| Tuesday, November 25, 2025 |
| Country music star Zach Bryan to perform at Davis Wade Stadium in May | |
 | Country music star Zach Bryan is making a stop at Davis Wade Stadium in 2026. Officials with Mississippi State University announced on Monday that Bryan will perform in the football stadium on May 2, 2026. The announcement comes less than a month after the university's athletics department partnered with Nashville-based Peachtree Entertainment to bring more concerts to campus. Zach Bryan, one of the biggest names in country and Americana music today, is known for award-winning and chart-topping hits such as "Something in the Orange," "I Remember Everything," "Heading South," and "Dawns." His songwriting skills and live performances have made him one of the most sought-after artists globally. His concert at Davis Wade will be the first live music performance in the venue since 2012 and the first full-stadium show in its history |
| Zach Bryan to headline concert at Davis Wade Stadium | |
 | Award-winning country artist Zach Bryan will perform at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. Bryan will bring his new "With Heaven on Tour" to Mississippi State University (MSU) on May 2, 2026. The concert will mark the first live music performance at Davis Wade since 2012 and the first full-stadium show in its history. Bryan is known for chart-topping hits including "Something in the Orange," "Pink Skies," "Revival," "I Remember Everything," "Heading South" and "Dawns." Tickets for the general public will go on sale December 5, 2025. Mississippi State supporters will receive exclusive presale access beginning December 4, 2025. Additional presale details will be announced at a later date. Fans can join the Zach Bryan artist presale and Premium Ticket waitlist along with more information at HailState.com/ZachBryan. |
| MSU students showcase eco-friendly electric vehicle on-campus | |
 | Students are getting hands-on experience on top of studying innovative ways of transportation without your traditional foot pedals. The EcoCar Electric Vehicle Challenge team is showing off its work to the public on the MSU campus. The 4-year project takes a base electric vehicle and enhances it with more eco-friendly and safety modifications. Car team leader Isaac Alanis said the hands-on experience is a win-win for them as students, as the project puts them behind the wheel of what's happening in the real-world automotive industry. MSU professor John Ball said it is satisfying helping students be a part of the next generation of advanced vehicle engineering. "Many students go on and work at different automotive companies but others go to different places and the skills that they learn here: the software, teamwork, ability's to work together solve hard problems, that's going to help them anywhere," Ball said. |
| Auditions for MSU Honor Band Clinic open through Dec. 5 | |
 | High school band students are invited to audition for Mississippi State University's prestigious Honor Band Clinic. One of the oldest of its kind nationally, the clinic will be held Jan. 29-31 on MSU's campus. Auditions from students in grades 9-12 are accepted through Dec. 5 via video submission. Those selected will have the opportunity to work with distinguished conductors and educators from across the country as they participate in the Honor Wind Symphony or one of two clinic bands. The weekend of rehearsals will culminate with a concert on Saturday (Jan. 31) at 12:30 p.m. in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. "It is always a pleasure to welcome students and directors from across our region to our annual Honor Band Clinic," said Elva Kaye Lance, director of bands. "Our guest conductors are some of the most outstanding in our profession, and I know it will be inspiring to watch them make music with those who are in attendance." |
| Education: NRTC awarded renewals for two major national grants aiding blind or low-vision individuals | |
 | With renewed support from two major national grants, Mississippi State University's National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision will continue changing lives by expanding research, training and technical assistance that improve employment, independence and quality of life for individuals who are blind or have low vision, or B/LV. The NRTC, housed in MSU's College of Education, received the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Among People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision grant. It is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, a federal organization housed within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With this five-year grant, totaling approximately $4 million, the NRTC will conduct seven innovative research projects aimed at improving employment outcomes for B/LV individuals, including mentoring interventions, mental health support in vocational rehabilitation and the development of core technology skills for workplace success. Collaborative efforts with organizations such as Be My Eyes and state VR agencies help ensure real-world relevance and impact. |
| AgGateway Brings Students to Annual Meeting | |
| Six students from four different universities across the country were able to attend the recent AgGateway Annual Meeting in Clearwater, Florida to learn more about the many career opportunities that agriculture has to offer. AgGateway's Gateway to Ag Careers program is sponsored by the AgCIO Roundtable with additional support from Syngenta. The students came from schools in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, and Mississippi and brought a wide range of interests and disciplines to the program. They included Emma Koger and Patton Simbeck from Mississippi State University. |
| Education Brief: Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi elects new members | |
| The following students recently were elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phatozja Smith, of Columbus, Anna Potts, Audrey Caiola, Demeria Moore, Haiye Xie, Harper Laird, Kathryn Keenum, Rachel Apperson, Tony Minor and Lillian Skelton, all of Starkville, were elected at Mississippi State University. J'marcus Brooks, of Columbus, was elected at University of Texas at Dallas. They are among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. |
| The ChatGPT effect: In 3 years the AI chatbot has changed the way people look things up | |
| Mississippi State University's Deborah Lee writes for The Conversation: Three years ago, if someone needed to fix a leaky faucet or understand inflation, they usually did one of three things: typed the question into Google, searched YouTube for a how-to video or shouted desperately at Alexa for help. Today, millions of people start with a different approach: They open ChatGPT and just ask. I'm a professor and director of research impact and AI strategy at Mississippi State University Libraries. As a scholar who studies information retrieval, I see that this shift of the tool people reach for first for finding information is at the heart of how ChatGPT has changed everyday technology use. The biggest change isn't that other tools have vanished. It's that ChatGPT has become the new front door to information. |
| Community Profile: The ultimate 'disc'-jockey | |
| Dawson Archer discovered his first ultimate Frisbee club more than seven years ago at the Alabama School of Math and Science. He also discovered its tongue-in-cheek rival, the anti-ultimate Frisbee club, which focused more on tackling the opposing players than it did on throwing the Frisbee. "Whenever I was doing my research on the school, I saw there was an ultimate Frisbee club and an anti-ultimate Frisbee club, and apparently they played games against each other," Archer told The Dispatch on Monday. "I thought that was just hilarious. I got into it, played against the seven or eight linebackers down in Mobile County. It was not ultimate Frisbee. It was just people hitting each other." The experience, albeit somewhat painful, helped Archer realize his love for the sport. From ASMS, Archer returned to his high school in Birmingham and joined an ultimate Frisbee team. Later on, he played for Mississippi State University's men's team, Dark Horse, eventually serving as president and captain. Now, as operations coordinator and event manager for Lowndes County Recreation, and as founder and board president for the Golden Triangle Ultimate Frisbee Club, Archer is working to grow the sport locally for players of all ages. |
| Research Partnership Highlights Ongoing Transformation in Mississippi Prison System | |
| Two years into a continuing research study at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, a new film offers a glimpse into the early transformation and cultural changes observed so far. The film premiered at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The significant role the seminary program plays in reshaping prison culture is the primary focus of "Faith and Flourishing: Parchman Farm," which was shown on September 30. The film was shared with the Mississippi Corrections and Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force. The study, led by Pepperdine University President Jim Gash and Dr. Byron Johnson, a distinguished researcher in criminal justice at Baylor University, examines the impact of voluntary participation in the prison seminary on rehabilitation and prosocial behavior among inmates. The research also explores the effect of inmate field ministers and faith-based groups that have formed within the prison population. Statewide Public Defender Andre' de Gruy, a task force member, said he was already aware of the change. "I've been visiting Parchman since the late 80s," he said. "What I've seen at Parchman this year is a transformed place." |
| Exclusive | Speaker Johnson Warns White House GOP Is Wary of Trump's Healthcare Push | |
 | Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) cautioned the White House that most House Republicans don't have an appetite for extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, according to people familiar with the matter, showing how hard it will be politically to stave off sharp increases in healthcare costs next year for many Americans. The message from Johnson, in a phone call with administration officials, came as President Trump's advisers were drafting a healthcare plan that extended the subsidies for two years. The warning underscores the hurdles facing any deal in coming weeks. Lawmakers have a mid-December deadline for healthcare votes promised as a condition for Democrats voting to end the government shutdown earlier this month. The enhanced subsidies expire at the end of the year, affecting more than 20 million people who benefit from the tax credits. Many Republicans objected to the taxpayer-funded subsidies continuing to go toward funding healthcare plans that cover abortions, a red line for many GOP lawmakers, said people familiar with the objections. |
| Republicans dumbfounded by Trump's calls for harsh retribution against Democratic lawmakers | |
 | President Trump's heated rhetorical attacks on Democratic lawmakers, whom he called out as "traitors" who deserve to be jailed, have left his Republican allies in Washington dumbfounded and skeptical about any bipartisan dealmaking at the end of 2025. Republican lawmakers and strategists fear that Trump is undermining his own credibility and ability to get anything done before the midterm election. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Sunday said that Trump labeling his political opponents as traitors was "reckless" and "irresponsible." "If you take it at face value, the idea that calling your opponents 'traitors' -- and then specifically saying that it warrants the death penalty -- is reckless, inappropriate, irresponsible," Paul told CBS's "Face the Nation." Other GOP lawmakers were quick to distance themselves from the president. Privately, some Republicans in Washington said they think that Trump played into his Democratic antagonists' hands by erupting with so much anger in response to what GOP insiders viewed as an attempt to goad the president. |
| Trump directs science agencies to embrace AI | |
 | The White House wants to turbocharge the nation's scientific research capabilities by embracing artificial intelligence. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to launch what's being billed as the "Genesis Mission" -- a new plan that directs the Department of Energy and other science agencies to aggressively deploy AI. Michael Kratsios, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, described it as "the largest marshaling of federal scientific resources since the Apollo program." In a call with reporters, he said the program is expected to accelerate the rate of scientific breakthroughs in areas such as pharmaceuticals, energy production and engineering. On the same call, Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized the plan's use of AI to analyze vast datasets held by his agency's 17 national labs. Wright also promised an "incredible increase in the pace of scientific discovery and innovation." |
| U.S. ready to cut support to Scouts, accusing them of attacking 'boy-friendly spaces' | |
 | The century-old partnership between the U.S. military and Scouting could be coming to an end. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning for the military to sever all ties with Scouting America, saying the group once known as the Boy Scouts is no longer a meritocracy and has become an organization designed to "attack boy-friendly spaces," according to documents reviewed by NPR. In a draft memo to Congress, which sources shared with NPR but which has not yet been sent, Hegseth criticizes Scouting for being "genderless" and for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. The military has provided support to the Scouts for more than 100 years, assistance that was formalized in 1937. But in one memo, Hegseth says, "The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys." A source told NPR the documents were being prepared at the Pentagon to communicate Hegseth's decision to Congress, but that they had not been sent yet. |
| Judge Dismisses Cases Against Comey and James, Finding Trump Prosecutor Was Unlawfully Appointed | |
 | A federal judge on Monday tossed out separate criminal charges against the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey and New York's attorney general, Letitia James, saying the loyalist prosecutor installed by President Trump to bring the cases was put into her job unlawfully. The twin rulings, by Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, were the most significant setback yet to the president's efforts to force the criminal justice system to punish his perceived foes. The case dismissals also served as a rebuke to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had rushed to carry out Mr. Trump's orders to appoint the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The dismissals, while embarrassing for the White House and the Justice Department, are unlikely to be the last word on an issue of constitutional authority that many legal experts expect could be appealed to the Supreme Court. |
| US Sen. Roger Wicker Rips Trump's 'So-Called Peace Plan' for Ukraine, Russia | |
| U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker says he sees serious issues with President Trump's proposed peace plan between Ukraine and Russia, which would require Ukraine to surrender large portions of its territory. "This so-called 'peace plan' has real problems, and I am highly skeptical it will achieve peace. Ukraine should not be forced to give up its lands to one of the world's most flagrant war criminals in Vladimir Putin," the Republican senator from Mississippi posted on X on Nov. 21. "The size and disposition of Ukraine's armed forces is a sovereign choice for its government and people. And any assurances provided to Putin should not reward his malign behavior or undermine the security of the United States or allies." Wicker is the chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, which provides legislative oversight of the U.S. military and sponsors the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that includes provisions that control appropriations to Ukraine. Wicker has long been an ardent defender of Trump. But cracks have appeared between Wicker and Trump this year. |
| Utah Gov. Cox appealed for civility after Charlie Kirk's murder. Did America listen? | |
| Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is comfortable bringing his faith into politics. He is less comfortable with a trend he perceives: "Politics is replacing religion." Cox drew widespread attention in September after the assassination of the activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. After briefing the public on the arrest of the suspect, the governor added a personal appeal for Americans to think about politics differently. "I would encourage people to log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member, go out and do good in your community," he said. Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, NPR sat with Cox for a conversation on the state of the country. He addressed the aftermath of the Kirk shooting in a divided nation -- and discussed other issues, from nuclear power to artificial intelligence, that he sees as connected to those divisions. |
| Airport chapels stay on the radar of workers and travelers even as role of faith in public shifts | |
 | With peak holiday travel starting just after the government shutdown's flight restrictions, hope for a moment of peace at an airport can feel like a wing and a prayer. But quiet and worship are just what airport chapels have provided for decades to travelers and to the airport workers that many were originally designed for. "I love seeing travel bags and workers' outfits. It gives hope that you're ministering to a need," said the Rev. Brian Daley, one of the priests at Our Lady of the Airways at Boston's Logan International Airport. Built in the 1950s so that airport employees could attend Mass right in their sprawling workplace, it's widely considered the first airport chapel in the United States. It's also among the last to still function as a Catholic church instead of an interfaith space -- though Muslim prayer rugs discreetly placed on the rear pews show it welcomes a variety of believers. Over the past 30 years, most U.S. airport chapels have turned interfaith, with removable symbols of different religions --- or none in the newer "meditation spaces" that have been created, said Wendy Cadge, president and professor of sociology at Bryn Mawr College. |
| IHL exploring updated funding formula for Mississippi's public universities | |
| The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees is preparing to consider the use of a more modern funding allocation model thanks to the help from a non-profit. The IHL Board is working with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to review the state's eight public universities over the next several months to help find the best model to ensure the state's employment needs are met while serving the state's college age population at large. Brian Prescott, President of NCHEMS, said during Thursday's meeting of the IHL Board that they are still early in process, having only entered the contract last month. The contract runs until July 1, 2026. Prescott and NCHEMS Vice President Sara Pingel presented the Board with several options for consideration that are working in other states. "We would want it to be able to incentivize performance and to be effective in periods of both growth and decline," Prescott said about the potential model the IHL Board ultimately chooses. |
| New Ole Miss centers, institute bolster national security | |
| The University of Mississippi has launched three new initiatives dedicated to advancing the nation's security and resilience. The Institutions of Higher Learning recently approved the creation of the Mississippi Institute for National Security and Resilience, the Center for Information Advantage and Effectiveness and the National Center for Tactical Readiness. These new units will work together to tackle modern-day challenges such as cybersecurity, information verification, disaster preparedness and innovations in national defense. "National security today demands collaboration across disciplines and technologies," said John Higginbotham, vice chancellor for research and economic development. "This effort will create an integrated research ecosystem that can address complex challenges -- from resilience due to human or natural disasters to tactical readiness -- in ways no single field can achieve alone. Beyond its national importance, these centers and the Mississippi Institute for National Security and Resilience will drive workforce development and innovation right here in our state." |
| IHL taps members for Jackson State president search advisory group | |
| The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees has selected a group of Jackson State University faculty and alumni to serve on a group to support its search team for a new president. The five-member search advisory constituency, announced Thursday, is tasked with helping to vet candidates for the historically Black university's next leader, according to the IHL board. The board also announced plans to begin recruiting candidates to be Jackson State's next president in December. The top job at Jackson State has been vacant since May, after Marcus Thompson resigned without explanation less than two years into his tenure. Thompson was the third president to depart in five years. The constituency members "were selected for their professional insight and long-time connections with Jackson State University," John Sewell, director of communications for the IHL board, said in an email. |
| Belhaven STEM program secures half a million in research funding | |
 | Belhaven University's School of Science and Mathematics recently secured just over half a million dollars in research funding, marking the first time the university has received faculty research grants. The grants, totaling $572,600, were awarded to various faculty members to fund research projects in fields ranging from biology to artificial intelligence. Previously, Belhaven announced two grants, a $389,600 Mississippi AI and Technology Advancement Program grant and a $75,000 Idea Network of Biomedical Research startup grant. The most recent grants were awarded to Ariel Kelley, associate professor of chemistry, and John Neiswinger, professor of biology. Belhaven also recently secured funding for new scientific instrumentation for student use. |
| Coast college student arrested at dorm for child sex abuse videos, authorities say | |
 | Federal and state authorities arrested a student at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Perkinston campus on a federal charge of possessing and transporting sexually explicit videos and images of children under the age of 5. Walker Young, 19, of Long Beach, is being held without bond following his November arrest. An investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted federal agents to a Dropbox account that was uploading and sharing illegal child sexual abuse material over the Internet, according to an agent with Homeland Security Investigations. During the investigation, authorities determined that Young lived in a dorm room at the college campus. HSI agents, with assistance from the Stone County Sheriff's Department and police at MGCCC, went to the college in November armed with a warrant and arrested Young. After his arrest, Young admitted his actions, the investigator said. |
| Schools of Civic Thought Are on the Rise. Are Students Interested? | |
 | Over the last decade, universities across the country have opened centers that focus on civic or classical education, many of which have been pushed by Republican state legislatures. Some academics have decried the emergence of these centers, more than a dozen of which exist at public universities, as evidence of shadow partisan influence. Other scholars have been more supportive of leaning into civic education. Whatever their reception, new institutes continue to proliferate -- at New York University, the University of South Carolina, and Yale University, this year alone. As trendy as these centers have become, how many students are actually taking their courses? The number is relatively small but growing. Directors and staff from four such centers told The Chronicle they have seen a year-to-year increase in enrollment, while acknowledging that it remains short of their aspirations. Josh Dunn, executive director of the Institute of American Civics at UT-Knoxville, cited inclusion in the university's core curriculum as a reason for the boost in enrollment. Courses from the institute fulfill two requirements related to "global citizenship," and a number of the courses have become requirements for the public-policy major. |
| College grads face one of the toughest job markets in a decade: 'Right now is a really difficult time to find a job,' expert says | |
| Even as the U.S. economy adds jobs, there are fewer employment prospects for college graduates just starting out, as those armed with a newly minted diploma are facing one of the toughest job markets in a decade, studies show. "Right now is a really difficult time to find a job," Cory Stahle, senior economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, told CNBC. By many measures, the labor market is still relatively strong. The U.S. economy added more jobs than expected in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the overall unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%, and for younger workers, ages 16 to 24, unemployment was 10.4% in September. The current job market "is an enormous challenge for members of Gen Z who are just now entering the labor force," a report published this week by Oxford Economics says. Rising youth unemployment could be an "early indicator that the economy is slowing down or maybe even heading towards a recession," said Anders Humlum, assistant professor of economics at the University of Chicago. |
| Moody's Projects a Negative Outlook for Higher Education | |
 | Federal policy challenges and a dwindling population of traditional-age students will make for a difficult year ahead for higher education, Moody's Ratings predicted in a report issued last week. The credit ratings agency predicted that revenue growth will trail behind previous years while expense growth will put a squeeze on operating margins, though strong investment returns should help buoy institutions' financial position. Moody's noted that federal policy challenges are also expected to "cause operational and governance stress" as the Trump administration continues to cut federal research funding and seeks to limit the number of international students attending U.S. colleges. In March, just a few months after President Trump took office, the agency downgraded its outlook for the sector from stable to negative. The report noted that the fall 2026 enrollment outlook is uncertain and that "fierce competition for students will increase as the market for students begins to shrink" due to the demographic cliff. |
| Reeves releases proposed budget, ignores PERS needs | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: "We are charting a better and more prosperous course for our state and her people that will last for generations," proclaimed Gov. Tate Reeves in his FY 2027 executive budget recommendations. Somehow, he foresees this "prosperous course" without addressing the $26 billion PERS shortfall. Moodys has cautioned, "PERS is on a trajectory of asset erosion unless offset by higher government contributions." Reeves released an $8.3 billion executive budget, which would be $453.5 million over the current budget. Of this increase, $280 million would go toward 15 programs chosen by the governor. Another $229 million would go for increased Medicaid spending. He also included $56 million in budget cuts to various agencies, including $19.3 million for four military, police, and veterans programs, $18 million for bond and interest payments, and $3.8 million for the Arts Commission. ... Notably unmentioned and unbudgeted was any increase in PERS funding. |
| Brain drain | |
| Raymond Barranco, a professor of sociology at Mississippi State University, writes in The Dispatch: I hope readers have been following my series of op-eds on the challenges facing higher education in Mississippi. This is the final installment. ... These issues should concern not only educators, students, and parents, but all Mississippians. ... Then there is the issue of "brain drain," which occurs when the best and brightest Mississippians leave the state. I look forward to Mississippi Today releasing the results from their survey on this issue and encourage everyone to pay close attention to their findings. While I do not know what their data will show, I suspect two main factors will emerge: limited economic opportunities and the political climate. In my view, the two are deeply connected. Creating an environment that is hostile to critical thinking and focused solely on applied skills will stunt economic growth. While trades such as plumbing and electrical work are essential to a functioning society, they alone will not expand our economy. Mississippi also needs people who can think creatively, anticipate future technological changes, and adapt to an ever-changing world. |
| That 'whoosh' is school choice sucking all the oxygen from the Mississippi Capitol | |
| Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender writes: That whooshing sound you'll soon hear coming from High Street is no cause for alarm. It's just all the oxygen being sucked out of the Capitol by next year's legislative bugaboo: school choice, or private school vouchers, or "education freedom," depending on your worldview. A pattern has firmed up nicely with Mississippi's Legislature under the current Republican House and Senate leadership. And so far, this pattern has tended to gum up the works and kill off many initiatives at the Capitol. This year, it resulted in the Legislature accidentally passing a flawed, sea-change tax cut bill and ending its regular session without being able to pass a state budget. ... Is school choice the most pressing, clear-and-present issue facing Mississippi? That's a fair question, but under the new legislative paradigm, it doesn't matter. It's the one about to get all the focus. And it will likely suck up the most oxygen at the Capitol in 2026. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs wary of dual threat in Ole Miss backfield | |
| The Battle for the Golden Egg returns to Starkville on Black Friday, marking the 122nd meeting between rivals Mississippi State and Ole Miss on the gridiron. For the Bulldogs, it's a chance to win the game at Davis Wade Stadium for the first time since 2019, but to do so they'll need to stop a College Football Playoff hopeful with the third-ranked total offense in FBS. Ole Miss is led by a somewhat surprising tandem of senior transfer quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and sophomore running back Kewan Lacy. Chambliss earned the job after an injury to Week 1 starter Austin Simmons, but has been dominant through a 6-1 SEC schedule to propel his team to No. 6 in the CFP rankings. He has made his mark as a passer with 2,657 passing yards and 14 touchdowns to just three interceptions, but forces defenses to respect the run as well with 444 yards and six scores on the ground. The challenge of stopping Chambliss is a daunting one, and MSU head coach Jeff Lebby gave a glowing review of his performances in his Sunday media availability. "The guy just makes a ton of timely plays," Lebby said. "He can extend, he can create, does things in the run game that really make it hard for you, and then the way he's been able to throw the football around and make plays when he's needed to, it's impressive." |
| Three keys to victory for MSU over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl | |
| Mississippi State faces one of its toughest opponents of the year on Black Friday, and an opponent that is all too familiar among members of Bulldog nation. MSU (5-6, 1-6 SEC) faces No. 6 Ole Miss in the 122nd edition of the Egg Bowl rivalry. The MSU fans will show up for the Bulldogs, like they have all season. The question is whether they'll stay. In games against Tennessee and Texas, the home crowd stayed and remained a factor until the very end of painful defeats. That same energy came in for the game against Georgia, which was over as a contest just three minutes into the second half, and the crowd responded. By the time the fourth quarter started, there was only a smattering of cowbells left ringing and a gathering collection of students taking part in the shirtless-section trend for losing teams in college football. If the Bulldogs can avoid that, they'll have the loud homefield advantage all the way through to the end in a stadium where that very much matters. Having cowbells behind you on key third and fourth downs, adding on to any and all Ole Miss mistakes, and above all, celebrating Bulldog victories is something that will be given at first, but has to be earned to maintain. |
| Men's Basketball: The Final Horn: State 81, New Orleans 78 | |
| Mississippi State erased a 13-point deficit in the final 5:14 of regulation to force overtime before Amier Ali buried a game-winning triple to steal an 81-78 victory from New Orleans at Humphrey Coliseum on Monday night. New Orleans took a 34-28 halftime lead before extending its lead to as much as 13 with 14:27 in the second half. State began to crawl back, led by a flurry from Josh Hubbard, who scored 15 of the Bulldogs' next 18 points to shrink the New Orleans lead to 58-53 with 6:39 to go. However, New Orleans responded with an 8-0 run of its own to push its advantage back to 13. Then, in the final five minutes of regulation, State began its comeback and took a 67-66 lead off a converted three and-one from Hubbard with 0:49 to go. The Privateers answered with two free throws to reclaim a one-point lead with 0:22 left. On the other end, Shawn Jones Jr. was fouled with 3.8 seconds left and sank one of two at the charity stripe to tie the game at 68-68 and force overtime. In the extra period ... New Orleans banked in a deep three with 0:29 left to tie the contest before Ali came up big and hit his game-winning trey at the 1.9 second mark. |
| Ali and Hubbard heroics help lift MSU to overtime win over New Orleans | |
| Mississippi State forward Amier Ali had only made two shots in three games of his career as a Bulldog when he checked into the game against New Orleans on Monday. In Fact, Ali had only played a total of 28 minutes in three appearances through MSU's first five games of the season, but he made every one of his 22 minutes count against the Privateers, especially the three overtime minutes. And the Bulldogs needed it. They had overcome a 13-point deficit in the final five minutes of regulation and forced overtime thanks to a four-point play from Josh Hubbard and a Shawn Jones Jr. free throw with just 3.8 seconds on the clock. With the Privateers matching the Bulldogs in overtime, Ali stepped up again as the seconds ticked away. The Bulldogs (3-3) won 81-78 in overtime, a much-needed recovery after two deflating losses at the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City. It took a true show of strength from a group that had shown very little by way of cohesion or consistency from opening night through the final minutes of the second half, and it led to a memorable ending which the players hope to build on. |
| Inside Amier Ali's OT game-winner that saved Mississippi State basketball vs UNO | |
| Amier Ali was one of three healthy players who didn't see time in Mississippi State basketball's season opener. The Arizona State transfer didn't play a minute in MSU's third game of the season, either, against Southeastern Louisiana. But on Nov. 24, as the Bulldogs were in a tight contest with New Orleans at Humphrey Coliseum -- and in serious danger of dropping to 2-4 for just the second time since 1996-97 -- it was Ali who was the unforeseen hero. The 6-foot-8 sophomore guard/forward banked in the game-winning 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining in overtime to lift MSU to an 81-78 win. The Bulldogs (3-3) overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half. "It felt like when you are a kid and thinking in your brain, it's like 3, 2, 1 on the playground," Ali said. "I was just in an empty gym, and I shot it and I made it." Mississippi State coach Chris Jans jumped up and down, seemingly in frustration, as Ali dribbled the ball near half court with the clock winding down. But Jans said the play was indeed designed for Ali and not for star Josh Hubbard, who had been double-teamed for much of the second half and overtime. Hubbard, who finished with 28 points -- 24 of them after halftime -- was a decoy on the play. |
| Women's Basketball: Bulldogs Get Back In The Win Column With Victory Over Alcorn State | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs walked away with their fifth victory of the season after the first round of the Bay Bracket at the Emerald Coast Classic, as they defeated the Alcorn State Braves, 65-51. Madison Francis led the Bulldogs in the contest with 15 points, nine of those coming in the first quarter. Francis took six shots and shot 66.7 percent from the floor. She made three trips to the charity stripe and knocked down all six shots. Francis also collected six rebounds, a team-leading four assists and three steals. Kharyssa Richardon secured a season-high 10 points on 50 percent shooting. Richardson also collected three rebounds and a pair of steals, which was also a season-high. Jaylah Lampley collected a career-high 10 rebounds and fell one point short of her first career double-double. Destiney McPHaul also finished with nine points in her return Raider Arena. The Bulldogs will face off with the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders Tuesday in the championship game after they defeated Providence, 54-48. The contest will tipoff at 1:30 p.m. and will once again be streamed on Flo Sports. |
| Mississippi State squares off against Middle Tennessee | |
| Mississippi State squares off against Middle Tennessee at Raider Arena in Niceville, Florida, on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. EST. The Bulldogs have a 5-1 record in non-conference play. Mississippi State is fourth in the SEC with 29.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Favour Nwaedozi averaging 6.5. The Blue Raiders are 3-3 in non-conference play. Middle Tennessee ranks sixth in the CUSA giving up 61.7 points while holding opponents to 38.5% shooting. Mississippi State scores 78.3 points, 16.6 more per game than the 61.7 Middle Tennessee allows. Middle Tennessee averages 5.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 fewer makes per game than Mississippi State allows. Destiney McPhaul is scoring 12.5 points per game and averaging 3.3 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Madison Francis is averaging 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 49.1%. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball Emerald Coast Classic final bound | |
| Mississippi State (5-1) bounced back in a big way as it took down Alcorn State (2-4) 65-51 in the opening round of the Emerald Coast Classic on Monday at Northwest Florida State College Arena. Freshman Madison Francis led all scorers with 15 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Fellow freshman Jaylah Lampley posted a near double-double with nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds. The Bulldogs also received key contributions from Destiney McPhaul (9 points), Trayanna Crisp (8), and Chandler Prater (8), who added a team-high four assists. Mississippi State set the tone early, forcing eight turnovers in the opening quarter to build a 17-4 lead. The Bulldogs extended that momentum into the second period to take a 34-14 lead into halftime. The Bulldogs advanced to the Bay Bracket championship game Tuesday, Nov. 25, where they will face Middle Tennessee State at 1:30 p.m. Central. |
| Egg Bowl week begins as Kiffin's run at Ole Miss appears to be at end | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: It is Monday of Egg Bowl Week, and we are in unchartered territory -- even for Lane Kiffin. I mean this in two ways. First, his Ole Miss Rebels are 10-1 heading into the Egg Bowl, needing only a victory over 5-6 Mississippi State to either earn a bye or a first-round home game in the FBS playoffs. Ole Miss, for the first time since integration, is a legit national championship contender in late November. Secondly, 28 years into his coaching career at age 50, the immensely talented Kiffin has taken his otherwise tired act -- that of narcissistic coaching diva -- to a new level with his highly public flirtations with Florida and LSU. ... Said one of my most loyal friends, a zealous Ole Miss fan for more than six decades, "I just wish Lane wouldn't rub our faces in it." |
| Lane Kiffin Is College Football's Most Hated Man -- and He's About to Be the Highest-Paid Coach of All Time | |
| Throughout his tumultuous career as a head coach in college football and the NFL, Lane Kiffin has proven time and time again that he is the undisputed master of one particular skill. No one else in the sport's recent history has possessed such a knack for driving fans, administrators and executives completely mad. His first head coaching job with the Oakland Raiders ended so disastrously that the team's legendary owner Al Davis used an overhead projector to outline the many reasons he considered Kiffin a "disgrace to the organization." At the University of Tennessee, Kiffin's decision to bolt for USC after just one season sparked riots on campus. He was then fired from that next job in famously ignominious fashion: at LAX airport, at 3 a.m., while the team bus pulled away without him. Wherever Kiffin has gone since, chaos has never been far away. But even by those standards, this season might be his most inflammatory act to date. Fans of Ole Miss, Florida and LSU are so hysterical that they're tracking private planes and staking out airports. They just about lost their minds when they discovered that Kiffin's family had flown to Gainesville, Fla. and to Baton Rouge, La. earlier this month. The fervor peaked last week when Kiffin denied that he had been given an ultimatum by Ole Miss to announce his decision before the team's annual clash against Mississippi State. |
| Mississippi lawmakers say politics should stay out of coaching searches | |
| As speculation continues around Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin's future, Mississippi lawmakers say politicians should stay out of coaching searches. An announcement about Kiffin's future isn't expected until Saturday, but the debate has already drawn attention from politicians in neighboring states. Representative Trey Lamar, a former Ole Miss football player, said politicians should not get involved in coaching decisions. "No, not at all," Lamar said when asked. "You know, the politicians need to stay out of the coaching searches. Let the professionals that work in that area on a regular basis do their job." Governor Tate Reeves weighed in Monday morning by re-sharing a post on X suggesting that Kiffin remember "don't mess with happy." Lamar said the situation highlights the need for changes within college football regarding when coaching conversations can take place. He criticized involvement from Louisiana politicians. "I don't appreciate the state of Louisiana coming in and interfering with our contract with our coach. I don't appreciate that at all. I don't like that one bit. I don't know that anybody that is close to that situation or understands that situation would really care for that," Lamar said. |
| SEC, ABC Gobble Up TV Ratings as 'Bama and Georgia Bury the Big Ten | |
| As much as Big Ten boosters never tire of talking up their conference, Americans seem to prefer watching the SEC on fall Saturdays. According to Nielsen data, the six most-watched college football teams rep the SEC, while 11 of the top 15 draws also hail from Greg Sankey's conference. Tops among all schools is Alabama, which through 12 weeks has averaged 8.14 million viewers over the course of its nationally televised games. The Crimson Tide has a comfortable lead over its SEC mates Georgia (7.35 million viewers), Tennessee (7.03 million), Texas (7.01 million), Oklahoma (6.64 million) and LSU (6.42 million). The Nielsen deliveries are determined by way of its Big Data + Panel numbers, which in September became the transactional currency against which some $69.6 billion in TV advertising is bought and sold. Through last week, overall college football deliveries are up 2% versus the analogous period in 2024; worth noting, that bump is entirely organic as the year-to-year comps were made against BD+P estimates for leading college football partners ABC, Fox, CBS, NBC and the ESPN-branded networks. |
| ESPN, CFP agree to move deadline for format changes to Jan. 23 | |
| The College Football Playoff and ESPN on Monday agreed to extend the deadline to determine if there will be any changes made to the playoff format for 2026 and beyond. The new deadline for completing the format and related structural decisions will move from Dec. 1 to Jan. 23, 2026. "We appreciate the continued partnership and collaboration with ESPN as we work through the important elements that will shape the future of the College Football Playoff," CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. "While no change to the current format is definite, this extension will allow the management committee additional time to evaluate the second year of the expanded playoff and ensure any potential modifications are carefully considered, fully vetted, and in the best interests of student-athletes, schools, and fans." Earlier this month, Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, who is the chairman of the CFP's board of managers, was blunt in his comments about the SEC's position. "I'm not a big fan of automatic qualifiers," Keenum said on "The Paul Finebaum Show." "I think the best teams ought to play in our nation's national tournament to determine who our national champion in college football is going to be and not have automatic bids. That's the position of the Southeastern Conference -- presidents and chancellors, our commissioner, and probably most of the conferences that are part of the CFP." |
| Players Era headlines list of Thanksgiving-week offerings on the college basketball slate | |
| Rick Barnes didn't have long on Monday to enjoy 17th-ranked Tennessee's lopsided win against Rutgers. Not with No. 3 Houston awaiting Tuesday as part of a loaded field at this week's Players Era, the headlining event in a national schedule filled with college basketball tournaments and marquee matchups as part of a beloved Thanksgiving-week tradition in the sport. "We've got a month or so before we get into conference play," Barnes said after Monday's 85-60 win in Las Vegas. "And get a chance to really leave here and know which direction you need to move with your team." Indeed, this is a measuring-stick week for AP Top 25 teams. The Players Era has grabbed center stage with eight ranked teams in its 18-team field, an event that quickly rose to prominence since last year's launch by guaranteeing at least $1 million in name, image and likeness money to what was then eight participating teams. There are also ranked teams playing in the longer-running Maui Invitational in Hawaii and Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, as well as at the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida. There's also a marquee nonconference matchup in Chicago for Thanksgiving Day. |
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