseum this Thursday when they take on the seventh-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on SEC Network. |
| Soccer: O'Brien Rounds Out Coaching Staff With Foster, Webb | |
| Mississippi State head soccer coach Kevin O'Brien has announced two additions to complete the Bulldogs' on-field coaching staff for his first season. Mark Foster and Emma Webb will join the program as associate head coaches, while assistant coach Kat Stratton remains on staff to continue coaching goalkeepers. Foster was most recently the head coach at UTRGV where he spent the prior four seasons leading the Vaqueros. He spent the 2018-22 seasons coaching Little Rock and began his head coaching career at Division II Trevecca Nazarene, his alma mater, from 2013-16, becoming the program's second-winningest head coach with a 40-27-8 record. Webb joins the Bulldogs from Lipscomb, where she previously served alongside O'Brien for three years, winning conference titles while breaking or tying the program record for wins each season. "I'm thrilled to welcome Mark and Emma to our staff," O'Brien said. "Having worked alongside Emma before, I know firsthand the energy and expertise she brings to a program. Mark's track record speaks for itself. His ability to build winning cultures and develop players is exceptional. Beyond their resumes, they're both incredible people who care deeply about student-athletes. I'm excited to see the impact they'll have on our team and the family we're building here at Mississippi State." |
| Men's Tennis: State Starts Strong with Doubleheader Wins to Open the Season | |
| In State's first two matches of the season, the No. 7 Mississippi State Bulldogs took down SMU 5-2, followed by a 6-1 victory over Lamar University on Saturday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex in Dallas, Texas. The Bulldogs took an early lead on the Mustangs, winning the doubles point thanks to a pair of 6-4 victories by the teams of No. 2 Petar Jovanovic/Benito Sanchez Martinez and Bryan Hernandez Cortes/Michal Novansky. SMU evened the score at one behind a victory from No. 2 Trevor Svadja, but Petar Jovanovic responded putting the Dawgs back on top. Freshman Raphael Vaksmann extended the lead in his first career dual match. SMU's Jerry Barton cut the lead to one but the Bulldogs' response was too much for the Mustangs to overcome. Mario Martinez Serrano clinched the victory for the Bulldogs and Niccolo Baroni tacked on an extra point at the end. The afternoon matchup versus Lamar started with Bulldog domination in doubles. Martinez Serrano/Baroni took down Nickel/Lindstedt in a quick 6-4 match. Hernandez Cortes/Novansky did much of the same clinching their matchup 6-2 to claim the doubles point. In singles action, the Bulldogs were able to secure three quick points with victories from No. 13 Petar Jovanovic, Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes, and No. 54 Benito Sanchez Martinez. Michal Novansky and Marshall Landry tacked on an additional two points. Sophomore Bryan Hernandez Cortes fell to Rintaro Shukuda in three sets closing out the afternoon with a 6-1 victory. |
| Mississippi State alum Jeffery Simmons notches NFL All-Pro nod | |
| The Associated Press unveiled its 2025 NFL All-Pro Team on Saturday with former Mississippi State and current Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons being included on the prestigious list. Simmons, who played for Mississippi State from 2016-18 and just wrapped up his seventh professional season, finished 2025-26 with a team-high 11 sacks -- the most ever by a Titans defensive tackle -- and 67 total tackles. He forced three fumbles and batted down three passes along the way. It's the first time Simmons has earned a first-team All-Pro honor from the AP after landing on the second team in 2021 and 2022. The latest honor for Simmons comes after the former Bulldog was named a Pro Bowler for the fourth time in his career and a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The latter, named after Mississippi native and former Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton, celebrates the player who has made the biggest impact both on and off the field and will be announced Feb. 5. Simmons' off-the-field resume is just as impressive as his on-the-field performance this season. He's been at the forefront of multiple charitable endeavors, including his foundation aimed at inspiring youth through sport and partnering with Fund Recovery and Research United to locate naloxone vending machines in Mississippi and Tennessee to fight drug overdoses. |
| Lawyers for Trinidad Chambliss seek injunction to allow for 6th year | |
| The viability of star Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss playing college football in 2026 is headed to court in Mississippi, according to his lawyer. Tom Mars told ESPN in a statement Sunday night that he and a noted Mississippi trial lawyer, William Liston, plan to file suit against the NCAA in state court this week for a preliminary injunction that will aim to secure Chambliss' eligibility for 2026. Liston is also the founder and general counsel for The Grove Collective, Ole Miss' collective for the school's athletes. The NCAA on Friday denied a waiver for a sixth year of eligibility for Chambliss, who finished eighth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. The NCAA will not comment until a lawsuit is filed. The organization directed ESPN back to its detailed statement from Friday about Chambliss' waiver request. The organization made it clear that sufficient medical documentation was not provided. Mars told ESPN that he and Liston spent most of the weekend preparing the complaint for a "preliminary and permanent injunction" for Chambliss. Mars had previously called a court in Mississippi a "level playing field." "We expect the lawsuit to be far more detailed and documented than other eligibility lawsuits that have been filed in the past year," Mars said Sunday. |
| College enforcement group voices 'serious concerns' with spiraling transfer portal | |
| A transfer portal spiraling out of control prompted the new regulatory body for college sports to issue a memo to athletic directors Friday night saying it has "serious concerns" about some of the multimillion-dollar contracts being offered to players. The "reminder" from the College Sports Commission came out about an hour before kickoff of the semifinal between Indiana and Oregon in a College Football Playoff that has shared headlines with news of players signing seven-figure deals to move or, in some cases, stay where they are. The CSC reminded the ADs that, according to the rules, third-party deals to use players' name, image and likeness "are evaluated at the time of entry in NIL Go, not before, and each deal is evaluated on its own merits." "Without prejudging any particular deal, the CSC has serious concerns about some of the deal terms being contemplated and the consequences of those deals for the parties involved," the memo said. The CSC did not list examples of unapproved contracts, but college football has seen its share of seven-figure deals luring players to new schools since the transfer portal opened on Jan. 2. |
| Jersey Patches: College sports' next commercial frontier already being sold | |
| LSU's equipment staff has ample experience affixing specialty logos. Commemorative patches are nothing new. Bowl game patches, too, are standard postseason practice. But over the past year, the group was approached with a more sensitive mission. The business operations side of LSU's athletic department needed two sets of football, basketball and baseball jerseys with a new patch, each reflecting a pair of potential corporate sponsors looking to get into business with the school. The thought? Get out ahead on a marketing asset that could be worth millions, despite the NCAA not yet approving its use. "[We] created and made with those patches on there just so we could get a real-life effect of it," said Clay Harris, LSU deputy athletic director and chief revenue officer, who spearheaded the first known sale of a college jersey patch. Plenty around the country had begun evaluating jersey patches and what they might fetch if the NCAA changed its rules that prohibit commercial advertising on uniforms. Selling that asset ahead of potential changes? That was a separate endeavor. Jersey patches, as of this writing, are not allowed within college athletics. But most within the industry are operating on a "when," not "if," basis, with patches slated for discussion by the Division I Cabinet at Tuesday's NCAA Convention outside Washington, D.C. |
| The College Football Title Game That Absolutely No One Saw Coming | |
| Just over a year ago, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti appeared on national television and made a bold declaration about his Hoosiers program. "We," Cignetti said, "are the emerging superpower in college football." At the time, his pronouncement was met with blank faces and stifled laughter. But 14 months on, it's now abundantly clear that Cignetti wasn't joking around. In fact, he might have been underselling things. The Hoosiers are headed to the national championship on Jan. 19 as definitive favorites to lift the trophy, with a perfect 15-0 record, a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback and the sport's undisputed coach of the year standing on the sideline. On their march toward the title game, Cignetti and Indiana have defeated powerhouses Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon (twice) and all that's left before the unlikeliest coronation in college football history is a final game against the University of Miami in South Florida. This Miami team isn't exactly the swashbuckling dynasty of old, though they are led by former title-winning offensive lineman Mario Cristobal. But the Hurricanes have navigated their way through a chaotic season to become the hottest team in college football since November. All of which makes this a title game unlike any the sport has witnessed in recent memory. Not one of the teams ranked in the top six of the Associated Press preseason poll even made it to the semifinals -- and seven of the top 12 teams missed the playoff altogether. |
| College football buzz: What we're hearing about playoff expansion | |
| There is strong support for a 16-team College Football Playoff format to begin as soon as 2026 if Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey can reach a specific compromise, multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions have told ESPN in the days leading up to one of the most significant meetings for the sport's postseason. There's still a stalemate, though, between the two powerbrokers, meaning that even with a majority in favor of the change, the playoff could remain at 12 next season. In November, the deadline for completing the format and related structural decisions moved from Dec. 1 to Jan. 23, 2026. CFP leaders -- including all 10 FBS commissioners, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, and the 11 presidents and chancellors who comprise the organization's board of managers -- will meet Jan. 18 in Miami, the day before the national championship game, for their annual review of the season. They are expected to discuss two models: a 16-team field that includes five conference champions and 11 at-large teams, and another format with 24 teams. Petitti and Sankey have the bulk of control over the playoff's format in 2026 and beyond, an agreement the other commissioners and Bevacqua signed off on in 2024 during the last contract negotiations with ESPN. If the Big Ten and SEC leaders can't come to an agreement by the deadline, the playoff will remain at 12 teams. The field will now guarantee the Power 4 conference champions spots, along with the highest-ranked conference champion from the Group of 6, which now includes the revamped Pac-12. |
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