| Tuesday, August 11, 2026 |
| How will Mississippi redistricting unfold? Guidelines behind new map | |
 | Lawmakers are legally required to keep a handful of factors in mind when they begin to redraw Mississippi's state House and Senate districts. The districts have to be contiguous and compact, they have to be very similar in population and, in a vague directive from the courts, they have to represent communities of interest. In past cycles, legislators frequently turned to race as a marker of a community. Post-Louisiana v. Callais, they can't anymore, positing a question that many have found difficult to answer: If not race, then what unites large swaths of Mississippians? Dallas Breen, a professor at Mississippi State University and the executive director of the Stennis Institute of Government, ran through the basics of redistricting with representatives at an Aug. 10 hearing. Breen said the nonpartisan think tank has helped more than 50 cities, counties and school districts navigate redistricting. The process is much simpler on the local level, Breen explained, where unifying factors like socioeconomic level and education are easier to track. On the state level, he charged legislators with knowing their districts well enough to advocate on behalf of groups that can't be split. |
| 'One person, one vote:' House redistricting committee gets primer | |
 | A select committee of House lawmakers on Monday received a 101 lesson on the basics of redistricting from a university researcher, but focused very little on the recent Supreme Court decision that has the nation and state on edge about partisan gerrymandering and minority voting rights. "The fundamental purpose of redistricting is equal representation --- one person, one vote," said Joseph "Dallas" Breen, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, the sole presenter at Monday's committee meeting at the state Capitol. "... Everyone should have equal say." Breen with a slide presentation ran through the basic principles of redistricting: population equality, contiguity of districts, compactness, keeping "communities of interest" together, respecting political boundaries such as cities when drawing districts, and complying with federal law. |
| Southwire to invest $256M in Starkville expansion | |
 | Wire and cable manufacturer Southwire will invest more than $256 million into its Starkville facility, the company announced Monday. The expansion will create 128 jobs. Construction on the expansion is expected to begin in late 2026, with the expanded operations expected to reach full capacity in 2028. Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Meryl Fisackerly said Southwire's decision to continue investing in Starkville is the result of collaboration and a shared commitment to creating an environment where manufacturers can succeed. Southwire's Starkville plant was originally opened by Phelps-Dodge in 1979 and acquired by Southwire in 1989. This project marks the second expansion on the campus, following the initial 2010 expansion, which added an onsite distribution center. |
| Project Jacket revealed: Southwire planning $256M addition | |
 | After more than 20 years in the city, Southwire is set to expand its operations with a $256 million investment projected to create 128 new jobs. The Golden Triangle Development LINK on Monday announced Southwire, a Georgia-based wire and cable manufacturer, is the company behind Project Jacket, the first successful fee-in-lieu project ever in Oktibbeha County. Its expansion will include a roughly 380,000 square-foot addition to the Starkville factory, located off of Highway 12, and new manufacturing equipment. The project will mainly create manufacturing jobs projected to pay above the average salary in Oktibbeha County, which will be in-line with regional manufacturing wages, said LINK CEO Meryl Fisackerly. She estimated the average salary for new positions to be about $64,000 per year. "This is an exciting moment for our team in Starkville and for the community we are proud to call home," Erik Adams, Southwire Starkville plant manager, said. |
| Starkville residents excited for new upcoming look of downtown | |
 | Several renovation projects have been taking place in Starkville, and one that has created some big changes is along Main Street. Mayor Lynn Spruill tells WCBI that the project is set to benefit pedestrians with a wider sidewalk, an improved traffic flow, and more ADA parking spots. The year-long project has had businesses and their customers navigating things differently when visiting downtown stores, but now they see the light at the end of the tunnel: a more pedestrian-friendly, upgraded Main Street. Rob Roberson, owner of the Roberson Law Firm, said his business has been going with the flow during the project and he is pleased to see improvements. "I mean, you just walk down the street and see how much better looking it is," Roberson said. "We are an SEC town, and you want to have a friendly face, and this helps our community have some public pride and be able to show a good face, especially to our visitors that are coming in." |
| Simpson County investigation after dogs find human femur bones | |
| An investigation is underway after human skeletal remains were discovered in Simpson County after homeowners reported their dogs returned from a nearby wooded area carrying two large bones believed to be human femurs. The Simpson County Sheriff's Office said deputies were called to a home on Highway 541 North in the Martinville community around 7:39 p.m. Sunday. Deputies secured the scene overnight because dense vegetation and limited visibility made searching the area difficult. A more extensive search began Monday morning. The Simpson County Sheriff's Office called in several agencies and specialized teams to assist with the investigation, including the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Crime Scene Unit, an anthropology team from Mississippi State University and cadaver K-9 teams. |
| July Home Sales Fell After Higher Mortgage Rates Scared Off Buyers | |
 | Home sales fell in July, getting the summer off to a poor start after the housing market suffered through another sluggish spring selling season. Sales of existing homes declined 1.7% in July over the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. The rise in mortgage rates following heightened tensions in the Middle East continued to put off home buyers. Sales in July came in below expectations. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a decline of 1%. The national median existing-home price in July rose 2% from a year earlier, to $434,100, NAR said. That is the second-highest median price on record, just below $442,800 in June. Mortgage rates briefly fell below 6% in February, but jumped with the beginning of the Iran war, and have continued to creep up as hopes for a clean end to the conflict have faded. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.69% last week, the fifth consecutive week of increases, after averaging 6.43% at the start of July, according to Freddie Mac. |
| State Senate cybersecurity committee to assess evolving threats, recommend legislation | |
| Lieutenant Governor Hosemann (R) announced the creation of the Senate Select Committee on Cybersecurity last week. The committee will now hold hearings and recommend legislation for the 2027 legislative session. Hosemann said that the state has "a responsibility to ensure our laws keep pace with these evolving threats and provide law enforcement with the tools needed to protect Mississippians." The committee will be co-chaired by Senators Bart Williams (R) and Tyler McCaughn (R). Senators Bradford Blackmon (D), Scott DeLano (R), Jeremy England (R), and Rod Hickman (D) will also serve on the select committee. Senator Williams, a Republican who represents Choctaw, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, and Webster counties, said that Mississippi has made strides in protecting against cybersecurity threats. He pointed to the creation of the Cyber Security Review Board and the State Security Operations Center. However, Williams believes those efforts should just be the start. "We're in a good place, but we need to be in a better place," Williams said. |
| A Group of Centrist Senators Sees a Window to Overhaul Social Security | |
| A group of eight centrist senators is attempting to compel Congress to revamp Social Security, in what many in Washington see as the first real effort at overhauling the government's biggest program in more than a decade. The push, led by retiring Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), sets the stage for a major confrontation later this year with potential consequences for the 59 million seniors who currently receive benefits. Their bill, the PROMISE Act, does not directly cut Social Security benefits or raise taxes to avert the program's approaching budget shortfall. Rather, it would task a bipartisan board with writing a plan to keep the pension system funded for another 50 years, likely through trillions of dollars in tax hikes and benefit cuts. The legislation would also establish parliamentary rules aimed at pushing Congress to act on the board's proposal. Even if it passes, the bill would likely only spawn another fight over Social Security in the next Congress, which would still have to approve the board's proposal to be pushed into law. But senior groups are mobilizing now to stop what they see as an effort to slash retiree benefits, while deficit hawks argue failure to act risks putting the U.S. government on a dangerously unsustainable debt trajectory. |
| Trump demands major changes to childhood vaccine recommendations | |
 | President Donald Trump on Monday made his most significant attempt yet to reshape how Americans vaccinate their children, signing an executive order that called for cutting the number of recommended childhood vaccines, spacing out those shots and making other changes that would upend decades of federal guidance. Speaking in the Oval Office, the president reiterated his long-held claim that childhood vaccines have led to a rise in U.S. autism cases, an idea that outside researchers have largely debunked. Trump also mused on the current number of childhood vaccines and said reducing their frequency was "common sense." "Large amounts -- like vats -- of vaccine are currently pumped into your child's body," Trump said in the Oval Office, flanked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration officials. In reality, the volume in most vaccines is about half a cc -- roughly one-tenth of a teaspoon of liquid, said Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The president's plan was immediately criticized by scientists, physicians, Democrats and some congressional Republicans, who said the order was dangerous and warned that it could lead to fewer children receiving vaccines against preventable diseases. They also said that Trump's comments were unscientific and leaned on discredited theories. |
| 1 month after Lindsey Graham's death, voters go to the polls to choose his replacement | |
| Voters will choose Tuesday between 10 U.S. Senate candidates competing in a special GOP primary to replace the late Lindsey Graham on the ballot in November. The tight timeline dictated by state law means the contest is being held exactly one month after Graham's unexpected death at age 71. Officially, the crowded field is competing for the chance to win the next six-year term. But in South Carolina, voters have a history of re-electing their senators as long as they want to stay. And in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the job in 28 years, the Republican primary is typically the main event. Graham's win in June marked the third time he bested a crowded field of competitors to win the GOP primary outright. But none of the candidates seeking to replace him is expected to cross the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff. The top two vote-getters will face off Aug. 25. Calling a runoff "highly likely," the state GOP scheduled a debate next week between whoever advances. Graham's younger sister, Darline Graham, who was appointed to fulfill her brother's term that ends in January, jumped into the open contest with the encouragement of President Donald Trump. But Trump's surprise endorsement of a family member without a political record rankled many of the GOP faithful. |
| U.S. Fires on Ship Breaking Its Blockade of Iran | |
| U.S. forces fired on a Panama-flagged ship that attempted to run the American blockade of Iranian ports early Tuesday, a U.S. official said, stepping up enforcement as the Trump administration attempts to squeeze the regime economically. A U.S. military helicopter fired at the rudder of the ship after its crew ignored warnings from American personnel working to enforce the naval blockade of Iran's ports, the official said. There were no immediate reports of any casualties in the incident, which took place before dawn on Tuesday. The U.S. official said the ship appeared to be attempting to transfer its crew to another civilian vessel after the attack. Earlier Tuesday, maritime security firm Vanguard reported that a Panama-flagged containership called Vela Nova was struck by a missile fired from a helicopter while transiting westbound through the Gulf of Oman about 71 nautical miles from the coast of Pakistan. The U.S. attack on the ship comes during a relative lull in hostilities in the war with Iran, including attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has choked off traffic with attacks on ships. |
| City of Columbus and MUW team up to help city employees improve their skills and education | |
| The City of Columbus and Mississippi University for Women are teaming up to help city employees improve their skills and education. Mayor Stephen Jones and Interim MUW President Scott Tollison signed a memorandum of understanding today creating a tuition bank. That will allow city employees to take classes at The W tuition-free. It gives employees a chance to learn new skills, earn additional credentials, and possibly even work towards degrees. Leaders from both the city and the university agree it's another way the two institutions can continue to benefit one another. "It provides opportunities for employees in the City of Columbus to continue to hone their skills, earn additional credentials, and grow professionally. And for us here at The W it's an opportunity to make connections and continue to build relationships with members of the City of Columbus community, and again, just an opportunity to give back to the city that's done so much for us," said MUW Interim President Scott Tollison. |
| Study links Mississippi student gambling problems to mental health | |
| As gambling becomes more accessible to college students, a statewide study of Mississippi's public universities found gambling problems frequently occur alongside depression, anxiety and substance use. The findings suggest policymakers, parents and healthcare officials should recognize gambling problems as a potential sign that a student may need broader mental health support, researchers said. In a study of more than 1,800 students attending college at Mississippi's eight public universities, researchers found that nearly 1 in 4 gambled and 7% showed signs of a gambling problem. The study, published in International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, also revealed that students with gambling problems are more likely to report problems with mental health. "Students were really, really struggling," said Nicholas McAfee, director of the William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education at the University of Mississippi and lead author on the study. The survey took place in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many casinos were closed. In the years since the study began, access to gambling has only increased. |
| Music executives honor late colleague through scholarship | |
| When longtime music industry leaders decided to establish an endowed scholarship at the University of Mississippi School of Law, they knew exactly whose name it should carry. The late Bob Malouf wasn't the most visible figure in their story, but he was, in many ways, one of the most essential. "Bob started off as family," said Tommy Couch Sr., former president of Malaco Music Group in Jackson. "He was my wife's first cousin but over time, he became much more than that. He was our lawyer, our adviser and one of our closest friends." That's why the owners and executives of Malaco – Couch Sr., Tommy Couch Jr., Stewart Madison and Wolf Stephenson -- wanted to memorialize the attorney by establishing the Robert A. Malouf Scholarship in Law Endowment with a $130,000 gift. The Malouf Scholarship will go to second-year Ole Miss law students who rank in the top 50% of their class and have demonstrated financial need. |
| JSU College of Business partners with Mark Cuban Foundation to host free AI Bootcamp for Jackson teens | |
| Jackson State University's College of Business is partnering with the Mark Cuban Foundation to help Jackson teens master Artificial Intelligence (AI). The College of Business and the Foundation will host a free AI Bootcamp for Jackson Public School students in grades 9–12 this fall. The program will take place over three consecutive Saturdays, October 31, November 7, and November 14, and will provide meals, transportation, and technology at no cost to participants. The AI Bootcamp is designed to give students hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools, including generative AI, and to explore real-world applications in fields such as healthcare, business, computer science, sports, and the arts. Students will also complete a capstone project under the guidance of industry mentors. JSU President Denise Jones Gregory, Ph.D., praised the College of Business and Mark Cuban Foundation collaboration as a model for community engagement and educational equity. |
| Millsaps College students move in ahead of new semester | |
| Students at Millsaps College moved into their dorms, preparing for the start of a new school year with excitement and optimism. Hundreds of students arrived on campus, including freshmen Hannah Nix and Olivia Merrell, who shared their enthusiasm for beginning their college journey. "I am coming from a small school so I am looking forward to meeting new people," said Nix. "I am going to play soccer, and I am really excited for that. I am looking forward to making new friends and getting a good education," said Merrell. According to U.S. News & World Report, Millsaps College has fewer than 1,000 students, and the school has previously experienced low enrollment numbers. Megan James, vice president of student life and dean of students, said the college is seeing positive changes. "We have a great record number of incoming class of new students and transfers, and it is just a sense of everyone belongs and having a place where they can feel that at day one, so we are very excited about this incoming class," James said. |
| Professor Sues Senator Over Alleged Role in His Firing | |
 | Austin Peay State University theater professor Darren Michael is suing Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn, arguing she used her political power to have him fired for posting on social media about the late conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk. Michael was one of dozens of faculty members disciplined or terminated last fall after posting about Kirk. Shortly after Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University, Michael posted a screenshot of a 2023 Newsweek headline that said, "Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths 'Unfortunately' Worth It To Keep 2nd Amendment." Michael's Facebook post was picked up and amplified by conservatives on X alongside calls for his termination. Among those who shared Michael's post was Blackburn, who posted a screenshot of the post on X and wrote, "What do you say, @austinpeay?" Michael was fired Sept. 12, two days after his initial Facebook post and the same day Blackburn posted on X. In his termination letter, university president Mike Licari wrote that he was fired "due to recent social media posts that have caused significant reputational damage to the university." Michael subsequently sued the university and, in December, won reinstatement and a $500,000 settlement. |
| Professor's varied lawsuits against U. of Kentucky pending in state and federal courts | |
| Cases from a University of Kentucky law professor who was removed from his teaching duties more than a year ago now span state and federal court. Professor Ramsi Woodcock filed a federal lawsuit last month against incoming law dean Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, UK President Eli Capilouto, Provost Robert DiPaola and the university, over Van Tatenhove's appointment. However, Woodcock withdrew the matter and refiled it in Franklin Circuit Court last week. UK had announced Van Tatenhove, a federal judge who was appointed to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, as the next dean of the College of Law earlier this year. However, the choice has been met with criticism, including from Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who had concerns over the procedures used to appoint the judge as dean and possible politicization of the law school. |
| Hillside Dining Commons: An inside look at UGA's newest facility | |
| The Dining, Learning and Well-being Center, one of the University of Georgia's newest facilities, opened Thursday, August 6 after almost two years of construction. Home to the new Hillside Dining Commons, the facility was built to accommodate the heavy seating demand experienced at other dining commons across campus. Hillside Dining Commons is located at East Cloverhurst Avenue and University Court, which is considered a part of West Campus. This area of campus is known to be an area of high activity, with several residence halls and other dining halls in convenient proximity to Hillside. The dining hall menu features 250 new menu items designed by Dining Services chefs, as well as a dedicated Mediterranean station, reflecting a popular dining concept among students. The facility's new meeting and activity spaces are part of a broader university effort to expand spaces for student organizations and gatherings across campus, with plans for the construction of the Dining, Learning and Well-being Center dating back to 2023. UGA stated in 2023 that they planned to add these spaces incrementally due to the lack of a defined funding source. |
| Costs continue to rise for Virginia's colleges and universities | |
| Students enrolled in Virginia's higher education institutes can expect to spend more this year. Tuition, instructional and auxiliary fees, and room and board have increased for full-time, in-state undergraduate students, according to an annual report from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The average cost of tuition and fees for the 2026-2027 school year is $15,356, depending on whether a student attends a two- or four-year institution. Students enrolled in the community college system will average about $5,250 for tuition and fees. Students at a four-year institution will pay about $16,400, not including room and board. At four-year institutions, room and board increased 4.4%. On average, students will pay $14,394. Auxiliary fees, which include campus transportation and student health services, increased 3.9%. Athletic fees rose at a faster rate than almost any other type of fee, growing 5.5%. And, at most colleges, they make up at least a third of auxiliary fees. Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech increased athletic fees by 13.7%. |
| U. Michigan's Plan to Pass/Fail Freshmen Draws Ire -- and Cheers | |
 | If you heard a collective gasp of excitement last week in Michigan, it may have been the class of 2031. Starting next fall, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts will cover, or hide, first-year students' fall semester grades, which will appear on transcripts as pass/no credit and have no weight on grade-point averages. The change is intended to "help students start strong and curb the mental-health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals," the college explained in its announcement of the pilot policy. Under the new policy, the college hopes, students can explore tougher classes without fearing a GPA killer right out of the gate. "LSA is investing in students' well-being and growth by fostering a culture of connection and collaboration -- rather than competition," the announcement reads. The change drew swift backlash on social media. |
| U. of Michigan Drops First-Semester Grades to 'Curb Mental Health Crisis' | |
| The University of Michigan will drop grades for first-semester freshmen next year in an effort to "curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals," according to the school. Instead of a letter grade, first-semester transcripts will show "pass or no credit." The program is designed to help students "acclimate to the demands of college and allow intrinsic motivations to guide personally meaningful academic journeys," the school said. The program, set to start in fall 2027, applies to students in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, which enrolls about half of Michigan's roughly 8,000 first-year students. The shift at Michigan, among the nation's largest and best-known public universities, comes as schools wrestle with grade inflation and the need for remedial instruction for freshmen ill-prepared for college-level classes. University of California math and science professors have urged UC regents to reinstate entrance exams because so many freshmen were unprepared. Michigan students lauded the new policy. Student body president Summit Louth said he had spoken to around 50 classmates and they were either happy or jealous the policy didn't exist when they were freshmen. Poor mental health is closely tied to academic stress and anxiety among students, Louth said. |
| The college experience now includes laundry and maid service | |
| The summer before starting college, Elijah Hurewitz-Ravitch sat in the family room with his dad, discussing what to pack for Yale. His dad handed him one of E&R Laundry's fliers, assuring Hurewitz-Ravitch that a campus laundry service would save him time. Although Hurewitz-Ravitch, now headed into his junior year of college, says laundry is "a basic domestic skill that everyone should probably know," his parents still don't know how to do their own laundry, much less how to teach him. His parents had acted like helicopters -- overprotective and micromanaging -- throughout his life, and Hurewitz-Ravitch says a college laundry service was "a way to extend the parental veil" even after he moved away from home. So, when he started school, he fell into a routine. He'd finish work for the Yale Daily News by 10 p.m., read for his history classes until 2 a.m., and then drop off a blue bag full of dirty clothes at the E&R pick up point, tucked away in a campus basement. "Everyone who gets [E&R] is a little embarrassed," Hurewitz-Ravitch adds. "I know plenty of people who would not want to admit it, and the only way to find out would be to go into the basement and see their names on the bag." Nevertheless, personal service providers to college students have exploded in the past decade. Laundry, dorm cleaning, moving and meal prep companies target elite schools, where wealthy families will fork over thousands to save their child a few extra hours each week. |
| Deferred Maintenance Backlog Is 'Ticking Time Bomb' for Higher Ed | |
| For universities that want to quickly erase costs for building repairs and renovations, Elaine Frisbie has some advice. "The fastest way to get rid of your deferred-maintenance backlog is to tear down a building," said Frisbie, vice president for finance and administration at the Kansas Board of Regents. The six universities the board governs "have managed to get rid of $123 million in deferred maintenance just from that," she said. As an added bonus, it also reduces operating costs. Frisbie spoke last week during a panel at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association's Higher Ed Policy Conference in Chicago. The session delved into how states approach deferred maintenance, a problem panelists described as "ballooning" and ready to explode. As institutions face enrollment declines, federal funding cuts and other financial pressures, administrators worry that long-standing needed repairs will be deferred longer, leading to more expensive problems later. But fewer students and less research may also mean colleges and universities, which are already cutting academic programs and laying off employees, can close and destroy more buildings. |
| Most 4-year graduates work in same state as their alma mater, report finds | |
| Over half of workers with a four-year degree or higher, 55%, work in the same state they grew up in and earned their diploma, according to a report published Thursday by the Strada Education Foundation. Only 9% moved to another state for college and never left. Overall, states that keep their college graduates tend to have "robust employment growth," lower income tax rates, and jobs that pay a higher wage premium for those with postsecondary education, the report said. Strada advised state and local governments to invest in public higher education to meet workforce needs. "Despite interest in attracting talent from other states, most states face long odds of doing so as homegrown talent is the primary source of college-educated workers in most states," the report said. |
| Fitch runs for governor in potentially historic field | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: And then there were three -- with more to come. Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced for Governor last week. She joins Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson and former Speaker of the House Philip Gunn as officially announced Republican candidates. Still in the wings are Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, State Auditor Shad White, and billionaire businessman Thomas Duff. No Democratic candidates have emerged yet. The current field is stout, but four incumbent statewide officials running for the same office in the same primary would be historic, and not just in Mississippi. |
| Lynn Fitch hopes her campaign for governor exceeds previous best effort by woman, Evelyn Gandy in 1979 | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Attorney General Lynn Fitch is vying to do what has never been done in Mississippi and in 16 other states – be elected governor as a woman. The Republican attorney general completed a three-day tour of the state last week touting her qualifications after announcing she is joining what is expected to be a crowded field in 2027 to succeed Gov. Tate Reeves, who is term limited. Fitch is in her second term as attorney general after serving two terms as treasurer. She has to be considered the most serious and formidable female candidate for governor in Mississippi since 1979. That year, then-Lt. Gov. Evelyn Gandy led the competitive field of six candidates in the Democratic primary. She was unable to garner a majority of the vote, prompting a runoff between her and former Lt. Gov. William Winter. In the runoff, Winter won 57% of the vote to capture the Democratic nomination, which at the time was tantamount to winning the office of governor. In those days, the Republican nominee, if there was one, did not pose much of a threat in the November general election. |
SPORTS
| MSU football chief of staff David Wilczewski says team is progressing both on and off the field | |
| For more than 30 minutes on Monday, Mississippi State associate athletic director of football administration David Wilczewski talked about the current state of the sport to the many perked up ears of a packed-out room full of Starkville Rotarians. Since 2019, he's held the role of the team's chief of staff through multiple changes of head coaches and their staffs and even changes in the national landscape of the sport – but one aspect of his job has remained the same since he first took command; informing curious people about what exactly he handles for the Bulldogs. "The easiest way to break it down is, if it does not happen between the lines of the football, ultimately I'm the one who is responsible for it," Wilczewski explained. That of course covers many aspects of football operations that people might not first think about, like day-to-day scheduling, working with the school's athletic medical team to help keep the Bulldogs healthy and even working with recruiters. Needless to say, Wilczewski typically has his hands full with things to do and has seen tons of change throughout his time in Starkville. |
| MSU Associate Athletic Director talked with Starkville community leaders about the team behind the team in Athletics | |
| For every Mississippi State Bulldog on the football field, there's at least one team member behind the scenes helping them play to their fullest potential. Associate Athletic Director David Wilczewski talked with business and community leaders in Starkville about the team behind the team in MSU Athletics. He pointed out that the *full* MSU Football Team is made up of 270 members. 117 of those are players; the rest are coaching staff, support staff, and student staff. In his role as Chief of Staff, he has to deal with many issues, including the money side of the game, but it's not just about NIL deals and scholarships. There are also the day-to-day budgetary issues, getting the most bang for your buck, like everywhere else. Wilczewski said off the field the team is already proving its excellence. "Our academic staff and our players have done a great job. As I mentioned, the team GPA has been over 3.0 in each of the semesters since Coach Lebby's been here, and that's great to see, because the guys take it seriously. They're passionate about getting their degree, and they're passionate about what they're doing." |
| Small but speedy Ragins brings high expectations to first season in Starkville | |
| Most football players look the part. They tower over any average-sized person, superhuman biceps and calf muscles on display through muscle shirts and short-cut football pants. The roughly 4-foot tall podium inside the Mississippi State weight room shrinks when a player stands behind it. Reporters, with eyes and recording devices angled to the heavens, often feel small compared to the giant in front of them. Zion Ragins does not fit the bill. Ragins, a redshirt-sophomore wide receiver who transferred to MSU from Oklahoma in the offseason, stands at just 5' 8, 170 pounds. He and wide receiver counterpart freshman Camden Capehart are the smallest players of the 114 listed on State's roster. But what Ragins doesn't have in size, he makes up for in speed. |
| Mississippi State attempting to bring Sylla, Manning back to Starkville | |
| Mississippi State has "initiated the process" of bringing both edge rusher Malick Sylla and safety Jahron Manning back for the 2026 season. The news was first broken by ESPN's Pete Thamel on Monday night. The attempted additions come in light of a district court ruling made in Colorado on July 31. The ruling orders that the NCAA grant a fifth year of eligibility to all Division I athletes from the high school class of 2022 that completed their four seasons. Sylla and Manning, both of whom would be fifth-year seniors, are currently on campus "and set to return," according to Thamel. In 2025, Manning led the Bulldogs with 91 total tackles and was second with 36 solo tackles. Sylla had a team-high seven tackles-for-loss and was one of just five Bulldogs with at least two sacks. Sylla and Manning would be two valuable pieces for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett. |
| How Brian O'Connor evaluated Mississippi State baseball's 2027 roster | |
| Mississippi State baseball has an obvious strength for 2027. All three weekend starting pitchers -- Tomas Valincius, Ryan McPherson and Duke Stone -- are returning. Baseball America recently ranked them as top 30 MLB draft prospects, with Valincius ranked No. 2. The Bulldogs are the only team in the SEC returning all three weekend starters. But there were still plenty of roster questions after coach Brian O'Connor's first season ended in the Athens Super Regional. The struggling bullpen needed a reboot, and six of the starting position players are gone after the MLB draft. Thirteen transfers were added with 11 high school signees. "I love what we have," O'Connor said in a wide-ranging interview with the Clarion Ledger on Aug. 10. "I love our team on paper. That said, we have our first team meeting a week from today and then we'll start working out on Aug. 19. We'll know more about where we're at two and three months from now, but I'm excited about it." |
| 4 MSU soccer players honored on SEC preseason watchlist | |
| Four Mississippi State soccer players were tabbed to the SEC preseason watchlist on Monday. Laila Murillo, a familiar face among plenty of newcomers to the Bulldogs' 2026 roster, highlights the State players named. Seniors Hailey Johnson from Lipscomb, Kyli Switalski from Appalachian State and fifth-year senior Ashley Tutas from Oklahoma also made the list. Those three newcomers fit the theme inside the MSU locker room season. The Bulldogs head into this year with new head coach Kevin O'Brien and 19 newcomers, including 10 transfers into the roster. State had a chance to get a feel for the new look roster in two exhibition games. MSU fell to Memphis 2-0 in the first exhibition game, but bounced back with a 2-0 win against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. "I think it just showed like we are super new," Johnson said after the Bulldogs' preseason loss to Memphis. "We haven't played together very much, and so like getting used to playing with each other is going to take a little bit of time, and it exposed that a little bit." |
| Former Tupelo, MSU basketball coach Kermit Davis Sr. dies at 91 | |
| Kermit Davis Sr., a championship-winning basketball coach at Tupelo High School who later served as head coach for Mississippi State, died Monday. He was 91. The Walnut native played for MSU (1956-59) under the legendary Babe McCarthy. Davis was a team captain when the Bulldogs won their first regular-season SEC title his senior season. He then embarked on a long and successful coaching career. After two years of coaching the boys and girls at Leakesville High School, Davis was head coach for Fort Dix Army in New Jersey (1960-62). His next stop was Tupelo, where he led the Golden Wave to Class AA and Grand Slam titles in both 1965 and '66. He had a record of 131-23 during his Tupelo tenure, including a 40-1 mark during the 1965-66 season. Davis returned to MSU in 1966 as an assistant coach under Joe Dan Gold, then was promoted to head coach in 1970. Davis stayed in that position for seven years, compiling a 91-91 record, and he was named Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year in 1971. From 1980-90, Davis served as associate director for MSU's Bulldog Club. |
| Mississippi State basketball icon Kermit Davis Sr. has died at 91 | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer Kermit Davis Sr., a Magnolia State basketball icon, was surrounded by family when he died Monday in Tupelo. He was 91. Davis, who played basketball at Mississippi State and later coached the Bulldogs, was the father of former Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis Jr. Father and son share an amazing distinction: Kermit Sr. was Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 1971, his first year as State's head coach. Forty-eight years later, in 2019, Kermit Jr. was SEC Coach of the Year in his first year at Ole Miss. "Dad had 91 great years," Kermit Davis Jr. said Monday. "I think the highest compliment a man can have is when his children all say he was their best friend. I can say that for sure, and my younger brother, Bill, says it and my sister, Jennifer, says it, too. Dad was special." ... Asked what he learned most from watching his father, Kermit Jr. answered that it wasn't so much the X's and O's of basketball or the strategy. "What I got from Dad -- at least what I hope I got -- was his ability to handle and treat people," Kermit Jr. said. "He was the ultimate people person. He treated people right. He cared about people and people knew it. That's what made him who he was." |
| Donald Trump could sign major college football bill on popular ESPN show | |
 | The Protect College Sports Act still has some hurdles to overcome to reach President Donald Trump. However, if and when it is time for Trump to sign it, he could do so on ESPN College GameDay. Senators Ted Cruz and Eric Schmitt released a statement to Yahoo Sports over the weekend about the vote on the Protect College Sports Act being pushed to at least September. In the statement, the senators said the plan is for Trump to sign the bill on College GameDay. "The Protecting College Sports Act continues to show great momentum. Sens Cruz and Schmitt have worked tirelessly with the support of nearly every conference in the country, HBCUs and the Olympic sports committee," the statement said. "It's clear that this bill is the only way to save college sports and women's sports. "While we are disappointed that we could not get the unanimous consent agreement to finish this week, we locked in a guaranteed vote in September. With the strong support of President Trump, we look forward to him signing the bill on college game day in the fall." |
| NIL bill advocates see goal line in sight after recess | |
 | After 16 wild hours that ended with a bipartisan college sports bill being punted in the middle of the night, President Donald Trump's involvement was not enough to trigger votes on legislation he would like to add to his midterms and legacy sales pitches. As senators and senior aides bickered and postured all day and night Friday into Saturday morning, the so-called Protect College Sports Act was part of a "global agreement" on which Senate Republican leaders hoped to lock in before leaving town until Sept. 14. By mid-afternoon Friday, it was out again, before making a comeback, until ultimately, the late rally from its authors, and even Trump, fell short. In football terms, the bill's growing number of skeptics had essentially won a wild shootout in double overtime by a score akin to something like 54-48. It all conjured comparisons, for some longtime college sports observers like Sports Illustrated senior writer Pat Forde, to a Capitol Hill version of a college football phenomena known as "Pac-12 after dark." That's a reference to the previous incarnation of the largely West Coast collegiate conference. Its football games often would end after viewers on the East Coast had turned in --- and with high scores and chaotic finishes. All that was missing Saturday morning was ESPN's "College Football Final" crew dramatically recapping the highlights. |
| Plan for 20-team CFP draws confusion and dismissal from commissioners | |
 | As the debate over College Football Playoff expansion focuses on whether the postseason tournament should grow to 16 or 24 teams, an idea to find middle ground might illustrate just how far apart both sides remain. The 20-team concept would replace conference championship games with four "play-in" contests for the final four spots of a 16-team field, according to sources familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity to comment on private conversations. The notion was a surprise to almost everyone on a Monday videoconference of the CFP management committee (made up of 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director), said sources who were on the call. The 20-team format wasn't on the agenda, and it only came up after one participant inquired about an X post from college football media personality Josh Pate, who wrote on Sunday that the idea was percolating. Discussion of the matter during Monday's meeting was brief and dismissed, as the agenda instead focused on potential CFP expansion to 16 and 24 teams. But those conversations didn't advance much, either. The belief is that ESPN -- the exclusive broadcast rights holder for CFP and SEC games -- could be interested in the 20-team compromise rather than the 24-team model favored by the Big Ten. |
| NCAA and FBI announce partnership to combat athlete sexploitation | |
| As college athletes become bigger targets for sexual exploitation online, the NCAA and FBI announced a partnership Monday to educate athletes on how to prevent private images from falling into the wrong hands. Financial name, image and likeness deals have increased the online public presence of college athletes, making them desirable victims for criminals, an FBI cyber expert said during a media call. "Student-athletes maintain large public-facing social media followings and in many cases expanded further by name, image and likeness activity," FBI cyber division Section Chief Taushiana Bright said. "That visibility increases both their exposure to targeting and the leverage an offender believes they hold when threatening to expose an athlete to a coach, team, school or sponsor." Bad actors obtain private images of athletes by conning them and by hacking into personal accounts to steal content. Images and videos are then used to extort athletes under threat of having the images made public. |
| Judge Denies NCAA Motion to Stay of Wisne Injunction Amid Roster Chaos | |
| U.S. District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney late Monday denied the NCAA's motion to stay her nationwide injunction permitting thousands of Division I college athletes who began college play in 2022–2023 and completed four years of eligibility by this past spring to play another season. Sweeney reasoned the NCAA "essentially rehashes arguments that it previously made and that [she] rejected" in hopes the injunction would be put on hold while the NCAA appeals Sweeney's order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. The ruling isn't a surprise, since the NCAA asked Sweeney to reconsider her core conclusions about the NCAA's application and interpretation of a new eligibility system that provides up to five years of play but doesn't benefit athletes who finished high school in 2022. Sweeney's order on Monday at times struck a defensive tone, with the judge noting that while she "may not be an industry expert" about college sports, the "NCAA is in a bind of its own making." As Sportico explained, Sweeney surprisingly certified a nationwide antitrust class after only a few weeks of litigation -- a sharp contrast to the years needed for courts to certify nationwide antitrust classes in the noteworthy lawsuits brought by Ed O'Bannon, Shawne Alston and Grant House. |
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