| Friday, January 23, 2026 |
| MSU gets new master's degree programs, business center approved by IHL | |
 | Mississippi State University is getting new master's degree programs and a new Research Business and Operations Center. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning approved the center and degree programs during the first Board of Trustees meeting of 2026 on Thursday morning, Jan. 22. The first of two new degree programs is a Master of Applied Science in Industrial Technology. The 30-hour, fully online program will offer three specializations, including industrial management, community college leadership for technical programs and instructional design for technical programs. The Master of Science in One Health is a 30-hour, flexible program that can be completed in person or online. The program also offers an asynchronous online option to accommodate students already working full-time. Housed in the College of Veterinary Medicine, the program aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to plan for, address and overcome complex challenges that impact the health and welfare of animals, humans and the environment. The new Research Business and Operations Center will be housed in the Office of Research and Economic Development on the Starkville campus. |
| MSU Riley Center unveiled its Spring-Summer Series | |
 | On Thursday evening, the MSU Riley Center held a gathering to announce its spring-summer series, as it comes off its winter season, with the final show set to wrap up in the coming weeks. The lineup includes artists like Billy Ocean, who will perform Thursday, March 26th at 7:30 pm, Tab Benoit's Swampland Jam & Samantha Fish will perform on Saturday, April 18th at 7:30 pm, Air Supply on Thursday, April 30th at 7:30 pm, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas on Tuesday, May 5th at 7:30 pm, and Atlanta Rhythm Section, Fireball, Orleans & Pure Prairie League on Thursday, June 5th at 7:30 pm. Executive Director of MSU Meridian Campus Operations, Morgan Dudley, says they are going to have a really busy March through June with three sell-outs from last season, and hopes they can continue that path going into the new season. |
| MSU Riley Center unveils 2026 Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series | |
 | A dynamic lineup of iconic and acclaimed artists will take the stage as Mississippi State's Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts announces its 2026 Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series. The five-show season, which runs March through June, features artists whose influence spans genres and generations. The series includes legendary hitmaker Billy Ocean, blues and rock duo Tab Benoit's Swampland Jam & Samantha Fish, pop icon Air Supply, bluegrass legend Alison Krauss & Union Station and a powerhouse evening with Atlanta Rhythm Section, Firefall, Orleans and Pure Prairie League. "Building on the strong response to our fall and winter season, this spring/summer series reflects the continued evolution of the Riley Center," said Morgan Dudley, center director. "From iconic names to extraordinary musicianship, this lineup underscores our commitment to presenting performances of the highest caliber while expanding the reach of the performing arts in our region." Dudley also expressed sincere appreciation to The Riley Foundation, The Phil Hardin Foundation, MSU and Friends of the Lady members. |
| Our View: SMART Transit proves its value | |
 | The Dispatch editorializes: We most often associate bus services with big cities, where buses play a key role in managing traffic flow by reducing the number of private vehicles on city streets. Bus services can be important in small cities, too, providing transportation for the disabled and those without access to private vehicles. Buses provide those citizens with easier access to jobs, doctors' offices, hospitals, grocery stores, shops and even airports. The roles of big-city and small-city bus systems are different, but equally important. ... The Mississippi State University Area Rapid Transit (S.M.A.R.T.) doesn't exist to reduce traffic, obviously. It exists to provide transportation to improve the quality of life for citizens and visitors to both Starkville and the MSU campus. ... A dozen years ago, there was some justified doubt about the success of a bus system in a city the size of Starkville. No one seriously questions its value now. The system has continued to grow and evolve since its start. SMART is closing in on a half-million rides per year (455,000 in 2025, a 7% increase from 2024). Its paratransit service provided 6,478 rides. SMART provided more than 4,000 trips to the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in 2025. All those numbers are likely to increase in 2026. Given all that, it's hard to overestimate the importance of SMART to the city, the university and, most important of all, the citizens whose transportation options were extremely limited. |
| 5,500-year-old DNA shows syphilis was rooted in the Americas, before Columbus | |
 | From a 5,500-year-old human shin bone, scientists have discovered a close cousin of the pathogen that causes syphilis, providing the oldest evidence yet that the disease has ancient roots in the Americas, millennia before European contact. A historical and scientific debate has raged about the origins of syphilis for hundreds of years, a geopolitical blame game intertwined with European colonialism, treatment of Indigenous people and stigma. Was the sexually transmitted disease that began to tear through Europe at the end of the 15th century brought back to the continent by Columbus, or was it already circulating in medieval Europe? The new study published Thursday in the journal Science adds to a growing body of evidence that the syphilis origin story is not just an Old World versus New World argument, but a much longer story about human coexistence with pathogens. Treponema pallidum, the bacterium whose subspecies cause syphilis and several other modern infections, clearly existed in the Americas before European contact. "It's easy to fall into narratives of where diseases come from, and that plays into geopolitics. But diseases are way more complex than that," said Molly Zuckerman, a paleopathologist at Mississippi State University. |
| Aldermen reject bid to reopen vacant MLK Drive gas station | |
| Sarah Saidi, a co-owner of 76 Gas and Grill on Highway 12, invested her life savings when she and her family moved from New York to Starkville last year, hoping to open a second convenience store and gas station along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive West. Saidi, her brother and a third business partner approached Starkville aldermen during a public hearing at the board's regular monthly meeting Tuesday at City Hall, requesting the board approve a rezoning request that would allow them to reopen a long-vacant gas station at the intersection of MLK and Dr. Douglas L. Conner Drive. Even though the property once was used as a gas station, new zoning rules the city adopted since its shuttering mean it cannot be one again. The property is currently zoned T5-C, a corridor form-based district where mixed-use buildings, parks, hotels, restaurants, banks and other developments are generally permitted. Establishments like retail stores and churches are permitted with special exceptions, though gas stations and convenience stores are not among them. Despite the owners' pleas and support from Oktibbeha County District 1 Supervisor Ben Carver, aldermen unanimously denied the request. |
| Sales tax collections dip in Starkville, Columbus | |
| Both Starkville and Columbus saw declines in sales tax collections this month, with a 0.26% drop in Starkville and a 8.94% decrease in Columbus compared to December collections. Even so, both cities' sales tax collections are up compared to this time last year. Sales tax diversions run on a three-month window. Taxes are collected by retailers in the first month, sent to Mississippi Department of Revenue the next and then disbursed to cities and counties the third. Therefore, January reported collections reflect sales from November. Starkville collected $848,270 this month, down from December's collections of $850,522. This marks a 1.38% increase from January 2025 collections of $836,720. Year-to-date, the city has collected $3,559,498 in sales taxes, a 4.47% increase from this time last year ($3,406,945). At its current pace, the city is on track to exceed its $10.3 million projected budget by more than $378,000. Starkville saw a slight decrease in month-to-month collections of both its restaurant sales tax diversions, which assist in funding for economic development and tourism, as well as its tourism sales tax, which funds the parks. The city's restaurant sales tax brought in $287,769 this month, a 0.74% decrease from last month's collections of $289,930. This marks a 7.16% increase from January 2025 collections of $268,521. |
| Why freezing rain has millions at risk of losing power -- and heat | |
 | Every morning this week, Newberry Electric Cooperative CEO Keith Avery walks into his office and turns on The Weather Channel. Then he starts making calls, lining up crews and equipment to respond to outages if a forecasted ice storm cripples power across South Carolina. Avery has dealt with disasters before. Nearly every one of his 14,000 customers lost power when the remnants of Hurricane Helene tore through in 2024. But the approaching ice storm has him even more worried because ice-coated trees and power lines can keep falling long after the storm itself has passed. "I hate ice storms," Avery said. "They are worse than hurricanes." Officials across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. have been sounding the alarm about the potential for freezing rain to wreak havoc on power systems. In the South, especially, losing electricity doesn't just mean the lights going out. It means losing heat. That's because a majority of homes are heated by electricity in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Ice storms, Avery said, are especially punishing because of what happens after they move out: Crews struggle to reach damaged lines on ice-covered roads; cold, wet weather takes a toll on workers; and problems can linger for days as ice-laden branches continue to snap. |
| TVA's electric grid braced for cold as temps drop and demand rises | |
 | A major winter storm targeting the Southeast isn't likely to stress the Tennessee Valley Authority's electric grid, but low temperatures projected to start Jan. 26 could break demand records at the nation's largest public power provider. TVA is prepared for the storm that's forecast to hit Tennessee as early as the night of Jan. 23, TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks told Knox News. Conditions, Brooks said, are changing quickly across the utility's seven-state service region. "Our big focus is how cold it's going to get," he said. "Snow and ice is rarely a concern for us in the bulk electric system." But freezing temperatures expose other issues. The utility has run into cold weather problems before, prompted by low temperatures and high winds. In 2022, frozen equipment at major plants forced TVA to order the first rolling blackouts in its history amid Winter Storm Elliott. The blackouts didn't stem from capacity issues, Brooks said. The grid can keep up with demand, but TVA had some major vulnerabilities. It has since spent millions on things like new equipment, heated cables and insulation. And as power demand rises overall, TVA has committed to new generation from plants in places such as Memphis, where the utility is building new gas units. "It would not be unusual to see another spike in demand early next week, as temperatures get into the teens and possibly single digits in some areas," Brooks said. |
| Risk zone shrinks as much of Mississippi still expecting Winter Storm Fern impact | |
| The timeline for Winter Storm Fern's impacts on Mississippi is coming into clearer focus as Friday night approaches. The National Weather Service in Jackson said Friday morning that icy elements and hazardous conditions are still expected across much of the state, though the storm's projected impacts have shifted slightly north. The update, which was issued at 4:08 a.m., shows an "extreme" risk of severe weather hitting the northernmost part of the state as early as 6 p.m. on Friday and creeping southwest. As the storm moves down the state on Saturday and Sunday, the risk is forecast to lessen to "significant" and then to "elevated" and "limited." The Jackson metro, compared to Wednesday's outlook, moved out of the significant risk zone and into the elevated zone. Meridian, Laurel, and Hattiesburg areas notably moved out of the projected risk zone. Little to no snowfall is expected in Mississippi, with freezing rain and sleet being the main concerns. The office of Gov. Tate Reeves, as part of his declaration of a state of emergency, is working closely with utility providers. The state has already deployed generators, pallets of water, roof tarps, and other supplies to counties that have requested assistance. |
| C Spire prepares for upcoming winter storm and shares what you need to know | |
| Ahead of the winter storm, C Spire is advising customers to keep their phones charged, keep a portable charger, enable Wi‑Fi calling and switch their devices to low‑power mode. C Spire crews have been monitoring weather conditions and making sure plans are in place in the event of a power outage during the storm. Senior Vice President of Network Operations Charles Watson shared the steps C Spire has taken. "We are verifying generators, we are staging portable generators and batteries, we're positioning personnel in places for rapid recovery," Watson said. With conditions continuously changing, C Spire monitors them through its 24/7 real-time Network Operations Center. C Spire said it allows customers to worry less about coverage during the storm. "The least thing that they should have to worry about is if their phone system or internet is going to be working," Watson said. "And that's what we do here, prepare, proactiveness and a lot of coordination between our engineers, our field operations, to ensure that we're providing service in a timely manner." C Spire said customers can check its social media for updates during the storm. |
| New supercomputer named after Medal of Honor recipient | |
 | The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's (ERDC) new supercomputer has been dedicated in honor of a Mississippi Medal of Honor recipient. On Thursday, ERDC officials named the new system "Barfoot" in recognition of the late Col. Van T. Barfoot, who was an American hero on and off of the battlefield. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the organization's Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) in Vicksburg. "Today, we honor Col. Barfoot not only by remembering what he did, but by carrying his legacy forward," said ERDC Commander Lt. Col. Joshua Haynes. "He faced complex and dangerous challenges with speed, clarity, and decisive action -- and it is fitting that his name now stands on a machine that will give ERDC a competitive edge in research and development dominance." On May 23, 1944, during World War II while his platoon was surrounded by German forces, Barfoot ran alone across the battlefield and took out two machine gun nests using hand grenades. By the end of the battle, he had successfully neutralized multiple threats, resulting in the capture of 17 enemy soldiers. His bravery and leadership earned him a promotion to second lieutenant and the Medal of Honor, which he received in Epinal, France. Dr. Robert Moser, director of ITL, welcomed 11 members of the Barfoot family, including one of his sons and several cousins and nephews. |
| Downtown Jackson to get a new bookstore that will have unique spin | |
| Former Mayor Kane Ditto has always had an affinity for bookstores and improving Downtown Jackson. His latest venture will scratch an itch on both fronts. A bookstore is coming soon. Ditto, the founder of State Street Group, a commercial real estate company, has acquired the title to 206 W. Capital in December and has the right to purchase 208 W. Capital within the next year, but has a lease on it in the meantime. Ditto, who was mayor of Jackson from 1989 until 1997, has been a part of the commercial real estate scene for many decades. He is quick to point out, however, the new project is not a part of State Street Group. "We are going to do a historic renovation of the building." Ditto told the Clarion Ledger. "It was built in the early 1900s. It is a nice building." Ditto said he intends to form a non-profit for the project, which will be more than a bookstore. He expects it will be a used bookstore, and he will hire a manager for the project as all of the details come together. He expects the entire project to be completed early in 2027 and a manager is expected to be named in the next several months. He said with real estate prices being low in downtown, it was the perfect opportunity. The building for the bookstore is approximately 5,000 square feet. |
| Coast is growing. Meet the demographic group driving population shifts | |
 | The retirees playing their usual pickleball games at the Lobouy Senior Center seemed like longtime friends on the court. But their backgrounds tell a different story: Many are newcomers from Louisiana and California, Oregon and Illinois. "You immediately feel welcome," Eileen Manning, from Chicago, said as balls bounced back and forth on the courts behind her. "I just like the kindness." The pickleball group at this rural senior center in Harrison County is one sign of a striking shift unfolding across the Mississippi Coast. The number of residents who are 65 and older is rising faster than any other age group in the region and driving more population growth than any demographic across the three coastal counties. Many are also migrating here. The age group's population on the Coast has grown by about 11,000 people in the last few years, according to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. They are empty-nesters and wanderers, RVers and boat owners, and some say they are avoiding the increasing cost of crowded Florida. They are being lured by Mississippi's promise of cheap retirement in some of the last affordable beach towns in the country. The Coast is growing even as most other places in Mississippi shrink. |
| One Door to Opportunity: Lawmakers discuss the importance of work on families, society | |
| The importance of work on the psyche and society as a whole was a topic of discussion during Empower Mississippi's fifth annual Solutions Summit this week. During a panel presentation titled "One Door to Opportunity: Continuing Work, Support and Purpose," attendees gained insight into how work not only provides a person with the sense of accomplishment but also leads to better outcomes for families. It has been reported that Mississippi's workforce participation rate is below the national average, last reported to be about 55 percent. State Senator Daniel Sparks (R) told attendees that there is some "silliness" in how those figures are determined. He contends the rate does not take into account families who willingly opt for one parent to stay home and care for their children, especially due to the high cost of childcare or other familial or societal factors. "We have some people that choose to have a single parent in the home working and maybe another to be a stay-at-home parent. So, there are things that would impact that [rate]. Also, we have a high disability population," Sparks explained. The workforce participation rate counts everyone from age 16 and older, meaning older people who are not working are also counted. |
| Senate considering much of House ed proposal, just not school-choice vouchers | |
| While the Senate appears to remain opposed to the House's push for sending public dollars to private schools, the chamber's Education Committee passed bills with many of the House's other proposals on Thursday. The panel of lawmakers advanced 15 measures over a nearly three-hour hearing, including four bills that mirror segments of the House's omnibus measure, House Bill 2. The committee passed bills that would extend a literacy act that helped raise reading scores in Mississippi into higher grades and establish a similar math act. It also approved bills that would create a framework for school consolidations and mandate financial literacy education for high school graduation. "A lot of stuff from last year passed again today, and then a lot of new stuff that you've probably seen in a House bill somewhere," Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis DeBar, a Republican from Leakesville, told reporters after the meeting. "But, as I said before, we have most everything in House Bill 2, and we're gonna pass (the Senate bills)." |
| USDA streamlines reporting of foreign-owned farmland | |
| Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson (R) is praising the decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create an online website to streamline reporting requirements for foreign persons purchasing farmland in the U.S. "This is a welcome development in the ongoing conversation surrounding national farm and food security, and I applaud the Trump Administration and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for their efforts on behalf of the American people," said Gipson. "This online portal is long overdue, and I encourage continued awareness among Mississippians as we seek to limit foreign-owned land in this country and in our state." The website is part of the federal government's attempt to protect the nation's farm and food security, officials say. Agriculture is Mississippi's largest industry, worth approximately $9.5 billion annually, with more than 31,000 farms providing 185,000 jobs. Gipson said data from 2024 shows that foreign interests own 1,094,523 acres of land in Mississippi, representing 4.5 percent of all privately held agricultural land in the state. Unfortunately, he said, this represents a net increase of 113,141 acres, a nearly 12 percent increase from 2023, in reported foreign-held agricultural land. |
| Trump signals busy midterm campaign schedule, will target Iowa farmers | |
 | President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would focus on Iowa's farmers when he visits the state next week, telling reporters on Air Force One he intends to do "a lot" of campaigning to help Republicans in November's midterm elections. "The farmers have been very special to me. Very successful. All three terms," he said, appearing to refer to his three presidential runs. "So, I think they're really happy, the farmers, with what's happening." The administration last year announced up to $12 billion in "bridge" payments to U.S. farmers who have been hit hard by Trump's trade war. The leader of the GOP also mentioned other themes and topics he intends to cover when he lands in the Hawkeye State on Tuesday with control of the House on the line --- and the party's road to keep the Senate potentially tougher than once expected. Asked by reporters how active he planned to be campaigning for GOP candidates this year, Trump replied: "I'm gonna do a lot of campaign traveling, I hate to tell you guys. ... But it's going to keep you employed. ... We're going to work hard." Still, Trump, who has a mixed record on helping congressional candidates, appeared to downplay Republicans' chances in November. "And the only problem with that question is, for whatever reason, it's a deep-down psychological reason, sitting presidents ... don't seem to do well in the midterms," he said. "You'd have to ask, really a psychiatrist, about that. But we should do great. We won the election. Big." |
| These Gen-Z Trump voters don't want JD Vance in 2028 | |
 | Vice President JD Vance is the Trump administration's unofficial envoy to Gen Z. But young Trump supporters may not be all that enamored with him as they weigh their 2028 options. In a focus group of nine young men who supported Trump in 2024, conducted Monday by Longwell Partners and shared with POLITICO, they showed tepid enthusiasm about the vice president and suggested he is too bridled by the baggage of Trump's second term. "I feel like it's just time for someone new, especially for the Republican Party," said Alexandre M., a voter in Maryland, who raised concerns about Trumps's handling of the Epstein files, "because JD Vance was also pushing that as well." When the 18- to 24-year-olds were asked who else they would like to see as potential candidates in 2028, they named Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback. When the moderator asked who wants to see Vance as the GOP nominee, just one of the nine raised their hand -- and even he later signaled he is still unsure of his support. Others in the group raised concerns about electability as well as Vance's changing views. |
| 'Enough Is Enough': Hundreds of Minnesota Businesses Take Stand Against ICE | |
 | No work, no shopping, no dining out. Hundreds of businesses across Minnesota were expected to close and many people vowed to pause everyday activities on Friday as part of a general strike against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. As tensions mount and a sense of fear of detention by immigration agents permeates the state, vendors, labor unions and residents said they would participate in an economic blackout and gather at prayers and protests on what organizers called a "Day of Truth and Freedom." Minnesota is a mecca for corporate headquarters, with 17 Fortune 500 companies based in the state. But those organizations have not spoken publicly about the federal immigration activity, and none of Minnesota's 15 biggest employers, including Target, UnitedHealth Group and Xcel Energy, responded to requests for comment on Thursday. But not all employers have committed to striking. For some, the choice over whether to participate has not been an easy one because they simply cannot afford to lose a day's revenue. Mike Logan, the president of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, said he was also supportive of businesses closing in protest but would not encourage them to do so. "The last thing we need is a slowdown of commerce," he said. |
| Smith defends his Trump investigations at a House hearing. 'No one should be above the law,' he says | |
| Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended his investigations of President Donald Trump at a congressional hearing Thursday in which he insisted that he had acted without regard to politics and had no second thoughts about the criminal charges he brought. "No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that he be held to account. So that is what I did," Smith said of Trump. Smith testified behind closed doors last month but returned to the House Judiciary Committee for a public hearing that provided the prosecutor with a forum to address Congress and the country more generally about the breadth of evidence he collected during investigations that shadowed Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign and resulted in indictments. The hourslong hearing immediately split along partisan lines as Republican lawmakers sought to undermine the former Justice Department official while Democrats tried to elicit damaging testimony about Trump's conduct and accused their GOP counterparts of attempting to rewrite history. "It was always about politics," said Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the committee's Republican chairman. |
| TikTok Finalizes Deal to Keep Operating in the U.S. | |
 | TikTok officially established a joint venture that would allow it to keep operating in the U.S., the company said Thursday, resolving a yearslong fight to address Washington's national-security concerns. Under the terms of the deal negotiated by the Trump administration, the popular video-sharing app will be operated by a new U.S. entity controlled by investors seen as friendly to the U.S. Its data-management and algorithm-training on American users will be overseen by Oracle, the cloud-computing giant that has safeguarded its U.S. data for years and has close ties to the Trump administration. The deal was negotiated to comply with a law passed in 2024. President Trump delayed the implementation of the law a year ago after starting his second term to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. He signed a series of executive orders to extend the deadline for completing a deal until it was met Thursday. "I am so happy to have helped in saving TikTok!" Trump said in a social-media post Thursday night. He thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping "for working with us and, ultimately, approving the Deal. He could have gone the other way, but didn't, and is appreciated for his decision." Trump and TikTok's investors and allies pushed the deal through despite lingering concerns among lawmakers and security hawks that China could still influence the new entity through TikTok parent ByteDance, which owns almost 20% of it. |
| How Claude Code Is Reshaping Software -- and Anthropic | |
 | Engineers in Silicon Valley have been raving about Anthropic's AI coding tool, Claude Code, for months. But recently, the buzz feels as if it's reached a fever pitch. "We built the simplest possible thing," said Boris Cherny, head of Claude Code. "The craziest thing was learning three months ago that half of the sales team at Anthropic uses Claude Code every week." AI-powered coding has evolved quickly. From 2021 to 2024, most tools functioned as little more than autocomplete, suggesting a few lines of code as developers typed. By early 2025, startups like Cursor and Windsurf began rolling out early "agentic" coding products, which let developers describe a feature in plain language and leave the rest up to an AI agent. Claude Code launched around this time too. Cherny acknowledges that early versions of Claude Code often stumbled, making errors or getting stuck in costly loops. Cherny says Anthropic built Claude Code for where AI capabilities were headed, rather than where they were at launch. That bet was prescient. Several developers claim AI coding products reached an inflection point in recent months, particularly around the launch of Anthropic's latest AI model, Claude Opus 4.5. Last year, the business of AI coding agents took off. In November, Anthropic announced that Claude Code had reached $1 billion in annualized recurring revenue, less than a year after its debut. Now, Anthropic is trying to use Claude Code's momentum to create agents for non-coding sectors. |
| Pregnant Students' Rights Act introduced in Senate | |
 | Senate Pro-Life Caucus Chair Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Tuesday signed as an original cosponsor of pro-life legislation to support pregnant college students by requiring colleges and universities to actively inform them of their rights and protections. The Pregnant Students' Rights Act (S.3627), introduced by Sen. Ashely Moody (R-Fla.) is intended to help pregnant students carry a pregnancy to term without abandoning their academic career, such as modified class schedules, excused absences, and other resources. "Standing up for life is more than just saying the right words. It means showing up with real support. For women in college, balancing coursework with pregnancy can be especially challenging, and they deserve to fully understand their rights to reasonable accommodations and protection from discrimination," said Hyde-Smith, of Brookhaven. "As chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, I am proud to support this legislation and policies like it that empower pregnant women with the resources they need to thrive and nurture life." Majority Leader John Thune and U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) also cosponsored the bill. |
| IHL is developing a new funding model for the state's public universities, the first since 2012 | |
 | A new funding model currently under development with the Board of Trustees for Mississippi's Institutions of Higher Learning may take into account new criteria, such as post-graduation outcomes. IHL's board has been working with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, a consulting firm out of Colorado, since October. NCHEMS Vice President Sarah Pingel said the firm has had conversations with trustees, state legislators and institutional leaders. It will continue to meet with universities next month. IHL's current funding model has been in place since 2012, when it was decided that funding would be spread equally among institutions. Now, Pingel said the firm is recommending a hybrid model using performance metrics. "We wouldn't be able to respond, for example, to the desire to integrate costs if the model was only based on performance, and we certainly wouldn't be able to incentivize performance improvement if there was no performance component in the model," she said. A preliminary report of the model is expected during February's IHL board meeting. A final report will be completed by June. |
| Transit And Parking Struggles Continue At UM | |
 | Oxford–University Transit is an essential service for students at the University of Mississippi. According to the university's 2024 Department of Parking and Transportation Annual Survey, 95% of respondents ride the bus. As enrollment reaches a record 28,405 students, those who rely on OUT say the system is struggling to keep up. "It becomes stressful when you already manage your expenses carefully as a student," freshman Abu Bakar Siddique said. Siddique has missed the bus three times this semester due to inaccurate arrival information on the system's TransLoc app. Each time, he says, he had to take an Uber instead, which cost him $18–$20 per trip. "Sometimes the bus stops at the gas station or the OUT head office without any prior notice, and we have to wait much longer," Siddique said. OUT provided more than 500,000 rides in 2023, and both the city and the university are planning improvements to match rising demand. Oxford has recently completed road projects on South Lamar and Old Taylor Road, while campus officials point to parking expansion and a new parking garage with 1,300 spaces now in progress. But despite visible upgrades, many students still face daily transportation hurdles. While bus service remains a daily concern, parking challenges are also growing as the campus expands. The 2024 Department of Parking and Transportation annual survey details the frustration clearly. Out of 1,788 responses, only 3% said the campus has enough parking, and just 11% were satisfied with parking facilities. "We use student feedback through the Associated Student Body and the OUT advisory committee to guide our planning," Samuel Patterson, director of the Department of Parking and Transportation, said. |
| Ole Miss main campus will be closed on Monday due to winter weather | |
| Ole Miss is the latest Mississippi college to alter its schedule due to the threat of severe winter weather. The main campus in Oxford will proceed with normal operations on Friday until 7 p.m. University events and activities after that are canceled until further notice. The campus will be closed on Monday. Students are not required to leave campus during the closure. However, the university is encouraging students to stay weather-aware and take safety precautions as extreme cold temperatures, significant ice accumulation, and potentially hazardous travel conditions are expected across the area. Dining services at the Rebel Market will remain open with menus being adjusted as needed. Oxford-University Transit buses will operate under normal hours on Friday but not run on Saturday and Sunday. Other universities to alter schedules ahead of the weekend include Delta State University, Blue Mountain Christian University, and Mississippi University for Women. |
| UMMC raises money to build new $250M cancer center, seeks funding from Legislature | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center has raised nearly $90 million for the construction of a new cancer center, an important step in Mississippi's quest to gain a national designation that could improve outcomes for patients in the state with one of the nation's highest cancer mortality rates, according to hospital leaders. "What we don't have in Mississippi is the gold standard kind of cancer program that is available in other places in the country," said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the UMMC School of Medicine, during the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday. The medical center is asking the state Legislature to appropriate $100 million to go toward the new building's $250 million overall cost. The project also has the support of U.S. Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker and U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, who are seeking approximately $40 million in federal funding for the cancer center, Woodward said. The remaining costs will be financed through bonds issued by the medical center. The five-story building will be located on State Street across from the medical center and "bring together education, research and treatment under one roof," according to the project's fundraising website. The building will be adjacent to the American Cancer Center's Jackson Hope Lodge, which provides a free place to stay to cancer patients and their families. |
| There is no longer an 'ongoing threat' at Alcorn State University | |
| Alcorn State University was placed on lockdown due to a "threat to campus safety." The university made the announcement on Thursday morning. It was later revealed that the lockdown was placed due to email threats received by several HBCUs, including Alcorn. Students were asked to take shelter in a safe place. Operations resumed at 12 p.m. "We want to thank the following law enforcement agencies for their prompt response -- Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, Mississippi Highway Patrol, State Fusion Center, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Claiborne County Sheriff's Department, Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, and Campus Police," the university said. "We are grateful to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni for their cooperation and support." |
| MUW hosts Lowndes Co. Spelling Bee for top spellers in the area | |
 | The top spellers in Lowndes County faced off Thursday morning for a chance to represent the county, and maybe the state. Mississippi University for Women hosted the Lowndes County Spelling Bee. Students representing public and private schools from across the county tested their spelling skills against one another to see who would move on to the next level and possibly represent Lowndes County in the state Spelling Bee. Lowndes County School District Superintendent Sam Allison said the competition is a chance to not only build the students' vocabularies, but also their confidence. "I think the experience, as I mentioned to the kids, you've done the work. You're to be commended for being here. Just getting on the stage and having the opportunity to spell against the other students of Lowndes County. I think that goes a long way, and just building some confidence, building an experience, just to help them in the future," said Allison. |
| Mississippi College celebrates 200 years of faith, education, and service | |
| Two centuries ago, Mississippi lawmakers chartered a small academy that would grow into one of the state's most enduring institutions. This week, Mississippi College is celebrating its 200th anniversary, marking an achievement not many colleges can claim. The Clinton campus' bicentennial is being recognized through Founders' Week, a series of events leading to Founders' Day on Saturday, Jan. 24, the official anniversary of the school's founding in 1826. "This is a major milestone in the history of this institution," Mississippi College President Dr. Blake Thompson said on Mornings with Richard Cross. "I'm very thankful to be here and to be able to lead that celebration." Originally founded as Hampstead Academy, Mississippi College holds the distinction of being the oldest college in Mississippi and among the oldest in the South. Thompson said the weight of that history has been felt across campus as the bicentennial approached. The anniversary also comes at a pivotal moment for the university. Thompson reiterated the school's plans to transition to Mississippi Christian University later this year, a move he said reflects both its heritage and future direction. The class of 2026 will hold a unique place in school history as the bicentennial graduating class and the final class to receive a diploma bearing the Mississippi College name. |
| Local colleges turn to virtual learning due to severe weather threat | |
| Local colleges have already decided to switch to virtual learning due to the upcoming severe weather threat this weekend. Saturday and Sunday are First Alert Weather Days as a developing storm system and colder air bring the potential for impactful winter weather to Jackson and central Mississippi. A state of emergency was also declared by Governor Tate Reeves. Mississippi College will shift all classes and labs on the main campus in Clinton to virtual learning starting on Friday at noon and will continue on Monday. MC said residence halls and campus dining will remain open over the weekend. All campuses of Holmes Community College will operate virtually on Monday as well. |
| Proposal filed to consolidate 6 Mississippi community colleges. See which ones are under consideration | |
| State Rep. Trey Lamar (R), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in Mississippi, has filed legislation that would consolidate a number of community colleges, reducing the current 15 community and junior college districts down to 12. The Mississippi Delta Community College District would be consolidated with the Coahoma Community College District and be known as the Mississippi Delta Community College District. Coahoma Community College would then be known as the Coahoma Campus of Mississippi Delta Community College. The East Mississippi Community College District would be consolidated with the Meridian Community College District and be known as the East Mississippi Community College District. Meridian Community College would then be known as the Meridian Campus of East Mississippi Community College. The Copiah-Lincoln Community College District would be consolidated with the Southwest Mississippi Community College District and be known as the Copiah-Lincoln Community College District. Southwest Community College would then be known as the Summit Campus of Copiah-Lincoln Community College. |
| Meridian Collegiate Academy students find their footing at MCC | |
 | Navigating the demands of high school while stepping into college life can be overwhelming, but for three Meridian Collegiate Academy students, a helping hand from Meridian Community College staffers is making a difference. Meridian High School juniors Zy'Keria Ford, Courtney Smith, and Carson Willis are learning to balance academics, college expectations, and extracurricular responsibilities. The students are among 10 participants in the Meridian Collegiate Academy, a dual-enrollment program that allows high school students to earn college credit while still in high school. Since the program launched in Fall Semester 2025, Ford, Smith, and Willis have formed close connections with MCC's Kayla Fuentes, director of the Arts & Letters Series, and Jan Freeman, assistant director. Their introduction came through My College Cares, a campus-wide day of service where MCC faculty and staff serve as team captains for student volunteers. Meridian Collegiate Academy students were encouraged to participate alongside traditional college students, and it was during this experience that the group first connected. That initial meeting quickly grew into something more meaningful. Now, the students stop by Fuentes' office almost daily for informal check-ins, encouragement, and conversation. |
| Tougaloo College names finalists for president | |
| Tougaloo College has named three finalists in its search for a new president. Donzell Lee, the current president, will complete his term in June. The finalists are: Elfred Anthony Pinkard, former president of Wilberforce University, a private historically Black university in Ohio; Archie Tucker II, president of Push Pull Solutions, a consulting firm based in Texas specializing in higher education marketing and philanthropy; and Corey Wiggins, federal co-chair of the Delta Regional Authority. Tougaloo, a 157-year-old, private historically Black college located in north Jackson, has been on the hunt for its 15th college president for nearly a year. In June, the college's presidential search committee held community listening sessions for faculty, alumni, board of trustees and students after hiring WittKieffer, a Chicago-based consulting firm to help lead the search. In a November letter addressed to constituents, Blondean Davis, chair of the presidential search committee, said the search committee received 114 applications for the role at Tougaloo. "I'm extremely pleased with the process and think we have three highly qualified candidates," Davis told Mississippi Today. |
| CPRAM offers scholarships to communications majors around the state | |
| State college public relations officials are doing their part to encourage students to continue their interest in the area of communication at Mississippi's two-and four-year colleges with three $1,250 scholarships. Students applying for the CPRAM (College Public Relations Association of Mississippi) scholarship must be majoring in one of the following fields of study: public relations, communications, journalism, advertising, mass communications, political communications, crisis management, graphic design or other communication-oriented major. The scholarships could be awarded to a May 2026 high school graduate, a student entering or enrolled at the state's two-year colleges and to a student entering or enrolled at the state's four-year colleges for the 2026 fall semester. The student must also be enrolled full-time. Scholarship applicants must be in good standing and present three letters of recommendation from individuals connected to their academic institution. This includes college advisers, high school teacher/official, home-school teacher, etc. Students may be recommended by an active CPRAM member. |
| Alabama colleges, universities would have to report state and federal spending under bill | |
| An Alabama House committee Wednesday passed a bill that would require public higher education institutions to report state and federal funds received and spent. HB 165, sponsored by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, requires public colleges and universities to file an annual report detailing state and federal funds the institutions received and spent in the previous fiscal year. "We're not sure when tough times are coming. They already hit the General Fund. Things have leveled out with us. And the point here is that we want to make sure that these institutions are prepared and have backup contingency plans," Garrett told members of the House Ways and Means Education Committee Wednesday. Last week, Gov. Kay Ivey gave her proposed budget to the Alabama Legislature. The proposed Education Trust Fund budget includes a $570 million (5.8%) increase over this year, but most of that will go to salary increases for education employees and a $210 million increase for Public Education Employees' Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP). Most programs will be funded at current levels. Ivey's proposed General Fund budget had about $28.5 million (0.8%) in cuts. Kirk Fulford, legislative fiscal officer, told legislators last week the reason for a conservative budget is because of an anticipated 2028. |
| SoliU: A new mental health app made by Auburn University students and faculty | |
| Associate professor of public relations Myoung-Gi Chon, Ph.D., has released SoliU, a free mental health app aimed at helping Auburn students. The app is designed to provide assistance by using tracking tools and daily guidance. Chon created the lab in 2018 with a focus on addressing the mental health of college students, enhancing health literacy in the community and using AI to improve higher education. The lab consists of alumni and undergraduate students, all with majors ranging from public relations, computer science, business and design. Chon recognized that undergraduate students might not have as much professional experience so he established the lab to help train students with Auburn alumni. SoliU uses an AI chatbot function that can help answer questions and support those who are struggling with understanding their mental health. The app can also track your daily mood and provide self-tests for insight into your personal mental health journey. With a focus on helping students and the younger generation, the app offers evaluations to measure the extent of their social media usage. Chon believes that social media addictions are a large issue with college students, which can lead to students developing issues with their mental health. |
| Can unifying the LSU System make it a top-50 research university? Here's the plan. | |
 | In a play to climb over 30 places in a national ranking of higher education's top research spenders, major organizational change is sweeping through LSU. In December, the Board of Supervisors approved a reorganization at the highest levels. It reinstated the position of chancellor at the Baton Rouge campus and brought the LSU AgCenter, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LSU Health New Orleans and LSU Health Shreveport under his authority. LSU System Executive Vice President and Chancellor James Dalton called the unfolding transition a "merger." "How do we start viewing ourselves as one and start acting more in concert?" Dalton said. "I think it's a whole gamut of things that we've got to consider, starting with titles and then down into the weeds and into the details." The need for the university system, which maintains eight campuses across Louisiana, to start acting as one derives not only from the philosophical promise of the "statewide university" but also from a strategy to enter the coveted top-50 ranks of the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development, or HERD, Survey, officials say. The informal distinction has been achieved by research powerhouses like Harvard, the University of Michigan and UCLA -- and LSU officials say it is key to unlocking greater federal funding and prestige for the university system. |
| Florida proposal seeks 1-year pause on H-1B hires at public universities | |
| Florida's public universities could be barred from hiring any new employees through the H-1B visa program this year under a policy the system's leaders are considering this month. The university system's Board of Governors plans to vote on introducing the proposed policy change for public comment during its meeting on Jan. 29. The proposal says trustee boards "shall not utilize the H-1B program" for new hires through Jan. 5, 2027. The policy would carry out the wishes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who directed the system's governing board in October to end what he described as "H-1B abuse" at Florida universities. DeSantis argued that Florida's universities were hiring foreign workers through the program over qualified Americans. The University of Florida, the state's flagship, employed 253 workers through the H-1B visa program in fiscal 2025, according to federal data. Statewide, it was followed by Florida State University, with 110 H-1B workers, and the University of South Florida, with 107. In October, DeSantis directed the state's university system during a press conference to "pull the plug on the use of these H-1B visas in our universities." With the new proposed policy, the governing board would carry that out through a roughly one-year pause on H-1B hiring. |
| New semester, new student record? U. of Tennessee back in a big way | |
| Students returned to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus on a chilly Jan. 20 morning, perhaps, not knowing they were in the running to break a record. If estimates hold, UT would have surpassed its spring enrollment record by more than 1,500 students compared to last year's record of 36,954. Roughly 38,500 students are enrolled for the spring 2026 semester, including approximately 8,000 graduate students. UT provided these estimated figured to Knox News and will have a finalized tally in February. The estimate is in line with UT's broader enrollment goals, with the flagship Knoxville campus aiming to have 55,000 students enrolled by 2030, including 14,000 online students. UT made great strides toward this goal in the fall 2025 semester when it documented 40,421 students enrolled on campus and online. Enrollment dropping in the spring is typical. The UT System recently increased its 2030 total enrollment goal to 85,000 students. The increase includes 17,000 online students as the UT System continues to embrace online programs, including through a collaboration between the Knoxville campus and Arizona State University. |
| UT-Austin Is Closing Its Teaching Center. Faculty Members Ask: Why? | |
 | The University of Texas at Austin is shuttering its longstanding Center for Teaching and Learning at the end of the semester, part of a wave of changes announced last Friday that include the closure of the Office of Community Engagement, a campus advising center, and the Office of Undergraduate Research. The news, which came in an email from William Inboden, the university's provost, presented these moves as part of an effort to "optimize" and "streamline" academic operations. He wrote that resources provided by the programs would be repurposed, but offered no details. Faculty members were stunned by the news. "I literally cannot think of any reason why you would dismantle a centralized center for teaching and learning," said Karma Chávez, president of the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors, and a professor of Mexican American and Latina/o studies. "It absolutely baffles me." Chávez said she had scant information -- the email was sent to a small number of people on campus, including deans, she heard -- but learned through conversations with colleagues who are directly affected that the "vast majority" of the staff will be laid off, more than 20 people. The teaching center is the largest of the four operations, and lists 13 staff members, along with 11 student workers, on its website. |
| Faculty and students push back against Texas A&M's controversial curriculum rules | |
| Members of Texas A&M's faculty and student body gathered Thursday to decry a university policy shift that stands to overhaul nearly 200 courses deemed to cover race and gender ideology. "Academic instruction is not indoctrination," Dr. Leonard Bright, the president of the Texas A&M chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said at a Thursday morning press conference. "What makes this moment especially troubling is how we arrived here. A small group of politicians attempted to impose censorship into state law," Bright added. "They failed---instead of accepting this outcome, these politicians turned to the back door, using the board of regents and bodies that are not elected but appointed." The protest comes in response to a recently approved Board of Regents policy requiring campus presidents to review and approve courses that could be perceived as advocating "race and gender ideology." Among the slate of speakers was Dr. Martin Peterson, a professor who recently captured headlines after being told to remove Plato readings and other material related to race and gender from a core course -- or face reassignment. "How can a serious research university censor Plato in a philosophy class," Peterson noted. |
| Higher Ed's Secret Provost Club | |
| The secret provost club has been around for so long that four former members who spoke to The Chronicle said they couldn't pinpoint when exactly it began. The first meetings were before 9/11, and may have even predated email, the primary way the group communicates now. The name -- 10U -- is itself a relic, believed to refer to the original number of universities represented. The origin story might be fuzzy, but 10U is definitely a secret. The name is nowhere to be found on the internet. One major higher-ed association declined to comment on the group, as did a number of current provosts who may or may not be in it. One current provost initially agreed to be interviewed, but later changed his mind after discovering that his university was no longer represented in the group. The 10U membership has changed over time, but former provosts who spoke to The Chronicle said the current roster includes 13 academic leaders -- from the Universities of Chicago and Rochester, Washington University in St. Louis, Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Emory, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon, Rice, and Case Western Reserve Universities. Duke was the only institution that confirmed its provost's involvement. Read the list of institutions, and the commonalities are striking. They are all private research universities that are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities. Most are east of the Mississippi River, making travel to one another's stomping grounds easier. Many fall into the bucket of "Ivy Plus," with competitive admissions and major medical centers. |
| Higher Ed Spent Millions on Lobbying in 2025 | |
 | Major research universities spent more than $37 million on federal lobbying efforts in 2025 as the sector was beset by a flurry of policy changes during the first year of Donald Trump's second term. That's up significantly from 2024, when those same institutions spent $28.1 million. Fourth-quarter lobbying expenditures, which were reported by most universities earlier this week, show that spending dropped toward the end of the year after it peaked in the spring. While college presidents have been criticized for failing to push back publicly on Trump administration initiatives seen as damaging to higher education and/or the social fabric, lobbying numbers show that institutions have been heavily engaged behind the scenes. The Inside Higher Ed analysis of lobbying expenses focused primary on the American Association of Universities, which is made of 71 research institutions in the U.S. and Canada. Throughout the last year, the representatives of these universities headed to Capitol Hill to fight for research funding and push back against plans in the sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed over the summer and ushered in a new era of higher ed accountability and student loan policy. Among AAU members, the University of Florida emerged as the top spender, a fact that went unnoticed last year because UF did not comply with federal lobbying disclosure deadlines and filed reports late for each quarter. |
| Universities Count the Cost, One Year Into Trump's Second Term | |
| Uncertainty has been the single most damaging aspect of the second Trump administration, professors have said, with university finances taking a hit despite the impact of many of the president's cuts not yet coming to fruition. A year on since the U.S. president's inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, top universities are counting the cost of persistent attacks -- which kicked off with significant cutbacks to federal research funding. Although many of the harshest cuts have been quietly rescinded or blocked by the courts, universities have suffered considerable damage and are likely to face more systematic reforms to research in future, said Marshall Steinbaum, assistant professor of economics at the University of Utah. "Beyond the high-profile, ideologically ostentatious cuts to some aspects of federally funded research, the whole enterprise is set to be less lucrative for universities going forward," he told Times Higher Education. Even though many of the cuts might not come to fruition, the uncertainty caused by having to plan for potential cuts had been the most damaging aspect, said Phillip Levine, professor of economics at Wellesley College. "There's still tremendous damage that's been done, [but] the damage isn't as extensive as it could have been." |
SPORTS
| Men's Basketball: SEC Announces 11 a.m. Tipoff For Saturday's Men's Basketball Game | |
| Due to the potential for winter weather in the area this weekend, Mississippi State is monitoring conditions and responding to forecasts that include snow, freezing rain and icy conditions. The Southeastern Conference has announced an adjusted tipoff time of 11 a.m. for Saturday's men's basketball game against No. 15 Vanderbilt. Gates will open at 10 a.m. Admission to the game will be free. Fans who purchased single-game tickets will receive a refund. Season ticket holders will continue to have access to their assigned seats, and student seating will remain available for the game. Individuals should consider local conditions when deciding whether to attend. Those who do travel are encouraged to use caution, allow extra time, and be mindful of bridges, stairs and sidewalks during icy conditions. For those who choose to attend, Mississippi State Athletics will have standard event operations in place inside Humphrey Coliseum. Parking areas around Humphrey Coliseum will be open and available. The game, originally scheduled to air on SEC Network, will now be streamed on SEC Network+. Fans should continue to follow official Mississippi State Athletics channels for the latest information and updates. |
| Mississippi State faces conference rival No. 15 Vanderbilt | |
| SEC foes Mississippi State and No. 15 Vanderbilt will play on Saturday. The Bulldogs are 7-3 on their home court. Mississippi State has a 4-5 record in games decided by 10 points or more. The Commodores are 3-3 in conference matchups. Vanderbilt is 13-2 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 8.8 turnovers per game. Mississippi State makes 44.4% of its shots from the field this season, which is 2.5 percentage points higher than Vanderbilt has allowed to its opponents (41.9%). Vanderbilt averages 12.2 more points per game (90.2) than Mississippi State allows to opponents (78.0). The matchup Saturday is the first meeting of the season for the two teams in conference play. Josh Hubbard is scoring 21.7 points per game and averaging 2.3 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Jayden Epps is averaging 14.9 points and 3.0 rebounds over the last 10 games. |
| Men's Tennis Set To Host ITA Kickoff Weekend; Event Now Scheduled For Friday & Saturday | |
| No. 7 Mississippi State opens its home slate Friday afternoon as it welcomes Santa Clara to Starkville for the opening round of the ITA Kickoff Weekend. Originally scheduled for Saturday, the match was moved up to Friday with State's first serve set for 6 p.m. The Bulldogs enter the weekend riding momentum from a season-opening road stretch that featured four consecutive away matches, capped by their first ranked win of the year over No. 24 Illinois. Now back on familiar courts, State looks to make the most of ITA Kickoff Weekend hosting duties for the third straight season and the seventh time overall in program history. Mississippi State owns a 17-13 all-time record in ITA Kickoff Weekend play and went 1-1 last season while hosting Pepperdine and NC State. Historically, State has fared well against West Coast Conference opponents, owning a 6-2 all-time mark against the WCC and a perfect 2-0 record versus the league in ITA Kickoff Weekend play. Along with Santa Clara, State is hosting conference foes Alabama and Auburn. |
| College Football Playoff set to stay at 12 teams for 2026: Why SEC-Big Ten remain stalemated | |
| The College Football Playoff is expected to remain at 12 teams for the 2026 season after the Big Ten and SEC could not agree to an expansion plan, multiple people familiar with the decision told The Athletic, and CFP officials were preparing an announcement for later Friday. The decision comes as no surprise. The two wealthiest and most powerful conferences in college sports have been locked in a stalemate that goes back to the spring of 2025, when the SEC backed away from a Big Ten proposal that included each Power 4 league getting multiple automatic bids. Since then, expansion for the 2026 season has seemed unlikely, and additional time to talk about it ultimately made no difference. Friday was the deadline for the CFP to inform ESPN about how big the Playoff will be in 2026, after the CFP management committee received a seven-week extension from the original Dec. 1 notification date from the network. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey from the SEC held one last call about the structure of the CFP on Thursday but to no avail. Mississippi State president Mark Keenum made the SEC's support for expansion to a 16-team CFP clear on "The Paul Finebaum Show" in November. "I'm not a big fan of automatic qualifiers," Keenum said. |
| Indiana's CFP victory over Miami averages 33.9 million viewers, most-watched game in 11 years | |
| Top-seeded Indiana's victory over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night was the most watched college football game in 11 years. The Hoosiers' 27-21 victory over the 10th seeded Hurricanes for their first football national title averaged 30.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. It also is the second-most watched CFP title game and cable telecast on record. Ohio State's win over Oregon in January 2015, still has the record at 33.9 million. According to ESPN, it was the most-viewed, non-NFL sports telecast since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland. It is the fourth-most watched college football game in the last 30 years and the eighth-most watched ESPN production since the network started in 1979. "Monday night's record-setting National Championship game was the exclamation point on the most exciting College Football Playoff to date – and a fitting final chapter for ESPN's highly successful 2025-26 college football season," ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro told The Associated Press. "We are grateful to our CFP partners for their collaboration as this preeminent sports event continues to reach new audiences and fan bases each year." |
| Q&A: CFP leader talks Vegas title game in '27, potentially expanding playoff field | |
| The College Football Playoff national championship will be staged in Las Vegas in 2027 and the group's executive director is ready to go all-in on making it the best version in the event's history. CFP executive director Rich Clark was presented a light bulb that once lit up on the city's fame Welcome to Las Vegas sign on Tuesday, signaling the start of a year-long process that will culminate in the college football's pinnacle event taking place on Jan. 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. During the 2022 NFL Draft NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called the event that year "Better than perfect." Are you guys looking for a better than perfect CFP coming up in '27 in Vegas? "That's what we're aiming for. I mean, we believe that you have to elevate your performance. You have to every year get better and Miami was spectacular. It really was a great venue for us. The city, the Dolphins, the host committee, everyone involved just made it great. And the fans, whether they were at the game or whether they were participating in some of our peripheral events, were just amazing. But we want to get better. I mean, we need to be better next year. And we think that Vegas will be able to help us to get there. So, it's always our goal to get better every season and be better than we were the last season. So, (Monday's game) wasn't perfect, neither was the whole week perfect, but it was outstanding and we just want to take it to the next level." |
| SEC Football Isn't Winning Titles. But There's One Way It's Still Crushing the Big Ten. | |
| There is no question which conference is the reigning king of college football. Indiana's spectacular national title this week was the third in a row by a Big Ten team, after Michigan and Ohio State. But when it comes to the long game, the Southeastern Conference is still leading by at least a couple of touchdowns. Two years ago, SEC and Big Ten football games drew similar television audiences. This season, however, the second campaign since each league expanded, the SEC's average audience has surged by 49% while the Big Ten's has dropped 11%, according to Nielsen. The average regular-season SEC football game now draws 2 million more viewers than the average Big Ten game. And in an era where football broadcast revenue is the lifeblood of college sports -- particularly as teams spend millions on their rosters -- that growing gap has become the true measure of the business. "Right now, based on the differential in viewers, the SEC arguably is the more valuable property," said Neal Pilson, former president of CBS Sports. The Big Ten rejected the notion that TV ratings were a sign that the SEC has gained an edge. "To simply measure the success of our conference's expansion by television ratings is to ignore academics and research as the primary purpose of institutions of higher learning," a Big Ten spokesperson said. But the ratings chasm also helps explain the Big Ten's urgent push to double in size the College Football playoff to 24 teams. |
| Florida coach against Charles Bediako playing: 'We're going to beat them anyways' | |
 | Florida men's basketball coach Todd Golden didn't mince words when asked about the prospect of playing an Alabama team with Charles Bediako. "We're going to beat them anyways," Golden said on his radio show Thursday night. "If he plays, we'll beat them anyways." The former Alabama center was granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday morning, giving him immediate eligibility to participate in all Alabama men's basketball activities and games. Bediako hasn't played for Alabama since 2023. "The reality is, I don't agree with it," said Golden, whose Gators will face Alabama on Feb. 1. "I don't think he should be playing." Golden added he doesn't "necessarily fault" Alabama coach Nate Oats because of the competitive space they're in as college basketball coaches to try and be the best program. "They were able to finagle the situation where they got a judge in Alabama that is actually a donor at Alabama to write a temporary restraining order to allow this guy to play games in Alabama," Golden said. "I think there's a lot of people that aren't happy about it and don't necessarily agree with it. With all this intervention from judges, there's only so much the league can do. There's only so much other member schools in the league can do. We just need some people to stand up and start taking a stand." |
| UM System president and AD address changing financial environment of MU athletics | |
 | University of Missouri Athletic Director Laird Veatch and UM System President Mun Choi updated the MU Faculty Council on the yearly financial report Thursday. During the meeting, faculty members were concerned about the continued expansion of name, image and likeness (NIL) and its relationship with the university as well as its impact on the Mizzou Athletics budget. "We don't have a stable environment where (the players are) committed for a certain amount of time. We don't have collective bargaining," Veatch said. "It's essentially a free market, year over year." Veatch shared that there is a cap of $20.5 million instituted by the NCAA that restricts universities from investing too heavily in their teams. However, no such cap exists for third parties who could influence athletes, he added. Members of the Faculty Council were especially interested in how private investment could affect the integrity of university athletics. "With private equity you would to imagine you'd give up some control," Choi shared. "We would have to weigh that very carefully before giving up control as an institution with integrity." The way that student-athletes are viewed was also a point of contention during the meeting. Members of the council wanted to know if athletes were considered employees and could unionize. |
| Missouri rejects a ban on college athlete prop bets after NCAA gambling scandals | |
| Missouri gambling regulators on Thursday rejected a request from the NCAA to restrict bets on the performance of college athletes in response to recent betting scandals, but left open the possibility of revisiting the issue as the state's fledgling sports betting market gets better established. The action by the Missouri Gaming Commission came just a week after the NCAA sent a letter to state gambling oversight boards asking them to ban college athlete prop bets -- a popular type of wager focused on what individual players will do in a game, like scoring a certain amount of points in basketball or surpassing a particular passing yardage in football. The NCAA also urged states to ban certain other specialty bets, such as wagers on whether a team will trail by a particular point spread at halftime of a game. The NCAA contends such bets are ripe for manipulation by athletes facing pressure, harassment or bribes from bettors. It pointed to last week's federal indictment of more than two dozen people for alleged bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy in a scheme that involved more than 39 players on more than 17 NCAA Division I men's basketball teams attempting to rig more than 29 games. But Missouri gambling regulators said they didn't want to change the state's rules less than two months after legal sports betting launched in the state. |
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