| Tuesday, April 28, 2026 |
| MSU's Keenum thanks lawmakers for university funding | |
 | Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum recently shared his appreciation for the investment made by the Mississippi Legislature this session in the land-grant institution's core missions and in the university's world-class faculty and staff. "While the bulk of our operations saw level funding, I'm extremely pleased that the Mississippi Legislature and the Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning chose to invest in a long-needed pay increase primarily for our academic personnel and provided funds to cover rising health insurance and public employee retirement costs," said Keenum. "We are also grateful for increased operating funds for each of our five separate agriculture units, with a raise pool for instructional faculty in that division that mirrors that provided for the main campus." The school noted that Keenum had made university-wide faculty salaries and stabilizing funds for the agricultural units in the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine (DAFVM) key priorities in the university's legislative requests. |
| Dr. David Shaw discusses opportunities/relationships abroad at Starkville Rotary | |
 | Mississippi State University has strong relationships with other universities around the world. The latest example of that is the MSU Rome Center, the university's first residential facility abroad. It's part of MSU's partnership with the Pontifical University Antonianum. When it's finished, it will be able to house up to 36 students at a time. The program, based in Italy, also allows students to have internships with the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization. Dr. David Shaw talked about this and other international opportunities in Starkville Monday. He said these relationships allow MSU to extend its reach farther than anything it could do on its own, and they give students a broader worldview. "You know, our goal is to make it such that every student that has any desire whatsoever to be able to have a study abroad experience, we're able to provide that, you know. We're continually working to develop scholarships for our students, and this new facility in Rome is going to be just the epitome of what we're trying to do. To be able to keep it very affordable, and, at the same time, give these students a great study abroad experience," said Dr. Shaw. |
| Claiborne County sheriff partners with MSU program to connect residents with jobs | |
| The Claiborne County Sheriff's Office has partnered with Mississippi State University's Career Horizons Project to help connect local residents with job opportunities, Sheriff Edward Goods announced. Goods said the program is aimed at helping people affected by COVID-19 get back on their feet. According to the sheriff's office, opportunities are available for people ages 16 to 70, with both part-time and full-time positions offered for those who qualify. The program includes job placement, job retention assistance, career counseling and support for people impacted by long COVID. Applications will be available starting Tuesday at the Claiborne County Sheriff's Office, according to Goods. |
| Drought, high prices have farmers worried | |
 | When Bill Miller, an Oktibbeha County farmer, was looking to plant his corn, peas and okra on his roughly three-acre farm in March, he thought he had found the perfect planting window. But since planting, nearly all his crops have died. "(My crops) are not doing anything," said Miller, who does not use an irrigation system because he historically has not needed one. "It's really spotty. I don't have a good stand on any of the rows. ... And if they don't get a rain, they're not going to do very much. ... They won't make it." Miller is facing a potential $15,000 loss in revenue because of his dying crops, and he's not the only one. Since January, Mississippi has experienced its 10th driest year to date in the last 131 years, with only 10.2 inches of rainfall compared to the state's average of 16.2 inches, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System website. While the Golden Triangle has received some relief since Friday in the form of 0.8 inches of rainfall, the region and state still need more consistent precipitation to mitigate potentially millions in crop losses, said Mike Brown, state climatologist. |
| Education: SOCSD names DeMario Jefferson as director of bands | |
| Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District has named veteran music educator DeMario Jefferson as its new Director of Bands. The hiring of Jefferson was approved at the April meeting of the SOCSD Board of Trustees. Jefferson currently serves as an assistant band director for the district, a position he has held since 2018 and previously in 2010 through 2015. He also directs the Armstrong Junior High School Band as lead teacher. In those capacities, he has assisted with overall concert and marching band instruction, as well as the instruction and management of all middle school level ensembles. "DeMario Jefferson was an obvious choice for this important role in our district's Fine Arts program, said SOCSD Superintendent Tony McGee. "He has demonstrated his loyalty to our district and the Yellow Jacket family during his entire tenure in Starkville, and his care for growing our young band students is unmatched. We look forward to watching him take the helm of our band program and continue its tradition of excellence." |
| Multiple rounds of severe weather forecast for Mississippi this week | |
| The entire state of Mississippi could see severe weather this week, according to the National Weather Service. After heavy rainfall in some areas over the weekend, showers began redeveloping in part of the state Monday morning. The next round of severe weather is expected from Monday afternoon into early Tuesday morning. Areas stretching from the southern Delta to the Alabama state line are under a Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5), while the rest of north Mississippi is under either a Slight Risk (Level 2) or Enhanced Risk (Level 3). A brief lull is expected before the entire state is at risk of severe weather beginning Tuesday afternoon. Most of central and north Mississippi are forecast to be under a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5), while the Pine Belt and coastal regions are under a Marginal Risk (Level 1). Potential hazards include thunderstorms, damaging winds, and hail. Tornadoes cannot be ruled out. Conditions are expected to last from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning. |
| Mississippi employers more open to candidates with criminal records, study says | |
 | Mississippi employers are increasingly open to hiring individuals with prior criminal justice involvement, according to a new study from the Mississippi Business Alliance Foundation and Magnolia Correctional Industries. The findings signal a shift in attitudes and an opportunity to bolster the state's workforce. The Fair Chance Hiring Study, recently released, surveyed hiring decision-makers throughout the state to gauge attitudes, practices and barriers related to employing formerly incarcerated individuals. "Mississippi's workforce challenges require us to expand and better align our talent pipeline," President of the MBA Foundation Scott Waller said in a statement. "This research shows that employers are willing, outcomes are strong, and with the right approach, fair chance hiring connects more Mississippians to meaningful work while strengthening our economy." |
| Insurance Commissioner working to provide short-term health policy options to Mississippians | |
| During the 2026 legislative session, State Rep. Hank Zuber (R) brought forward HB 605 in an effort to create a state health insurance exchange within two years. The bill died in committee. Now, Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney (R) is working on a plan to help small employers and residents of Mississippi find health insurance coverage that he expects to be cheaper than purchasing individual policies. Chaney's office is working toward a private exchange that does not take subsidies but instead provides residents with a short-term duration policy, usually for six months, or up to one day less than one year. Using short-term duration policies provides a loophole that allows Mississippians to find a level of affordable coverage. "It's a loophole, you're right, but it's a loophole that benefits the consumer," Chaney said. |
| Bain running for State Auditor | |
| Nick Bain has been planning a return to public office for well over a year. This week, the former north Mississippi State Representative is officially announcing a bid for State Auditor in the 2027 statewide election cycle. Bain, an attorney, previously represented District 2 in the Mississippi House of Representatives for 12 years. He was first elected to the Legislature as a Democrat in 2011, going on to win re-election four years later. He switched to the Republican Party in 2019 ahead of winning his third term in the state House, where he served as the House Judiciary B chairman. Now, with the backing of former Governor Phil Bryant (R), Bain is launching his first bid for statewide office. It is widely believed that two-term incumbent State Auditor Shad White (R) will run for governor in 2027, leaving the Auditor's seat open. White was initially appointed to the position by former Governor Bryant in 2018. An open statewide seat is likely to draw multiple candidates to the race in both parties. |
| Jackson asks federal judge to block new water authority created by state law | |
| The city of Jackson on Monday asked a federal judge to block a new water authority recently created by state lawmakers, arguing that the state attempted to "usurp" the federal court's power by recently enacting the law. "This federal Court -- not the State Legislature -- is in the best position to determine when and how the system transitions away from JXN Water," city attorney Drew Martin wrote in a court filing, "and this federal Court -- not the State Legislature -- has the sole authority to do so." Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1677 on April 8, and it became law immediately. It created a new water authority, separate from city or state government, to run Jackson's water and sewer systems once U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate releases those systems from the oversight of the third-party manager. Later on Monday, Wingate scheduled a status conference to discuss the motion for May 1 at 9:30 a.m. |
| GOP tensions over DHS funding intensify between Senate, House Republicans | |
 | Tensions between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are escalating after Saturday's shooting at the Washington Hilton put new focus on a stalled Homeland Security funding bill passed by the Senate last month. Members of the Senate Republican leadership team said the assassination attempt against President Trump should spur House Republicans to immediately pass a Senate-approved bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Secret Service, whose officers stopped an armed assailant within a few feet of the Hilton's ballroom. "I think it was incumbent on them well before this even happened" to pass the Senate bill "with the threat assessment at a very high level given the [conflict] with Iran," Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said when asked if the shooting puts pressure on House Republicans to act. "Frankly, it's ridiculous we haven't got this resolved," he said. Daines, an adviser to the GOP leadership team, along with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), presented the Senate Republican plan to Trump last month. |
| House GOP leaders at impasse on FISA, farm bill and budget resolution | |
 | The House floor is completely frozen after GOP leaders failed to advance a procedural rule governing consideration of three key pieces of legislation. The chamber reconvened this morning, only to immediately recess as leaders continue to negotiate with their rank-and-file in hopes of breaking a number of stalemates. King Charles III will arrive on Capitol Hill shortly after 1 p.m to meet with the speaker and Hill leadership before his 3 p.m. address, slicing into key negotiating time. Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a raft of internal GOP crises on a spy power extension, the farm bill and the budget resolution. Johnson is also confronting pushback over the farm bill. GOP leaders are now working to make in order for a floor vote an amendment from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) to strip out a controversial pesticide provision that MAHA advocates argue acts as a liability shield for pesticide companies. A group of midwestern Republicans are also pushing for a vote on an amendment that would facilitate year-round sales of a type of ethanol known as E-15, which is major fight among GOP factions. |
| GOP readies bills to fund or authorize White House ballroom | |
 | Senate Republicans are pushing for passage of legislation that would back the Trump administration's planned White House ballroom in the wake of a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Katie Britt of Alabama and Eric Schmitt of Missouri announced plans to fund the ballroom project with tax dollars. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, meanwhile, said he plans to ask for unanimous consent Tuesday to pass a bill to authorize the ballroom's construction without funding it. Both bills are expected to be released Tuesday. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the National Park Service over the ballroom plans in December, arguing that Trump and administration officials violated the Administrative Procedure Act and National Environmental Policy Act by demolishing the White House East Wing and moving forward with the addition. After the Saturday night shooting, Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate asked the trust's lawyer, Greg B. Craig, to drop the lawsuit by Monday morning, saying the government otherwise would move to dissolve a court injunction against proceeding with the project |
| Suspect Accused Of Trying To Kill President | |
 | The man accused of opening fire outside a Washington press gala over the weekend was charged on Monday with attempting to assassinate President Trump, as officials defended the security at the high-profile dinner but promised to re-evaluate protocols for future events. Cole Allen, 31 years old, was also charged with two firearms offenses after officials said he charged past a security perimeter and opened fire at the Washington Hilton, the site of the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Allen faces a potential life sentence on the attempted assassination charge alone. During a 15-minute court hearing Monday, Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh said Allen faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years on a charge of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and up to a decade on the separate firearms offense. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said at a news conference Monday that Allen could expect additional charges as authorities continue their investigation. |
| Supreme Court grapples with multibillion-dollar wave of lawsuits over Roundup cancer claims | |
 | The Supreme Court seemed divided Monday over whether to block thousands of lawsuits alleging the maker of the weedkiller Roundup failed to warn people it could cause cancer. The case came before the justices after a tidal wave of litigation that included some multibillion-dollar verdicts against the global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer, which owns Roundup maker Monsanto. Several justices seemed sympathetic to the company's argument that it can't be sued under state law because federal regulators have found Roundup likely doesn't cause cancer. Others, though, grilled attorneys about whether that wrongly stops states from responding to changing research. Roundup maker Monsanto is backed by the Trump administration, a legal position that's at odds with some allies in the Make America Healthy Again movement who want to rein in pesticide use. American Farm Bureau Federation said in court documents that removing it from the market would have an "immediate, devastating risk to America's food supply" at time when the industry is already under pressure. |
| Ingenious? Orwellian? Or both? Supreme Court considers constitutionality of 'geofence' warrants | |
 | The Supreme Court hears arguments Monday about a relatively new law enforcement technique that allows police to tap into giant tech-firm databases to find out who was near the scene of a crime and may have been involved. Essentially the question before the high court is whether that technique is ingenious, Orwellian, or both? And, ultimately, is it constitutional? The technique is called geofencing, and it allows the government to draw a virtual fence around a geographic area where a crime was committed. After that, the government seeks a warrant, not to search a home or office, but to require a tech company to search its data to identify any of its millions of users who were within the geofence line at the time of the crime. The geofencing in this case relied on a Google feature called "location history." The geofencing case is the latest clash between privacy rights and law enforcement. It involves a bank robbery in the small Virginia town of Midlothian, where a robber pulled out a gun, and subsequently fled with $195,000. |
| U.S. weighs Iranian proposal that would open Strait of Hormuz but delay nuclear talks | |
 | The White House is weighing an Iranian proposal that would see the United States and Iran immediately lift their blockades in the Strait of Hormuz but delay talks regarding Iran's nuclear program and a larger peace deal. In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the latest Iranian offer made over the weekend was "better" than what Washington had expected but declined to say whether President Donald Trump would agree to separate negotiations over the crucial waterway's reopening from Iran's nuclear program. "Suffice it to say that the nuclear question is the reason why we're in this in the first place," Rubio said, adding that the U.S. would not "normalize" a situation in which Iran controlled the strait. "It's important that straits be open. But it's not just the straits," Rubio said. "They cannot normalize nor can we tolerate them trying to normalize a system in which the Iranians decide who gets to use an international waterway and how much you have to pay them to use it." |
| CDC warns of drug-resistant salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry | |
| At least 34 people in 13 states have been sickened with salmonella poisoning traced to contact with backyard poultry, including some with infections resistant to common antibiotics, federal health officials said. Backyard poultry include birds like chicken, ducks, geese, guinea fowl and turkeys. The animals can carry germs, including salmonella, that make people sick. Illnesses were reported from Feb. 26 to March 31 and include 13 people who were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sick people range in age from 1 to 78, but more than 40% are children younger than 5, the CDC said last week. Sick people have been reported in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin and West Virginia. But more illnesses in more states could be possible, CDC officials added. |
| How officers balance safety, student life | |
| In a city shaped by college life, policing comes with a unique set of challenges. From crowded game days to late nights on the Square, Oxford police officers are constantly navigating the line between keeping students safe and knowing when "fun" crosses into something more serious. Sergeant Hillary Smith with the Oxford Police Department says many officer interactions with students are about more than just enforcement; they're about education. "It's a win-win for everybody because you're not getting a citation or having to go to court, and we're not having to do paperwork," Smith said with a smile. While avoiding paperwork may be a perk, Smith says the bigger goal is building trust within the community. "It gives us that opportunity to get to know the people in our community and build that relationship so if you are a victim of a crime, you feel more comfortable reporting it to us," she said. According to Smith, many situations involving students often start, or escalate, with alcohol. "Drinking just leads to a lot of other bad things in my experience," she said. |
| UMMC hosts 'Thanksgiving' ceremony to honor anatomical donors | |
 | Mississippi established the Anatomical Gift Program in the early 1970s after adopting the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. The program accepts only Mississippi residents and has about 15,000 registered living donors. UMMC honors donors annually, recognizing 77 Mississippians this year who donated their bodies over the past 12 months. Students said they often begin with a simple question when working with donors: Who were they? First-year medical student Anderson Rings said donors help shape future physicians. "They taught us that every patient has a story, and that to care for them we must first take the time to know it," said Rings. "Their legacy will remain with us in the years ahead, in operating rooms where steady hands matter most, in emergency departments where every second carries weight, and in rural communities of Mississippi where physicians are deeply needed, all because of what they first taught us." Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs, said students carry the lessons from their first donor throughout their careers. |
| Updated: Jackson State dorm reopens after power outage displaces 500 students | |
| Jackson State University students who were displaced from the Alexander Hall dormitory because of a weekend power outage can return, officials announced Monday. Officials evacuated and closed the building because of problems that included the fire suppression system igniting. They blamed severe weekend storms for the damage. Alexander Hall houses more than 500 students, and about half of them, 223, requested temporary relocation.The damage was repaired overnight, said Vance Siggers, the vice president of campus operations. After two rounds of inspections, officials confirmed it was safe for students to return, he said. The university's response team handled the situation well, Siggers said. "Moving forward, we are ready again in case something like this happens again." But on Sunday, some students said the university's handling of the situation created chaos and confusion. Jonas Vanderbilt, vice president of student affairs, said any student who has additional concerns can contact administrators. |
| Education: Pedestrian improvements on EMCC's Golden Triangle campus unveiled at ribbon cutting | |
| A ribbon cutting for the completion of new walking paths, pedestrian crosswalks and courtyards on East Mississippi Community College's Golden Triangle campus took place April 17. EMCC was awarded $1 million in Transportation Alternatives Project grant funds administered through the Mississippi Department of Transportation's Local Public Agencies division. EMCC provided $500,000 in matching grant funds for the project. Guest speakers at the ribbon cutting included EMCC President Scott Alsobrooks and Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston. MDOT Northern District Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell was scheduled to speak but was unable to attend. MDOT Public Information Officer David Kenney spoke in Caldwell's place. Alsobrooks thanked the various partners in the project, including MDOT, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors and EMCC's Board of Trustees, as well as WGK Engineers, Econ Construction and PryorMorrow. |
| Louisiana lawmakers water down faculty free speech bill | |
| The Louisiana Legislature is advancing a bill intended to protect faculty free speech and academic freedom, but without a provision that would have punished universities for violating their rights. House Bill 1008 by Rep. Chuck Owen, R-Rosepine, passed the Louisiana House Monday on a 103-0 vote, with two lawmakers absent. It would prohibit colleges and universities from punishing professors for their research, teaching controversial subjects or their statements outside of the classroom. In addition to protecting academic freedom and speech unrelated to their work, the bill would also protect faculty who act as whistleblowers. "I would like to send a clear signal that in the state of Louisiana, we value academic freedom," Owen said. "We value the time that our professors, our adjunct faculty, our assistant professors, put in, and we want them to be able to speak freely in their classes." |
| U. of Oklahoma SGA, University Libraries weigh 24-hour library access | |
| The University of Oklahoma library system is experimenting with 24-hour access to the Bizzell Memorial Library during dead week rather than finals week due to low attendance. OU Student Government Association, in partnership with University Libraries, conducted a fall 2025 student survey to determine library attendance during extended hours. Caleb Robinson, Undergraduate Student Congress chair, said the survey's results showed students preferred to use the library as a study space during dead week despite indications that library usage was decreasing. University Libraries first shifted its 24-hour policy from finals week to dead week for the fall 2025 semester to determine if more library access at a different time would be beneficial for students. Previously, the library has offered 24-hour access during finals week. A University Libraries headcount determined fewer students used the library with the access change. |
| Texas researchers developed a nasal spray that could improve your memory | |
| An experimental nasal spray developed by Texas A&M researchers improved memory and reduced signs of brain inflammation in aging mice, according to a new study. The finding could help guide future research into dementia and age-related cognitive decline. The study, published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, tested two doses of a nose-delivered therapy in 18-month-old mice, an age the researchers described as roughly comparable to a 60-year-old person. The treatment used extracellular vesicles, tiny particles released by cells, derived from human neural stem cells. Researchers said mice that received the treatment later performed better on memory tests than mice that received a control treatment. Their brains also showed lower levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in the hippocampus, a region involved in memory. While the treatment is not available for people and has not yet shown that it works in humans, the Texas A&M team said the treatment appeared to affect several inflammatory pathways associated with aging brains. |
| At Texas Tech, Even Some Student Research on Gender Will Be Banned | |
 | Graduate students in the Texas Tech University system will no longer be able to write theses or dissertations on sexual orientation or gender identity, according to a memo released this month by the system's chancellor. The directive escalates an ongoing effort to curtail gender-related content at Texas Tech. While past policies have primarily applied to faculty members, requiring them to submit course material on sexuality and gender for review, this month's memo extends to students. The system will also phase out academic programs "centered on" sexual orientation and gender identity, and prohibit professors from assigning material on those topics in most cases. Faculty members are worried the new policy, which may invite legal challenges under the First Amendment, will hurt their graduate-student recruitment. Indeed, administrators and faculty have gone back and forth about what to say about the memo. Texas Tech faculty members said they've been bracing for more stringent policies for months. |
| Summertime U. of Missouri construction will cause road closures | |
 | There are several University of Missouri construction projects that are scheduled over the summer. Due to the construction, there will be road closures at Sixth Street from Stewart Road to McAlester Hall starting May 18. This is to support the construction of the new Energy Innovation Center and provide safe access for utility connections and equipment, according to a Mizzou news release. The Energy Innovation Center is scheduled to be finished in fall of 2028 and costs $120 million. The innovation center is being constructed to help with energy storage, security and distribution, according to the Mizzou Engineering website. "Diversifying energy resources will be critical," College of Engineering Dean Marisa Chrysochoou said in a Show Me Mizzou article about the center. "With our strengths in nuclear and materials science, AI and cybersecurity, Mizzou is positioned to make significant contributions in the energy domain. This is about integrating research, education and community engagement to create transformative solutions that will drive the future of energy." |
| Graduates Reset Ambitions in Pursuit of First Jobs | |
 | Recent college graduates are facing the most dismal and unpredictable job market in years. Employers overall are hiring fewer workers, dimming the prospects in particular for first-time entrants to the labor market. The rise of A.I. and its abilities are intensifying fears that entry-level jobs will disappear forever. Junior-level postings on the job site Indeed fell 7 percent in 2025 from the previous year, according to a report the company released last week. Those forces have transformed the spring graduation season into a bruising ordeal for many of America's youngest degree holders. In interviews and in responses to a New York Times survey, some college seniors and recent graduates said they had applied to more than 100 jobs without securing so much as a first-round interview. A number have resorted to tracking their applications using detailed Excel spreadsheets. There is a swelling collective suspicion that A.I. is rejecting applications before human recruiters ever lay eyes on them. The hunt has frustrated nascent career dreams and forced many job seekers to recalibrate their postgraduation plans. |
| Board Ouster Raises Further Concerns About NSF's Future | |
 | The Trump administration's decision to fire the entire board that oversees the National Science Foundation is another blow to American science that threatens the country's global leadership, multiple higher ed and research advocacy groups warned, as did ousted board members. They added that the move could further destabilize the agency, which is a major university research funding agency, and could give the White House more control over NSF. The White House didn't initially tell board members or the public why it gutted the board, but in an email Monday to Inside Higher Ed, the White House pointed to a 2021 Supreme Court decision. The court's reasoning in U.S. v. Arthrex "raised constitutional questions about whether non-Senate confirmed appointees can exercise the authorities that Congress gave the National Science Board." The board's members -- it has 25 at full capacity, and 22 were listed online at the time of the terminations -- are appointed by the president, but not confirmed by the Senate. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: Top 20 Showdown In Annual Governor's Cup | |
| No. 10 Mississippi State already owns a series sweep of Ole Miss this season. Now the Diamond Dawgs get another shot at the 17th-ranked Rebels with hardware on the line. Mississippi State meets Ole Miss on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the annual Governor's Cup, a non-conference rivalry matchup played at Trustmark Park, home of the Mississippi Mud Monsters. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+. State enters the midweek rivalry game riding one of its best stretches of the season. The Bulldogs are 34-10 overall, 13-8 in Southeastern Conference play and winners of eight straight after sweeping defending national champion LSU during Super Bulldog Weekend. That sweep was Mississippi State's first against LSU in 41 years and gave MSU another major boost heading into the final month of the regular season. The Diamond Dawgs also carry a five-game winning streak against Ole Miss into Pearl. MSU swept the Rebels in Oxford earlier this season, winning 5-4, 6-1 and 7-1 from March 27-29. State also won the final two meetings between the programs last season in Starkville. |
| Why Ole Miss baseball vs Mississippi State game tonight doesn't count in SEC standings | |
| For the fourth time this season, Mississippi State and Ole Miss baseball will play against each other. The No. 9 Bulldogs (34-10) will face the No. 18 Rebels (31-14) at Trustmark Park in Pearl on April 28 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+). However, unlike their previous games this season, this matchup is considered a nonconference game. Mississippi State already won the SEC series over Ole Miss on March 27-29. The Bulldogs swept the Rebels at Swayze Field in Oxford. Mississippi State has won eight straight games, coming off a sweep of LSU. Ole Miss is coming off a series loss vs Georgia. Although both teams play in the SEC, the April 28 game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State will not count toward either team's SEC record. The annual game at Trustmark Park, known as the Governor's Cup, is played in addition to the SEC series between the two teams. The Bulldogs and Rebels have played a nonconference, neutral-site game every year since 1980. |
| Men's Tennis: No. 6 Mississippi State Hosts NCAA Tournament for Fourth Consecutive Season | |
| For the eighth time in program history, the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships will run through Starkville. Mississippi State will once again serve as a host site, marking the fourth-straight season the Bulldogs have welcomed NCAA Tournament action to the friendly confines of the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. The Dawgs earned the fifth overall seed and will host the Starkville Regional and will face fourth-seeded Tennessee Tech on Friday at 1 p.m. No. 2 seed Wisconsin opens the regional against No. 3 seed Samford, Friday at 10 a.m. The winners of Friday's matches will face off Saturday at 1 p.m. for the opportunity to advance to the Sweet 16. Mississippi State is making its 15th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Team Championship, tied for the longest streak in program history, and its 34th overall appearance. The Bulldogs have consistently advanced deep into the tournament, reaching the Round of 16 in each of the past three seasons. |
| Tootie Lockett commits to Mississippi State | |
 | Tootie Lockett is coming back home. The former Starkville High School standout announced Sunday that she has committed to the Mississippi State women's basketball team. MSU announced Monday that she had signed. Lockett spent the past two seasons at Itawamba Community College and was named the MACCC Women's Player of the Year last month. She was also an NJCAA Division I All-American honorable mention pick. This past season, Lockett led ICC with 15 points per game to go with 5.4 rebounds. She also shot 44.7% from the field. Lockett led the Indians to a 22-8 record and the semifinals of the Region 23 Tournament. She began her prep career at Noxubee County but transferred to Starkville as a senior. Lockett was named to the Daily Journal All-Area first team that season. |
| House Settlement Collides With Multimedia Rights, Sponsorships | |
| When U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken granted final approval to the settlement between the NCAA, power conferences and thousands of current and former D-I athletes represented by the House, Carter and Hubbard antitrust litigations last year, she necessarily punted on details with the understanding that the parties would sort them out in due course. A motion filed by class counsel Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler last week indicates that due course means now. The parties are set for a pivotal hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge and House settlement administrator Nathanael Cousins on May 27. The hearing will center on how NIL deals -- which are supposed to be about name, image and likeness but are often about recruitment and retention -- are permitted or prohibited in the new college sports world. The athletes' attorneys seek a court order from Cousins to clarify the meaning of key settlement terms. They argue the College Sports Commission misunderstands the meaning of "associated entities" and "associated individuals. They say the CSC has wrongfully classified multimedia rights companies including Learfield, Playfly Sports and JMI Sports, and third-party brand sponsors including banks, apparel companies, airlines and car dealerships, as associated entities. |
| Optimistic Baker: New NCAA eligibility rules not retroactive | |
| As the NCAA considers a generational change to the organization's eligibility rules for athletes, some potential clarity emerged regarding one of the most vexing parts of the age-based eligibility proposal. NCAA president Charlie Baker told ESPN in a phone interview Monday that the implementation, which had been uncertain, is not expected to include athletes who graduated or exhausted their eligibility in the 2025-26 season. "If you've used up your eligibility, you've used it up," Baker told ESPN of the tenor of the discussion of the Division I board of directors on Monday. Baker added that he is "pretty optimistic" the new rules will pass. The age-based eligibility would give athletes five years to compete in Division I, starting immediately after their high school graduation or 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The Division I board of directors on Monday directed the Division I cabinet to advance the proposal. |
| New Orleans LIV Golf tournament set for City Park in June is canceled, source says | |
 | The LIV Golf tournament planned for late June in New Orleans is off, according to a source familiar with the matter, ending weeks of speculation about the future of the event amid reports that the Saudi Arabian government is pulling its financial support from the league. The league notified state officials on Friday that they want to "pivot" from the June 25-28 tournament, scheduled for City Park's Bayou Oaks Golf Course, and potentially reschedule a smaller, exposition-style tournament this fall, according to the source, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the tournament's plans. LIV has agreed to repay the $1 million in cash it has already received from the state as part of a broader incentive package, the source said. Cancellation of the tournament leaves a hole in New Orleans' hospitality calendar during the start of the typically slow summer season, though it was never clear how much visitor activity an outdoor event in late June would bring to the city. |
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