| Tuesday, January 30, 2018 |
| Top Democrat in Mississippi House weighs bid for US Senate | |
 | The Democratic leader in the Mississippi state House said Monday that he is considering running for U.S. Senate this year. Rep. David Baria of Bay St. Louis spoke at a forum in Jackson attended by reporters, lobbyists and others interested in government. In a speech geared toward a statewide audience, Baria said Mississippi is experiencing a "brain drain" because leaders for the past 30 years have not provided basic things people need to build successful lives, including safe roads and bridges and well-funded schools. "We haven't done the job here at home. We've dropped the ball," said Baria. Baria spoke at a forum sponsored by Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute of Government and the Capitol press corps. |
| House Democratic leader says party needs to be competitive for good of Mississippi | |
 | Rep. David Baria of Bay St. Louis, the state House Democratic leader, said when he was attending the University of Southern Mississippi in the 1980s he considered himself a Republican. Baria said he believed then it was not good for the state to have one party rule through the Democratic Party, thus he aligned with the Republican Party. He said he even applied for a position on the campaign of 1987 Republican gubernatorial Jack Reed of Tupelo. If he had gotten that job, "it could have changed everything," Baria quipped Monday during a luncheon meeting of the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute of Government/capitol press corps luncheon where he was the guest speaker. |
| AG Jim Hood: $33 million settlement could help plug budget holes | |
 | The state general fund will get a $33 million boost right in the middle of the legislative session, the result of a legal settlement over inflated drug prices. More than $8.5 million will go towards reimbursing the Division of Medicaid, the agency that the drug company defrauded, which is currently facing a $24 million deficit. Earlier this month the Mississippi Supreme Court found that Watson Inc., a pharmaceutical manufacturer, defrauded the state Medicaid program of over $7 million by overcharging for drugs. The $33 million settlement includes civil penalties, punitive and compensatory damages. Attorney General Jim Hood said this settlement would hit the state general fund at a time when legislators are struggling to find cover for several budget shortfalls. |
| Mississippi Senate plan steps back from Medicaid changes | |
| A key state senator is backing off plans to change Mississippi's state-federal Medicaid program. The Senate Medicaid Committee on Monday advanced a version of Senate Bill 2836 removing earlier proposals to cut payments to health care providers and require all Medicaid spending to be administered by managed care companies. It goes to the Senate for more debate. Senate Medicaid Committee Chairman Brice Wiggins, a Pascagoula Republican, said he wants to study those proposals, saying health care providers object. For example, nursing home owners don't want to get Medicaid money through managed care, instead of the traditional fee-for-service billing method. |
| Human Services leaves $13M in child care funds on the table | |
 | While Mississippi has added extra hurdles to receiving government-funded child care, it also left millions of federal child care dollars on the table meant to help low-income families. The Mississippi Department of Human Services returned approximately $13 million in federal funding for the Child Care Certificate Program because it did not have sufficient matching funds from the state, according to a statement from the agency. Carol Burnett, founder and executive director of the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative, said she has been tracking child care funding in Mississippi for decades. "This is the first time in decades I've ever heard of Mississippi failing to meet the match," Burnett said. Meanwhile, low-income parents who depend on those vouchers so they can work or go to school are having a harder time securing eligibility. |
| Mississippi Senate deadline looming | |
 | A mad, legislative dash is coming to a frenzied end at the statehouse. Today is the final day for the Mississippi Senate to push legislation out of committee toward an official vote. Any measure remaining in committee after the cutoff will essentially lose its chance of becoming a law this congressional session. The senatorial deadline helps winnow the massive amount of proposed legislation down to a much more manageable pool of viable bills. But -- according to Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven -- measures that die at the initial closing date can be resurrected later in the session. "Many good bills die at this point just from a lack of time to have committees fully address them," said Doty, who represents Lincoln and Lawrence counties and portions of Copiah and Walthall counties. "While this is frustrating, the rigid deadlines help cull down legislation and move forward the process." |
| Education funding bill now in state Senate | |
 | The state's funding of kindergarten through 12th grade across Mississippi is taking on scrutiny after action in the Mississippi House of Representatives. Lack of information persists about how the bill might affect K-12 funding, which, in the past, has always been according to the Mississippi Adequate Education, or MAEP funding formula. Depending upon who one speaks with, DeSoto County, which has more than 34,000 students, could stand to receive more funding but exactly how much more and under what conditions is not yet fully known. "I have not looked at it yet," state Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Olive Branch, said Monday from the floor of the Senate. "Once we get done tomorrow, I will look at it. From what I understand, we should get a $13.5 million increase but I am not sure of the timeline," he added. Blackwell said the bill would likely go to conference committee. |
| Vaccine exemption bill watered down to a study committee | |
| Mississippi parents who oppose the state's stringent vaccination laws likely won't see a loosening of those rules this legislative session, but a top lawmaker announced Monday that they would take a deeper look at the issue. Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, announced during a Judiciary B Committee meeting that the Mississippi Vaccine Research Group would tackle research and "reach solutions on this topic." The move comes after a contentious hearing last week on House Bill 1505, which would allow religious exemptions to vaccinations. Tuesday marks a deadline for the House and Senate to pass general bills out of committee. Instead calling for a committee vote on HB 1505, Gipson announced the formation of the study group, avoiding what could have been a protracted battle on the House floor. |
| Mississippi vaccine exemption bill not coming up for vote | |
| Mississippi lawmakers will not vote this year on creating a religious exemption to Mississippi's vaccination requirements, a committee chairman says. House Judiciary B Committee Chairman Andy Gipson made the announcement about House Bill 1505 on Monday, after supporters of the exemption spent the weekend calling and leaving messages for lawmakers. Tuesday is the first major deadline of the three-month legislative session. The delay pushes a contentious issue into a state election year, when all state House and Senate seats will be on the ballot and most current lawmakers are expected to be running again. Mississippi has long had one of the highest child vaccination rates in the country. |
| School choice lobbyist carries heavy influence in Mississippi politics | |
| On a recent Wednesday, Grant Callen sat outside the office of Senate Education Chairman Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, waiting for his appointment. The day before had been a success for one of the Capitol's most prominent lobbyists. Hundreds of school children, parents and teachers had gathered in the statehouse rotunda to rally for school choice. Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Speaker Philip Gunn also attended the event, faithfully donning yellow scarves in support of the movement. Each spoke in favor of providing educational options outside the traditional public school system. Parents, the Republican leaders reasoned, know what's best for their children. Callen, the founder of Empower Mississippi, a nonprofit school choice organization, can often be seen walking the halls of the Capitol armed with a portfolio of fact sheets, delivering the same message. |
| Dog fighting bill would strengthen existing penalties | |
 | Dog fighting is a felony in Mississippi, just as it is in every state, but advocates say our state laws don't have enough teeth to deter it. The most recent case is out of Wayne County where authorities located a possible dog fighting ring. There are two different bills directed specifically to dog fighting, one in the House and one in the Senate, but it's the Senate bill that would make the biggest changes and hold perpetrators even more accountable. Senate Bill 2934 would increase the fine to $1,000 per dog involved and include at least a year of prison time per dog, with a max prison sentence of 25 years. It also increases penalties for those who watch the fighting, but advocates hope the bill gets tweaked. |
| Unwanted touching could bring a fine or jail time | |
| Unwanted touching of another person's private areas could land an offender a $1,500 fine or six months in jail under legislation in the House and Senate. More than two such offenses would be a felony. The legislation would create a law against indecent assault. House Bill 195 or Senate Bill 2273 will have to make it out of committee by Tuesday's deadline to survive this session. The bill was filed in the House by Rep. Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, and in the Senate by Sen. Dennis DeBar, R-Leaksville. DeBar said he believes it's good legislation, but he said he filed the bill on behalf of the state attorney general's office, which asked him to do so. "I try to work with my law enforcement officials," DeBar said Monday. |
| Bill Allain portrait, with assist from Northeast Mississippians, finally hung in Capitol | |
| Pontotoc artist Robbie Boyd's portrait of the enigmatic Bill Allain was hung in the state Capitol Monday afternoon -- about 30 years after his tenure as governor ended and about four years after his death. Allain, an Adams County native, served as governor from 1984 until January 1988 and was the only governor of Mississippi not to have a portrait hanging on the first floor of the Capitol, which was designated as the Hall of Governors by legislative act in 1962. But on Monday, during a ceremony on the second floor of the Capitol, a portrait of Allain was finally unveiled. Both Gov. Phil Bryant and Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley of Nettleton, who was instrumental in putting in motion the chain of events leading to the portrait being commissioned and hung in the Capitol, spoke at the event attended by members of Allan's family, various politicians and others who knew the former Democratic governor. |
| Farm state Republicans warn Trump: Don't hurt us by fooling with NAFTA | |
 | Republican lawmakers from farm states have a loud, clear message for President Donald Trump: Don't betray the rural voters who helped elect you by blowing up the trade agreements they rely on. If you do, they're warning, it could cost the Republican party in the 2018 midterm elections. Rural state lawmakers want to hear reassurance from Trump in Tuesday's State of the Union address that he won't abandon the North American Free Trade Agreement. But they aren't expecting it. The president recently said pulling out of the North American Free Trade Agreement "would be frankly a positive for this country," a quote that sent chills through the farming economy. "You can talk about a better trade deal and push Humpty Dumpty off the wall, but putting Humpty Dumpty back on the wall is difficult," said Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican who served on the Trump presidential campaign's Agricultural Advisory Committee. |
| Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan Chase to tackle employee health care costs, delivery | |
 | A corporate America dream team -- Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase & Co. -- are combining efforts to improve health care for their U.S. employees. The three companies announced Tuesday they are teaming up to explore "ways to address healthcare for their U.S. employees, with the aim of improving employee satisfaction and reducing costs," according to a news release about the venture. An independent company, which "is free from profit-making incentives and constraints," they say, will initially tackle technological solutions to deliver "simplified, high-quality and transparent" health care to employees at a economical prices. Growing health care costs "act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy," said Berkshire Hathaway CEO and chairman Warren Buffett in a statement. |
| Southern Miss joins consortium to study Tuscaloosa Marine Shale | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi has joined a Department of Energy funded university consortium led by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette that will address knowledge gaps connected to the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale. The goal of the three-year project is to enable more cost-efficient and environmentally sound recovery from this unconventional liquid-rich shale play. While the other universities in the consortium will focus on oil and gas extraction engineering issues, USM will examine socio-economic issues related to increased hydraulic fracturing. "This is a great opportunity to combine our economic development expertise with some of nation's top petroleum engineering researchers to make a difference for southwest Mississippi," said Dr. Chad Miller, graduate coordinator of the Masters of Science of Economic Development program at USM. |
| Fight to name a building on the USM Long Beach campus | |
 | Retired USM Professor Louis Elias and a group of former faculty members and employees at USM in Long Beach call themselves Colleagues of Joe Holloway. Dr. Holloway was the Dean of USM at Gulf Park for 20 years. He was instrumental in establishing the campus in 1972. "They were hectic times with a lot of turmoil with different universities worried about this campus. He stuck with it and raised this campus from infancy to where it is today," said Elias. The Joe E. Holloway Complex stood on this lot until it was demolished in 2015 after being damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The new Business and Health Building was completed last year. When ground was broken on the new building in 2016, the group, along with coast leaders, asked USM to name it in memory of Dr. Holloway. They feel the university has been unresponsive. "To this day, for two years now we've been waiting. The building is erected and we're still waiting. It just doesn't seem like it's important to the powers that be," Elias said. According to Dr. Steve Miller, Vice President of the USM Gulf Park Campus, USM wants to honor Joe Holloway. He said the university is looking at naming opportunities involving a potential donor that would be beneficial to USM Gulf Coast students. |
| Whoops: U. of Florida sent $300k to county by mistake, wants it back | |
 | After initially appearing to take offense at county government's decision to bill the University of Florida for security help during a white nationalist speaking event in October, campus officials say they accidentally paid the $302,000. Now, they want the county to send the money back. In an emailed statement to The Sun, UF spokesman Steve Orlando said the wire transfer was made after an "internal miscommunication." "Since this was not a university-sponsored event and one that put the community at risk, UF is also reviewing all potential sources of responsibility before issuing any payments," the statement reads. "In this case, prior to completion of our review, unfortunately, a payment was processed. It was an internal miscommunication, and we are asking the county to return the funds, pending review of appropriate costs." |
| U. of Kentucky issues warning after student hospitalized with probable bacterial meningitis | |
 | The University of Kentucky announced on Monday that a student has been hospitalized with a probable cause of bacterial meningitis. The area where the student lives is being cleaned and anyone who may have been in close contact with them is being provided more details and resources, according to UK. The strain of meningitis has not been confirmed, but anyone on campus with signs such as sudden fever, headache and stiffness in the neck is urged to seek medical attention immediately, according to UK. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and confusion. Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics, but it is important to start treatment as soon as possible if the serious, potentially fatal disease is contracted, according to UK. |
| UGA satellite team a step closer to space | |
 | A University of Georgia research laboratory led by a group of undergraduate students is one of only two university research programs chosen by the U.S. Air Force to build and launch satellites into space. The UGA Small Satellite Research Laboratory, which is supported by faculty from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering, includes more than 45 members working to build two CubeSats for low Earth orbit. This mission is of great interest to the Air Force and the satellite community as a whole because of its on-board processing capabilities. This technology will allow for the current mission, as well as future missions, to process large amounts of data on board the spacecraft before sending a finished product back to Earth. "This is without a doubt one of the coolest projects happening on the UGA campus," said Alan Dorsey, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. |
| Vanderbilt writes big checks to help Nashville's transit referendum push | |
 | Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have contributed a combined $200,000 to a newly registered nonprofit formed to help Mayor Megan Barry's transit referendum proposal. Vanderbilt and its hospital affiliate on Monday announced its support for Barry's mass transit proposal in a news release that said both would be donating $100,000 to a new 501(c)(4) called Creating a More Mobile Community, which is launching an education campaign on expanding transit options. Barry is seeking Metro Council approval to add a referendum to the May 1 ballot on raising four taxes to pay for a $5.4 billion plan that would include light rail and bus improvements. "We must match our collective ambitions for the future of Nashville with investments in our future prosperity," Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos said in a statement. "A more connected Nashville through expanded transit benefits us all." |
| Professor group pans U. of Missouri programs study | |
 | The task force that recommended closing 27 graduate programs and consolidating others at the University of Missouri used information from a flawed source that has been criticized elsewhere as unreliable and inadequate, members of the MU chapter of the American Association of University Professors said in a statement issued Sunday. The statement, signed by chapter President Victoria Johnson, an associate professor of sociology, and five other faculty members focuses on the data from Academic Analytics, a North Carolina-based company that compiles data on faculty productivity. Reaction to the report has been slow to develop. The chapter's statement is the first by an organized group on campus. Requests for comments sent to deans with targeted programs did not draw a response on Monday. |
| Increasing enrollment projections encourage U. of Missouri officials | |
 | University of Missouri enrollment applications for the fall reflect a strong interest from potential and returning students, campus spokeswoman Liz McCune said Monday. Although specific numbers haven't been released, McCune said MU officials are encouraged by the number of applicants so far. Details will be discussed during a meeting later this week of the UM System Board of Curators. McCune said Gary Ward, interim vice chancellor of student affairs, hopes MU will have enough interest from students to fill the residence halls left vacant this school year. "Gary said our goal is to have the residence halls 100 percent occupied," McCune said. "All I can say is that the numbers are pointing up, not just with new students but also increasing returning and transfer students." If projections are correct and there are more students, that means the end of a new program in which empty rooms were rented out to campus visitors. |
| Higher Ed and the American Dream | |
 | From debates about immigration and the proposed border wall to concerns about stagnant wages and decreased social mobility, the American dream is getting a conceptual workout lately. Just where and how higher education fits into those conversations was also a hot topic last week at the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Much of that was by design: AAC&U's program theme explicitly asked attendees, "Can Higher Education Recapture the Elusive American Dream?" But it proved an especially timely question that was on panelists' minds anyway. There was little consensus among presenters as to the precise definition of the American dream, or whether it's still valid -- if indeed it ever was. But there was widespread agreement that college does play an important role in one's likelihood of achieving such a dream. |
| International Grad Students' Interest in American Higher Ed Marks First Decline in 14 Years | |
 | For the first time in more than a decade, applications and enrollments by international graduate students at American colleges and universities declined in 2016-17, a new study has found. The study, conducted by the Council of Graduate Schools, suggests a continued softening of interest in American institutions among foreign grad students, an ebbing that was noted a year ago. First-time enrollment rates for international graduate students declined by 1 percent from the fall-2016 to the fall-2017 admission cycles. In addition, final application counts from international graduate students declined by 3 percent. Though the overall percentages are small, the wide range of countries reporting drops suggests that the United States may be becoming less appealing. |
| New U.S. data show lower student borrowing after surge in Pell spending | |
| The standard narrative around the student loan "crisis" holds that college has become unaffordable for most students without accumulating massive amounts of debt, and that the problem has gotten worse in recent years. But new federal data released today show that the overall rate of student borrowing was lower in the 2015-16 academic year than it was four years prior -- the last time such a comprehensive study was released -- even as the average federal loan amount rose slightly among those who borrowed. According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, a quadrennial survey of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in college in a given year, 38 percent of undergraduates took out student loans in 2015-16, down from 42 percent in 2011-12. And the proportion of students borrowing was lower for almost every institution type -- community colleges, four-year public institutions, private colleges and for-profit colleges. |
| Information technology can help farmers cut costs, boost harvests | |
| U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, writes: "Our farmers know that a good harvest is a blessing. They also know that a season's worth of crop yields can turn on a dime because of unexpected weather, insects or disease. They understand the value of our rich agricultural resources and the importance of using these resources wisely. Over the years, important advancements in agriculture have sought to help our farmers produce fruitful harvests and protect their crops. Tractors, backhoes, plows, seeders and combines are familiar sights on the modern-day farm. However, with the rise of precision agriculture, often called 'smart farming,. the machinery assisting farmers has gotten much more high-tech." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State women remain No. 2 in AP Poll | |
 | A 22-0 start, the best in school history, has kept the Mississippi State women's basketball team at No. 2 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 Poll. he Bulldogs earned the ranking a week ago after knocking off Tennessee in Knoxville, and they maintained it with a 90-53 home win against Florida and a 69-49 road victory at Ole Miss. In addition to claiming a school record at 22-0, Vic Schaefer's squad also jumped out to its best SEC start ever at 8-0. Fans can discuss the record-setting start with the Bulldogs' head coach on Tuesday during another edition of DawgTalk with Vic Schaefer. The show will air live from 7-8 p.m. at The Veranda. Fans unable to attend are encouraged to tweet questions to MSU's official Twitter account, @HailStateWBK. |
| No. 2 Mississippi State controls destiny as it hits home stretch of schedule | |
 | The Dispatch's Adam Minichino writes: "There are going to be a lot of numbers thrown around in the next two months as the regular season winds down and teams prepare for conference tournaments and the Big Dance. At 22-0 and 8-0 in the Southeastern Conference, the No. 2 Mississippi State women's basketball team controls its destiny. With a two-game lead against everyone in the SEC except Georgia, MSU has positioned itself to win its first regular-season SEC title. Nationally, MSU and Connecticut are the only remaining undefeated teams in Division I women's basketball. As a result, MSU is in prime position to earn one of four overall No. 1 seeds for the NCAA tournament. A top-four seed would ensure the Bulldogs would play at home in the first two rounds of the 64-team tournament. MSU likely will face its biggest challenges to its streaks and its seedings in the next seven days." |
| Diamond Dawgs to make nine national television appearances in 2018 | |
| Following a 2017 season that exceeded national expectations, Mississippi State will have nine of its games nationally televised in 2018, the Southeastern Conference office announced Monday. Along with nine nationally-televised contests, 30 additional games will be available for live viewing on SEC Network+, available through Watch ESPN and the Watch ESPN app. Along with 39 of MSU's 56 regular-season games being available for live viewing, all 23 home games for the Diamond Dawgs will air live. State will open the 2018 season with 12-straight road contests, beginning with a three-game series against Southern Miss (Feb. 16-18) on the very field where MSU ended USM's 2017 season in the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional. |
| Mississippi State's Konnor Pilkington receives fourth preseason All-America honor | |
| After spending the summer playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, Mississippi State junior pitcher has collected four Preseason All-America honors heading into the 2018 season, the latest being second-team recognition from Baseball America on Monday. Ranked the No. 12 overall prospect for the 2018 MLB Draft, Pilkington is coming off a sophomore season in which he posted a 3.08 ERA and an 8-5 record in a team-high 17 starts and 108.0 innings pitched. This summer, the Hurley, Miss. native pitched for the USA Collegiate National Team, where he collected a 2.65 ERA and held opponents to a .183 batting average in five appearances. As a team, MSU has combined for seven total Preseason All-America honors. |
| Former Bulldog DT Fletcher Cox ready to disrupt Patriots | |
| Fletcher Cox is playing in the first Super Bowl he's seeing. "I don't watch sports," said Cox, the former Mississippi State standout. The three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle is a big reason why the Philadelphia Eagles are facing the New England Patriots on Sunday in Minneapolis for a chance to bring home the franchise's first Vince Lombardi Trophy. But if the 27-year-old Cox spends the night getting in Tom Brady's face and helps the Eagles win their first NFL title since 1960, he may want to watch the highlights sometime. But first, all that matters is winning. |
| Ole Miss athletics generate $117.8 million in 2017; football nets $27.3-million profit | |
| Ole Miss' athletic programs turned in a profit of nearly $9 million in 2017 -- a slight drop from the previous year. Ole Miss athletics brought in $117,834,511 and had $108,885,512 in expenses to net a profit of $8,948,999, according to the school's member financial report filed with the NCAA for the 2017 fiscal year. It's a dip from the profit of $13,419,662 the school reported for the 2016 fiscal year. But football once again thrived as the department's primary revenue stream despite the cloud of the NCAA's long-running investigation hovering over the program until a final ruling was issued in December. It remains to be seen how contributions for the 2018 fiscal year will be affected by the new GOP tax bill, which eliminated the 80-percent deduction donors used to get on their federal taxes for contributions made toward priority seating at athletic events. |
| Will Lowrey named Blue Mountain College athletics director | |
| Tupelo Christian Prep baseball coach Will Lowrey will be the new athletics director at Blue Mountain College. Lowrey emailed a video message to TCPS parents announcing the move on Monday, which the school has yet to confirm. A formal announcement could come as early as today. Lowrey, 42, is entering his eighth season as TCPS coach. He said he will coach this season and stay through the end of the school year. Lowrey replaces Will Kollmeyer, who left after 10 months on the job to become director of marketing and community relations at Northeast Mississippi Community College. Harvey Childers, a high school and junior college coaching legend in Mississippi, has served as interim AD since August. |
| U. of Tennessee athletic department operated at $10.8M surplus in 2016-17 | |
 | Tennessee operated at a $10.8 million surplus during the 2016-17 fiscal year that ended June 30, according to UT's annual revenue and expense report submitted to the NCAA and obtained via an open-records request. Tennessee allocated $5 million of the $10.8 million surplus to the funding plan for the Neyland Stadium renovation project, athletic department spokesman Tom Satkowiak wrote in an email to USA TODAY Network-Tennessee. The remaining $5.8 million was used to fund ongoing facilities projects, such as the Haslam Field expansion, new stadium scoreboards for soccer, baseball and softball and exterior painting for Neyland Stadium. Outside of ticket sales and contributions, the biggest chunk of revenue came from media rights, which supplied the athletic department $32.1 million in revenue for the 2016-17 fiscal year. |
| Auburn warns fans about counterfeit men's basketball tickets for remaining home games | |
 | Because of strong demand resulting in sellouts, the Auburn Athletics Ticket Office is reminding fans to use caution regarding the possibility of counterfeit tickets for upcoming men's basketball games against LSU, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Alabama and South Carolina. The only authorized outlets to sell tickets are the Auburn Ticket Office, opposing school ticket offices, ReplyBuy and Stub Hub. Purchasing tickets from other sources is done at the buyers' risk. A ticket's authenticity is in the bar code. If a ticket is purchased from another source the bar code may have been duplicated and the first to enter the arena will be the valid ticket. Officials from EOG, located at each entrance, are instructed to not allow counterfeit tickets to enter the arena. If a counterfeit ticket is discovered, the ticket holder will be escorted out of the arena. |
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