| Friday, September 15, 2017 |
| Mississippi State reminds visitors of campus policies for LSU game | |
 | With Mississippi State University set to host Louisiana State University for Saturday's primetime SEC football matchup, fans and campus visitors are urged to be mindful of gameday pet policies, as well as road closures relating to the game and SEC Nation, which will air live from the Junction on Saturday morning. With the exception of service animals, pets are prohibited on the MSU campus beginning at noon the day before a game. If a pet is brought to campus at any point, owners are reminded to clean up after their pets. MSU will host SEC Nation, the SEC Network's traveling college football live morning show, in the Junction on Saturday from 9-11 a.m. CST prior to the 6 p.m. matchup between the Bulldogs and the Tigers on ESPN. Additionally, "The Paul Finebaum Show" will be held live from 2-6 p.m. Friday from the Junction and feature special guests. In addition to the road closures related to SEC Nation, fans should also remain aware of MSU's new gameday pedestrian safety and postgame traffic egress plans. |
| Road closures announced for Bulldog Bash | |
 | As Main Street fills with people and entertainment for Bulldog Bash on Friday, the Starkville Police Department will close off sections of the downtown area to ensure safety for locals and visitors. Roads will begin closing as early as 2 a.m. Friday morning. Those sections of the road are Main Street from Jackson Street to the drive-thru entrance of Cadence Bank and Jackson Street from Jefferson Street to Main Street. Closing at 12 p.m. will be Lafayette Street and Jackson Street between East Lampkin Street and Jefferson Street. This will close Main Street from Cadence Bank to Washington Street. There will be a complete closure of Main Street starting at 5 p.m. from South Washington Street to Caldwell Street. Performances at the local stage will begin at 2 p.m on Friday. The first performance on the main stage will start at 6 p.m. |
| Daniel Powell joins BMA survey team under the MSU co-op program | |
 | Daniel Powell will be joining the Brown, Mitchell & Alexander survey team under the Mississippi State Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program. Powell is a native of Philadelphia, Miss., and received dual Associate degrees in Drafting and Design as well as Land Surveying Technology from East Central Community College in Decatur. He is studying Survey & Geomatics (SGEO) at Mississippi State with the goal of becoming a licensed Professional Land Surveyor. The MSU Co-op Program allows students to obtain "real world" work experience related to their field of study while still in school. |
| Discover the versatility of rice at Friday's luncheon | |
 | It's one of the most anticipated food events of the year: the annual Rice Tasting Luncheon, hosted by the Delta Rice Promotion. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the Delta State University Walter Sillers Coliseum in Cleveland. Admission is $5 per person and tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance from Farm Bureau offices or from MSU Extension offices in the Delta. Currently in its 27th year, the event celebrates the versatility of rice and is always held the third Friday of September, which is National Rice Month. "I'm always a little nervous before each luncheon," said Delta Rice Promotion Board Member Candy Davis. Davis has been involved with the luncheon almost since the beginning. Mississippi is the fifth largest rice growing state in the United States and Bolivar County is the top producer in the state. |
| Kin Growers: Farm diversity in the Mississippi Delta | |
 | Few Delta farms have the number or diversity of enterprises that can be found at Kin Growers. The Sharkey County, Miss., operation, home to the Bill Rutherford family, produces crops ranging from soybeans to fresh yard eggs. One key to the success of their expansion is the addition of Libby Durst to the staff. After graduation from Mississippi State University, the Rolling Fork, Miss., native, who grew up near the Rutherfords and worked summers on the farm, joined the operation full-time. Rutherford had an interest in dairying, and in 2016 he began milking a small herd of jersey cows. The herd has grown to 28 head with milk sold on the farm and delivered to restaurants and groceries from Greenville, Miss., to Jackson, Miss. Requests for beef led the family to begin feeding steers from their herd, processing them at Mississippi State's Meats Lab, and selling retail cuts in the farm store. Also, a few hogs were added for sausage and pork customers. |
| U.S. chief justice to help Mississippi celebrate its 200th | |
 | John Roberts, chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, will help Mississippi celebrate its 200th birthday later this month. Roberts, who was appointed chief justice by former President George W. Bush, will travel to Jackson on Sept. 27 in recognition of the 200th anniversary of Mississippi statehood. He will participate in activities with the Mississippi judiciary. "The Mississippi Supreme Court is very honored to host a visit from Chief Justice John Roberts," said state Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr. in a news release. "The visit by the chief justice of the United States demonstrates the importance of the judiciary and legal profession to the effective functioning of our democracy over the past 200 years." While in Jackson, Roberts will participate as a judge of a moot court competition involving students from the Mississippi College School of Law and the University of Mississippi School of Law. |
| Board asks governor to declare a state of emergency for Jackson Public Schools | |
 | The state Board of Education on Thursday asked Gov. Phil Bryant to declare a state of emergency for Jackson Public Schools, the final step before a state takeover of Mississippi's second-largest school district. Board members voted 5-2 for the action in executive session after nearly two hours of deliberation. Charles McClleland and Johnny Franklin voted against the resolution. But a school board member told media who questioned the move that the board often votes in executive session. The board also voted to hire Margie Pulley, who has overseen a state takeover of Tunica County schools, as interim JPS superintendent if the state takes over the district. Bryant would have to approve the request for the board to move forward with a takeover. |
| Mississippi still has worst poverty, household income | |
| Mississippi continues to have among the nation's highest rates of poverty, income inequality and people lacking insurance as well as the lowest household incomes, new data from the federal government show. The latest release of U.S. Census information, published Thursday, shows that 20.8 percent of Mississippians are in poverty, based on a three-year average between 2014 and 2016---the most in the U.S. Although the state saw poverty dip slightly since 2014, Mississippi's three-year poverty rate is one of only two states where more than 20 percent of the population are in poverty; the other is neighboring Louisiana, at 20.6 percent. Mississippi also ranks highest for what the Census calls proximity to or depth of poverty. |
| Opioid crisis: Mississippi gets $3M grant to expand services | |
| Opioid overdoses kill 91 Americans a day, the equivalent of two Boeing 747s full of passengers every four days. Imagine those planes actually went down this week. "How fast do you think it would take for us to ground every 747 in the nation?" said John Harless, a lieutenant with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. To combat the "super pandemic," as state officials described the crisis in a town hall meeting Tuesday, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration has granted more than $3 million to 18 health centers across Mississippi. According to the release, the centers will target the funds to expand and integrate mental health services and substance abuse services, in part by increasing personnel and training. |
| 1st Congressional District race gets second Democratic candidate | |
| A second Democratic candidate has declared for the 1st Congressional District, setting up a contested primary ahead of the November 2018 elections. Carlton Elliott Smith, a Unitarian Universalist clergyman residing in Holly Springs, has registered with the Federal Elections Commission and begun to quietly campaign ahead of a formal kickoff announcement in October. Smith enters a candidate field that already includes Randy Wadkins, a University of Mississippi chemistry professor and cancer researcher. The two men, both aged 52, will meet in a June 5 primary, along with any other Democratic candidates who enter the race. Republican incumbent Rep. Trent Kelly has thus far drawn no Republican primary opponent. |
| Enrollment down at Mississippi's public universities and community colleges | |
 | Mississippi's public universities are coming off a year of record high enrollment, but new numbers show a dip this fall. Preliminary numbers show enrollment at the public universities is now down by 1.6 percent. IHL Commissioner Dr. Glenn Boyce is far from calling the dip in enrollment a problem. "We've been increasing students every year," noted Boyce. "And in some cases, our institutions are reaching some capacity levels." Half of the universities did see a bump in numbers, but Jackson State's 12.5 percent drop was the highest of the declines. Still, Boyce says the end goal should be the focus. "Enrollment is important, don't get me wrong," Boyce said. "But when those students walk across that stage and they receive that degree, that's really what matters." |
| First UM consensual relationships policy moves forward | |
 | After more than 11 months of drafts and edits, the University of Mississippi may adopt a consensual relationships policy. The Council of Academic Administrators will vote Monday on whether to adopt the policy, with or without amendments. A consensual relationship includes amorous or romantic relationships with mutual consent from both parties. Typically, a university's consensual relationships policy governs what relationships are OK, discouraged or prohibited between two university employees or a university employee and student. A major focus is put on relationships between university staff or students and their superiors because of the conflicts of interests they can cause. Ole Miss is one of the last schools in the Southeastern Conference and the state of Mississippi to adopt a university-wide consensual relationships policy; Louisiana State University is the only other school in the Southeastern Conference without one, and Alcorn State University is the only other school in the state, according to a review of almost 20 schools. |
| UM to expand Safe Ride from the Square to campus | |
| Oxford-University Transit will be expanding its Safe Ride route that offers students a safe way to get back to their dorms on campus after spending the night on the Square. The late-night bus service started in 2016 and runs from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. Currently, the bus picks up University of Mississippi students from the Square and drops them off at one of four stops that are mostly located along Rebel Drive or on the west side of campus. Director of University Parking and Transportation Mike Harris told the OUT board of directors Wednesday the university would like to add five additional stops throughout the entire campus. "We believe this would increase ridership and be safer for the students," Harris said. "Right now, many get off the bus and have a good ways to walk to get to their residence halls." |
| USM officials say further examination needed to weigh fiscal impact of enrollment drop | |
 | When the University of Southern Mississippi was hit with a 9.8 percent state cut of $7.96 million this summer, university officials were cautiously optimistic tuition monies might help make up the difference with an increase in enrollment this fall. But September has come and the latest figures from the Institutions of Higher Learning show Southern Miss enrollment is down slightly from last year. Total enrollment numbers are at 14,479 for fall 2017, down 73 students from fall 2016. Glenn Boyce, state commissioner of higher education, said he wasn't worried by a reduction in total enrollment numbers, which fell by 1.6 percent at the state's universities. "A slight decline in fall enrollment across the system is absolutely no cause for concern," he said in an email. "Enrollment fluctuates from year-to-year for a variety of reasons. ... A small increase or decrease in enrollment in any given year does not necessarily indicate a trend and should not be weighted too heavily." |
| Record increase in new freshmen at USM | |
 | Enrollment numbers are up at Southern Miss. This year's freshman class is the second largest in the school's history, according to Southern Miss chief communication officer Jim Coll. There were 1,910 freshmen enrolled at the beginning of the semester. "I am grateful for the dedication of our admissions and enrollment management team, as well as our faculty and staff, whose hard work resulted in this record increase of first-time, full-time freshmen," said University President Rodney D. Bennett. The 1,910 total marks only the second time the University has had more than 1,800 new freshman in any given year. |
| Jackson State names interim band director | |
| Dowell Taylor was named as interim director of bands at Jackson State University, President Dr. William B. Bynum, Jr. announced. Jackson State fired O'Neill Sanford as band director just before the football season began. Regarding Sanford's termination, the university said in statement that it is "undergoing evaluations of all departments and their respective operational efficiency." The Jackson native will officially take the position on Sept. 18. His previous stints as director of bands were from 1984-1992 and 2012-2016, WJTV reported. "We appreciate Dowell's commitment to Jackson State University and the music program," Bynum said. "He has set the bar high throughout his career and during his previous two terms as director of bands." |
| Delta State shooting: 2 years later, sculpture honors slain professor | |
| A recent expansion of the Delta State University sculpture garden includes one work of art dedicated to the memory of a former professor who was killed during a 2015 shooting on campus. Among the five new pieces added to the Hazel and Jimmy Sanders Sculpture Garden in downtown Cleveland is an 8-foot steel and recycled rope sculpture named "Broken Arrow." It's by a recent DSU graduate who dedicated his work to the memory of Ethan Schmidt. "I dedicated the piece to him because his shooting caused me to react -- caused me to respond to the traumatic experience," said artist Lawson King of Indianola. "The more I found out about the shooting, the more I felt connected to it." Schmidt was killed on Sept. 13, 2015, by Delta State instructor Shannon Lamb, who also shot and killed his girlfriend and ended the rampage by taking his own life. |
| Meridian Community College navigator draws on recent college days to help students | |
 | When Morgan Shelton was a resident advisor at the University of West Alabama a few years ago, she grew accustomed to knocking on doors. "I would have to physically knock on doors and say, 'Hey, we haven't seen you in class for a week. What's going on?'" she said. Now, Shelton works as a college navigator for Meridian Community College, helping students handle obstacles that might interfere with their classes. She calls, texts, uses MCC's online communication system (Canvas) and visits students in her office. It's the last mode of communication that she likes best, harkening back to her days as an RA when communication tended to be face-to-face. Shelton began her job at MCC last October, just months after graduating from the University of West Alabama with a bachelor's degree in English. |
| U. of Alabama enrolls 38,563 students | |
 | Enrollment at the University of Alabama grew by about 2 percent this fall to 38,563, continuing a trend of record growth. Fall enrollment grew by 908 compared to last year, though the freshman class of 7,407 was slightly smaller than it was last year. The 2016 freshman class was 7,559. Graduate student enrollment increased by 158 to 4,787, said UA spokesman Chris Bryant. "We're pleased to see our growth continue as we add another talented and bright class to our University family," UA President Stuart R. Bell said in a statement released by the university. "With more students than ever before, it is clear that our exceptional academic programs and outstanding faculty continue to attract much-deserved attention from across the country." Out-of-state students represented about 59 percent of the total enrollment. There are 15,965 from Alabama on campus this fall, Bryant said. |
| U. of Alabama plans renovations, new restaurant | |
| The University of Alabama System board of trustees is set to consider plans to renovate Lakeside Dining and building a new restaurant in Robert Witt Student Activity Center when it meets Friday. The physical properties committee gave preliminary approval to the project on Thursday. The preliminary plans for the $4.5-million renovation of Lakeside Dining include building an a 5,400-square-foot mezzanine inside that can seat 200 diners. The Bama Zone -- Dining at the Robert Witt Student Activity Center would be a $3.5-million project that would renovate the existing convenience store and deli and fill up about 2,000 square feet of the outdoor patio area overlooking the river to create a sports-themed restaurant and entertainment venue. |
| Auburn Board of Trustees to talk construction projects, new degree programs | |
 | The Auburn University Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet Friday morning, with committee meetings to begin at 8:30 and the full board meeting at 10:15. This will be the first Board of Trustees meeting since Steven Leath became president of the university in June. Meetings will be held in the Student Center Ballroom at 255 Heisman Drive. The board met Thursday afternoon for a workshop session at Samford Hall, during which members discussed finances and previewed some items they will vote on Friday. During the workshop, Leath announced that Auburn's current enrollment is 29,776 students. That's a 5.3 percent growth in student population from last year, with graduate student enrollment up 4 percent. "We probably need to have a good, philosophical conversation one day about where we want to be in terms of size, capacity, maintaining quality, these kinds of things," Leath said. "These are pretty big growth numbers." |
| LSU suspends Greek activities after Roswell teen dies in alleged hazing incident | |
| Louisiana State University suspended all Greek activities Thursday after an alleged hazing incident led to the death of a student from metro Atlanta. Officials have not confirmed the cause of Maxwell Gruver's death, but the coroner's office told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was taken to a hospital from the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house Wednesday night. Gruver, 18, of Roswell, was pronounced dead at Our Lady of the Lake hospital Thursday. A 2017 graduate of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, Gruver had just started his freshman year at LSU and was seeking membership in Phi Delta Theta. LSU President F. King Alexander called the teen's death tragic and untimely and said the university mourns his loss. "There are allegations that Maxwell's death was related to hazing, but I want to emphasize this is an evolving situation," Alexander said during a news conference Thursday. |
| Autopsy coming today in LSU freshman's death, with fraternity hazing possibly a factor | |
 | Authorities are investigating whether hazing and alcohol were involved in the death of an LSU freshman Thursday, an incident that prompted university officials to immediately shut down the fraternity where the 18-year-old was pledging and order a halt to all Greek activity on campus while the probe is underway. Max Gruver, of Roswell, Georgia, died at Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center after leaving the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house, said LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard. "Hazing is dangerous, irresponsible and unacceptable," said LSU President F. King Alexander at a news conference Thursday evening. "It will not be tolerated at LSU, period." Alexander said the university also suspended the Phi Delta Theta chapter as well as all Greek activities throughout the investigation. |
| U. of Arkansas to give 300 students a leg up; mentoring, grants aim to raise graduation rate | |
| A pilot program offering mentoring and need-based grants to 300 in-state students will be part of efforts to boost graduation rates at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, the school's top administrator, Chancellor Joe Steinmetz, said Thursday. "Unmet need is as much a driver of retention as pre-college academic readiness," Steinmetz said in a campus speech describing a newly released academic plan and the importance of measuring progress towards university goals "in a time of tight budgeting." Steinmetz, chancellor since January 2016 after serving as executive vice president and provost at Ohio State University, defined unmet financial need as the cost of attendance minus a family's contribution and grant aid, calling it "whatever need is left." |
| UGA at 16 on US News list, highest ranking ever | |
 | The University of Georgia is one of the two 16th-best public national universities in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. UGA has hovered around and usually just inside the top 20 for years, but this year's tie for no. 16 with Ohio State University is the highest U.S. News ranking ever for UGA. According to a UGA press release, an increase in selectivity contributed to UGA's rise in the rankings. This year, 55 percent of UGA first-year students were in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, up from 53 percent last year. An increase in alumni giving during UGA's $1.2 billion capital campaign also helped, according to UGA's announcement of its place in the new rankings. One other Georgia university made the "top public university" list -- Georgia Tech, at no. 7. |
| Texas A&M to offer auction, lottery for rights to book rooms in new on-campus hotel | |
 | Texas A&M fans will soon have a shot at guaranteeing a room in the forthcoming hotel and conference center across the street from Kyle Field. Options will begin at donations of $100,000 for standard rooms and will give holders a 10-year right to book hotel rooms or suites in the hotel throughout the year, including during home football games. The public-private hotel, which is set to open in fall 2018, will be an eight-story, 252,200-square-foot facility featuring 250 guest rooms and suites. Additional features will include a restaurant, coffee shop, wine bar, swimming pool, business center, gym and a multi-level sports bar with both indoor and outdoor space. The conference center will include more than 35,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including an 8,300-square-foot ballroom. |
| ACT: More students prefer Missouri State than U. of Missouri | |
 | The University of Missouri advertises itself as the No. 1 choice of Missouri high school seniors in billboards sprinkled alongside interstate highways. Those billboards will not be changed -- and university spokesman Christian Basi argues they are not wrong -- now that ACT Inc. is reporting that more students named Missouri State University than MU as their first choice for college when they took the test last year. "You are looking at different data," Basi said. "Those billboards are based on actual enrollment numbers and those billboards are based on current enrollment." The number of juniors taking the ACT has increased since spring 2015. When students take the test, they list the colleges that are their first through sixth choices. Missouri State University's top goal is to overtake MU as the first choice for the state's high schoolers. |
| Anita Estell reflects on being first black woman to challenge Missouri's white sorority system | |
 | On her first day on the University of Missouri campus in 1977, Anita Estell experienced something that had never happened to her before. Estell had been pen pals with her new college roommate, but, now, when she actually met her, her roommate was a little nervous. Then, her roommate's father entered the room. "Oh," Estell remembered him saying. Then, he called her a racial slur and said, "I can't have that." It was the first time she had ever heard a white person use the slur. The manager of the dorm said that there was a different room for her with another African-American student, but she said she wasn't going to change rooms. "You find a room for her," Estell remembered saying. "I'm staying here." That day was just the beginning of the racial tension Estell would experience on campus. She would go on to be the first woman of color to rush MU's sorority system. |
| Speaker implores NACAC attendees to change practices he believes are racist | |
 | College admissions officers and high school guidance counselors regularly engage in racism, keynote speaker Shaun R. Harper told thousands of attendees at the National Association for College Admission Counseling's national conference Thursday, imploring them to change their ways. "Your profession is 80 percent white," said Harper, a professor at the University of Southern California's school of education and executive director for the university's Race and Equity Center. "It's even whiter when we get to those who are at the top levels. It sure would be nice if a mostly white professional association and its members more powerfully, more responsibly and more loudly advocated for racial justice on behalf of those who don't have the resources that they deserve in high schools across our nation." The keynote came after NACAC President Nancy T. Beane laid out a host of issues in her opening remarks. The admissions profession faces challenges related to degree completion, economic disparity, student debt, mental health and systemic inequalities in the college admission process, she said. |
| President Trump faces questions over his promise to historically black colleges | |
 | Following in the footsteps of every president since Jimmy Carter, President Trump signed an executive order in February pledging his commitment to historically black colleges and universities. But Trump, who won only a sliver of black voters last fall, took it a step further, inviting dozens of leaders from these institutions into the Oval Office for a meeting that raised hopes that he may bring more federal attention -- and funding -- to their schools. Six months later, with the White House's annual conference for historically black colleges and universities scheduled for Monday, some administrators and lawmakers are questioning Trump's commitment, saying that first meeting appears to have been little more than a publicity stunt. "There's no real effort that we see," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. |
SPORTS
| SEC Nation returning to Starkville | |
| For the second straight year, SEC Nation will be live in the Junction for Mississippi State's conference opening game. The show will air live on the SEC Network from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday leading up to the Bulldogs' kickoff against No. 12 LSU at 6 p.m. SEC Nation is hosted by Laura Rutledge and is joined by Paul Finebaum, Lauren Sisler, Tim Tebow and Marcus Spears. The pit opens Saturday at 7:30 a.m. Free t-shirts will be handed out and two pregame sideline passes will be awarded for "Best Sign." The Paul Finebaum Show will also be live in the Junction Friday on SEC Network from 2-6 p.m. |
| Mississippi State starts tough stretch with No. 12 LSU | |
 | Mississippi State should know by the end of September whether it's going to be a contender in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs (2-0) have a difficult stretch of games over the next three weeks, starting with Saturday's conference opener against No. 12 LSU (2-0). Mississippi State then will travel to play No. 13 Georgia on Sept. 23 and No. 15 Auburn on Sept. 30. Mississippi State has looked good in its first two games of the season, easily beating Charleston Southern 49-0 and Louisiana Tech 57-21. The stakes are much higher now that SEC play is about to begin. |
| Ed Orgeron returning to Starkville | |
| Ed Orgeron vividly remembers the last time he stood on the sidelines at Davis Wade Stadium as a head coach. In 2007, Orgeron was in his third season as the head coach at Ole Miss and were dominating in-state rival Mississippi State in the annual Egg Bowl. The Rebels were up by two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter when Orgeron decided to go for it on 4th-and-1 from midfield. The Bulldogs stopped BenJarvus Green-Ellis for a loss of three yards and all the momentum shifted sidelines. MSU stormed back with 17 unanswered points to win the Golden Egg Trophy and Orgeron was fired the following day. "I should have punted the ball," Oregon said when asked about that 2007 game this week. "It was an emotional decision. That's why I have mentors nowadays, especially when I get emotional and I ask them what do you think." |
| How Todd Grantham built Mississippi State into a versatile defense | |
| Fast, physical and aggressive," was the catchy mantra Todd Grantham introduced when he was hired as Mississippi State's defensive coordinator in January. The phrase was an instant hit on social media. Players use the line so much that they preface using it during interviews by saying, "I know we say this a lot, but ..." It also made for some cool wristbands that Jeffery Simmons said the defensive players wore for the season opener. But to understand why Mississippi State's defense is off to such a fast start heading into Saturday's highly-anticipated game against visiting No. 12 LSU (6 p.m., ESPN), there are three other words to know. Cross-training, versatility and matchups. |
| LSU meets State DC Todd Grantham and his unpredictable scheme again | |
| JD Moore was confused. He walked into his position coach's office Monday to see Steve Ensminger watching film of Louisville. "What are you doing?" Moore asked Ensminger, LSU's F-backs and tight ends coach. "We have Mississippi State this week." That's when Moore learned that the Bulldogs' defensive coordinator is Todd Grantham, the same man who directed the defensive unit LSU played eight months ago in the Citrus Bowl: Louisville. "It made sense," Moore laughed, "once he told me that." The meeting Saturday night between No. 12 LSU (2-0) and Mississippi State (2-0) is mostly billed as a clash of the Tigers' young, talented defense and a Bulldogs offense led by record-setting dual-threat quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. The tastier matchup may unfold between two first-year coordinators. |
| LSU DE Rashard Lawrence 'will not play' against Mississippi State, Ed Orgeron says | |
 | LSU coach Ed Orgeron said on Thursday evening that defensive end Rashard Lawrence will not play against Mississippi State on Saturday night. "He's not ready," Orgeron said. "Hadn't practiced all week. He hadn't put a pad on all week. He's not going to play." However, reporters were allowed in practice on Monday and Tuesday and spotted both days. The team was not in pads on Monday but they were on Tuesday and Lawrence was present, in pads, with a taped ankle. Orgeron also said that tight end Caleb Roddy, cornerback Kristian Fulton and defensive lineman Frank Herron are not "available" and will not travel with the team. Also, offensive lineman Donavaughn Campbell, who was seen in a walking boot prior to the Chattanooga game and returned to practice on Wednesday, will also not travel. |
| Mississippi State's Blair Schaefer, Mitchell Storm to attend SEC Basketball Leadership Council Meeting | |
| Blair Schaefer and Mitchell Storm will be heading to Birmingham, Ala., this weekend to represent Mississippi State at the Southeastern Conference's Men's and Women's Basketball Leadership Council meeting. The councils consist of one male and one female representative from each of the SEC's 14 member schools. Schaefer will be attending for the second-straight year. The weekend includes a conversation with Commissioner Greg Sankey and reviews of basketball-related NCAA and SEC items. The event also gives the participants the opportunity to speak with men's and women's basketball officials on the rules of the game and student-athlete/referee interaction. |
| U. of Tennessee announces return of Lady Vols logo for all sports | |
 | John Currie heard the "Lady Vols" chants that rang out across Lee Stadium during Tennessee softball games. Beverly Davenport read through the boxes and packets of petitions sent to her office, urging her to restore the Lady Vols nickname and logo for all women's sports at the university. Currie, UT's first-year athletic director, and Davenport, in her first year as university chancellor, were together Thursday at the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio, announcing the return of the Lady Vols nickname and logo for all women's sports. Currie expressed hope that the announcement will restore an overall sense of unity. Former UT Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and former AD Dave Hart announced in 2014 a decision to drop the long-used Lady Vols nickname for all women's sports except basketball. The change took effect in 2015 and was part of what Cheek called "brand consistency" as Tennessee transitioned to using Nike as an apparel provider. Cheek and Hart retired earlier this year. |
| Home Plate Tailgate serving up beer in 'family-friendly' atmosphere for Auburn football games | |
| For locals and Tiger football fans everywhere, this weekend will be devoted to Auburn University's homecoming. The Home Plate Tailgate, organized by Opelika-based company B & B Bartending, will set up again this Saturday in the Plainsman Park parking lot to offer a family-friendly tailgating environment where food and beverages -- both alcoholic and non-alcoholic -- can be purchased. Having previously provided a safe area at the Tigers' first home game where fans could enjoy fellowship and a variety of canned beers for $5 each, the Tailgate will be a home-game presence throughout the regular season, charging a $5 entry fee. Water and a variety of sodas also are available for sale for underage and nonalcohol drinkers. The initiative is to create a positive experience for fans and provide a safe place for those visiting Auburn who want to tailgate, said Bobby Greenawalt, president of B & B. The initiative also includes discouraging binge drinking and sneaking alcohol into the stadium. |
| McElwains' barbecue sauce to debut at The Swamp | |
 | From job to job, as the pay scale changed and the family grew, Karen and Jim McElwain kept adding a little of this and a little of that. And they kept hearing the same thing over and over from friends and family. "Can we take some home?" Finally, they have given in. On Saturday at The Swamp, the McElwains' special barbecue sauce will be launched. The sauce will be available at selected concession stands during the Florida-Tennessee game and will soon be marketed at Gainesville stores with an eye toward expansion statewide and nationwide. "It's a dream come true," Karen McElwain said. The McElwains plan to donate 10 percent of all proceeds from the sauce to charities. |
| NCAA Reforming Transfer Rules by Tying Them to Academics | |
| The NCAA is in the process of reforming its rules for athletes who transfer -- and the mere suggestion of changes that could make it easier for football and basketball players to leave one school and play immediately for another was enough to stir things up. "How can you plan a roster or a team when every player is a free agent at the end of the season?" Alabama football coach Nick Saban said last week. There is much work to be done and any drastic changes to transfer rules across all NCAA sports are likely a few years away at least. But change is coming, and guiding principals have already been established by the university presidents that make up the NCAA board of directors. One thing is clear: New transfer rules will be rooted in academics, according to a statement released last week by the Division I Council group working on the topic. |
| President Trump rails against ESPN in early morning tweet | |
 | President Trump early Friday slammed ESPN over its "bad programming" and politics, calling for the outlet to apologize for "untruth." The tweet comes after the White House has clashed with ESPN anchor Jemele Hill, who called Trump a "white supremacist" and a "bigot" on Twitter. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called Hill's comments a "fireable offense" at a Wednesday press briefing. "That is one of the more outrageous comments that anybody could make and certainly is something that is a fireable offense by ESPN," Sanders said. Hill in several tweets on Monday said that Trump's rise to the presidency was a direct result of white supremacy in America. |
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