| Wednesday, February 28, 2018 |
| Journalist Lisa Ling speaks at MSU about her reporting experiences at home, abroad | |
 | When Lisa Ling stepped off an airplane in Afghanistan for the first time in 1997, the 21-year-old American journalist reporting for Channel One News was greeted by a throng of boys who appeared half her age, all of them holding guns bigger than they were. The boys didn't know how old they were, Ling's guide told her -- but they knew how to operate a bazooka. "It became so clear to me that day after day after day, hour after hour, those boys would just sit there and wait for the opportunity to fire off those weapons," Ling said. "It was a scene that continued to be etched in my mind, particularly as I came back to the United States and I tried to engage my friends and my colleagues about what I'd just seen in Afghanistan, and no one had any clue that this scene existed in the world." It was with this image that Ling opened her talk to a full Bettersworth Auditorium in Mississippi State University's Lee Hall Monday night. |
| Graduate School Fair at MSU-Meridian | |
 | Photo: Alejandro Ozornio, stationed at Naval Air Station Meridian, stopped by the Graduate School Fair Tuesday evening at MSU-Meridian to learn more about the graduate degree programs offered at the local university. Ozornio is pictured speaking with Lynda Gist, (center) financial aid and veterans affairs office associate and Natasha Randle, associate professor of management and director of the Professional MBA program at MSU-Meridian. |
| Anti-abortion groups protest doctor's speech | |
 | Several anti-abortion groups are objecting to Mississippi State University bringing in a nationally known Christian physician who practices at the state's lone abortion clinic, saying they are not afforded the same opportunities. Dr. Willie Parker will be speaking Thursday at Mississippi State University on the Christian case for choice. The event is sponsored by the MSU Gender Studies Program. Sid Salter, chief communications officer for MSU, said Tuesday that anti-abortion groups have "led numerous meetings, events and initiatives on the MSU campus over the past couple of years." Salter said he believed students on campus have been exposed to both sides of the message when it comes to the debate surrounding abortion and choice. |
| LINK courting 3 companies for distribution center in Starkville | |
| Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said the LINK is "all in" on completing Starkville's and Oktibbeha County's new industrial park during a Monday update for the Starkville Rotary Club. Perhaps the most notable update on the site's progress came after the Rotary meeting concluded, when Higgins confirmed to The Dispatch that the LINK is courting three companies to an 80-acre parcel on the east side of the industrial park. That parcel, he said, is already zoned C-2 (commercial), which allows for things like distribution centers and makes it marketable while the rest of the nearly 400-acre site awaits a court decision on rezoning. |
| 'Hire Mississippi' aims at more in-state companies landing public utility contracts | |
| Mississippi businesses can have an easier time landing contracts with for-profit utility companies beginning Thursday. Hire Mississippi, a new rule with the state Public Service Commission, begins March 1 as an effort to encourage more Mississippi-based companies to land contracts with public utility companies. It requires for-profit utilities to notify registered Mississippi-based companies of opportunities to bid on contracts to provide an explanation when a Mississippi-owned company isn't selected for a project. "Our aim is to bring transparency to the bidding process, notification of opportunities for work, and explanation from the companies if they select out-of-state contractors," said PSC Chairman Brandon Presley, who introduced the rule to the three-member commission in mid-2017. "As a regulatory body, if Mississippi companies are not chosen, we want to know why not," Presley said. |
| Bill would allow schools to arm staff, bans guns at sporting events | |
 | Mississippi schools will be able to arm teachers who have special training, but universities and secondary schools will be able to ban all guns at sporting events under legislation that passed the Senate Judiciary A Committee on Tuesday. In wake of last week's Florida school shooting that killed 17, the Senate Judiciary A Committee amended a controversial House bill to allow districts at their discretion to arm teachers and other staff. The original intent of the bill, as it passed the House, was to give people with enhanced carry permits the right to pursue legal actions against public officials who tried to keep them from carrying a firearm on property under the public official's supervision. Universities and other groups, such as the Southeastern Conference, expressed concern with the legislation. The Senate Judiciary A Committee changed the legislation to alleviate some of the concerns of the universities and high schools, in regards to sporting events, but added the language to arm school staff. |
| Senate bill allows schools to arm teachers; teachers group condemns measure | |
 | A Senate committee passed a bill on Tuesday that would allow teachers and other public school employees to carry firearms on K-12 campuses. Senators passed the bill on a 7-4 vote, called the Mississippi School Safety Act, days after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., where an active shooter killed 17 people. "This is another tool in the toolbox to help ensure our children, teachers, and staff members are safe," said Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, chairman of the Judiciary A committee that passed the proposal. The proposal was substituted in place of an earlier House bill that would provide avenues for residents with concealed carry permits to sue entities that refuse to allow them to carry weapons, such as to sporting events. After backlash from the Southeastern Conference and university presidents in the state, the Senate on Tuesday removed that provision. |
| Sen. Briggs Hopson's measure would allow teachers to be armed | |
| State Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, said a proposal to arm teachers in schools to prevent future school shootings is just one more option for schools to improve the safety of students, staff and faculty. Arming teachers has been supported by President Donald Trump, Gov. Phil Bryant and the National Rifle Association, and similar proposals have recently been presented in Florida and Alabama. He said the decision by school administrations whether to arm teachers "is discretionary; not mandatory." "Our local schools use school resource officers, and they have been able to utilize and afford those. But some school districts may not have those, and they may want to try something different." He said the bill "puts another tool in their (the school boards) toolbox," if the boards wish to use it, and allows them to designate one or more individuals who would have intensive training on school situations. |
| Mississippi educators react to move to arm teachers and professors | |
 | Kelsey Fiveash, 25, is finishing up her student teaching at Longleaf Elementary. The William Carey University School of Education student says she definitely feels safe at school. Even so, she hasn't formed a definite opinion about whether teachers should carry guns. "I haven't had the opportunity to research thoroughly and be able to form a set opinion," she said. "At this point, it's kind of hard to say whether it would be good or bad." But Fiveash has been following the news and heard the state Senate judiciary committee voted Tuesday to amend a House bill to allow some teachers and professors with advanced training and permits to carry guns at schools and colleges. Ben Burnett, dean of Carey's School of Education, is opposed to arming teachers. He said teachers have a lot of responsibilities and don't need anything extra piled on. |
| New school funding formula passes Senate Education Committee | |
| Legislation to replace the Mississippi Adequate Education Program with a proposal that would call for less state funding for local school districts passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. The legislation, which passed out of committee via voice vote on a deadline day, now goes to the full Senate for consideration. It faces a March 7 deadline to be voted on in the Senate. The proposal passed the House earlier this session in a slightly different form. The bill, dubbed the Mississippi Uniform Per Student Funding Formula Act, would provide $108 million more for local school districts when fully enacted in eight years than was provided this year by the Legislature under the Adequate Eduction Program. But the 2017 Legislature underfunded the Adequate Education Program $213 million for the current school year. |
| 15-week abortion ban passes Senate committee | |
| Mississippi is one step closer to having the most restrictive abortion policy in the country. On Tuesday, the Senate Public Health Committee passed a bill that would ban abortions in the state after a woman's 15th week of pregnancy. Current Mississippi law restricts abortion after 20 weeks gestation. This bill essentially moves that timeline up by five weeks, according to Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, who presented the bill to the committee. "The United States Supreme Court ...has indicated that the state has a couple of interests when it comes to regulating abortion," Fillingane said to Mississippi Today after the bill passed. "One is protecting the health and life of the mother. Another is protecting the potentiality of human life." |
| Senate committee agrees BP money should be sent to Coast | |
 | The Senate Appropriations Committee repeated its message that BP settlement dollars should be held in a separate account for coastal projects Tuesday. The committee amended House Bill 1185, placing the Senate's plan in the bill. Eleven districts throughout the state will receive funds from the $700 million BP oil settlement, which will be sent to Mississippi over the next several years. That's according to new legislation that was passed late Wednesday by the state House of Representatives. "The vast majority of the damage occurred on the Coast, and I believe those counties should receive the vast majority of the funds," Lt. Gov. Reeves said. "By separating these funds from general tax dollars, we can focus their use on projects that encourage long-term economic growth in South Mississippi, which benefits our entire state." |
| Congressman Harper elected to serve as Chairman of Stennis Center for Public Service Board | |
 | The Stennis Center for Public Service Board of Trustees held their annual meeting on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., where they elected U.S. Congressman Gregg Harper to serve as the new chairman of the board. Among other goals, the Stennis Center seeks to attract young people to careers in public service, to provide training for leaders in or likely to be in public service, and to offer development opportunities for senior Congressional staff. Rex Buffington, Executive Director of the Stennis Center said, "The Stennis Center is proud to have Rep. Harper as its new chairman. Mr. Harper represents the very best in public service, which is the core mission of the Center. We are grateful for his leadership as the Center prepares to mark its 30th anniversary this year, and we look ahead to training today's leaders for tomorrow's challenges with Mr. Harper at the helm." |
| Trump endorses Wicker's reelection bid ahead of primary challenge | |
 | President Trump endorsed Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker for reelection on Tuesday, just one day before Wicker's likely primary opponent is expected to announce his bid. Trump tweeted his support for Wicker on Tuesday evening, lauding his work in the Senate. "[Wicker] of Mississippi has been a great supporter and incredible help in getting our massive Tax Cut Bill done and approved. Also big help on cutting regs. I am with him in his re-election all the way!" Trump wrote. The move comes the day before Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel's rally in Mississippi, where he's expected to announce a challenge to Wicker. Trump's endorsement of Wicker complicates a possible outsider bid by McDaniel. |
| Trump tweets endorsement of Wicker day before McDaniel announcement | |
| With state Sen. Chris McDaniel expected to announce a challenge of incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker on Wednesday, President Trump tweeted an endorsement of Wicker late Tuesday afternoon. "(Wicker) has been a great supporter and incredible help in getting our massive Tax Cut Bill done and approved. Also big help on cutting regs. I am with him in his re-election all the way!" Trump said in his tweet. Trump had previously voiced support for Wicker, but not given a formal -- or perhaps in this case semi-formal -- endorsement. Both Wicker and McDaniel support Trump, and are expected to battle for conservative Trump-supporting voters in one of the reddest states in the nation. |
| Trump endorses Wicker, snubs supporter Chris McDaniel | |
| President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker for re-election in a tweet Tuesday, hours ahead of state Sen. Chris McDaniel's expected announcement that he will challenge Wicker in the GOP primary. "Senator Wicker of Mississippi has been a great supporter and incredible help in getting our massive Tax Cut Bill done and approved. Also big help on cutting regs. I am with him in his re-election all the way!" Trump tweeted. Trump wasted little time getting ahead of McDaniel's expected announcement. In some ways the move mirrors Alabama's special Senate election last year, when Trump endorsed Republican establishment incumbent Sen. Luther Strange. Strange later lost the GOP nomination to anti-establishment candidate Roy Moore, who was publicly backed by McDaniel. But Moore lost the seat to Democrat Doug Jones in the end. |
| Ole Miss student holds march for Florida shooting victims | |
| Despite the rain, dozens of Ole Miss students gathered to remember the 17 lives lost in the Parkland, Florida school shooting. They marched through campus standing in solidarity with the survivors. Tuesday's march was filmed and a copy will be sent to the principal at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Thousands of miles apart, the march though campus symbolized the light in this time of darkness in Parkland, Florida. "After Columbine, Sandy Hook, after so many other major mass shooting happened, shootings that happen in America, no one has taken a stand like the Marjory Stoneman Douglas students," Alexa Johnson said. Next month, Johnson will join thousands of other students in the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. |
| Author Wil Haygood speaks at USM lecture series | |
 | A New York Times bestselling author spoke at the University of Southern Mississippi Tuesday night. Wil Haygood participated in the Armstrong-Branch Distinguished Lecture Series at Bennett Auditorium. Haygood authored a biography of the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and wrote the book, "The Butler: A Witness to History," which inspired the Hollywood movie, "The Butler." "To write and have it turned into a movie with seven Oscar winners, I still have to pinch myself that it even happened," said Haygood. "It's really been an amazing past five years to me as a biographer and as a journalist." Haygood also spoke to a small group of students at the University Union Tuesday afternoon. |
| $50,000 makes a difference in the life of a first generation college student | |
 | The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is awarding four $50,000 scholarships to high performing first-generation students at historically black colleges. Ronnell Brewer is one of this year's recipients. As the first in his family to go to college, he hopes his journey at Tougaloo will inspire his younger sister to pursue higher education as well. "I'm just trying to be a positive role model to her so she will know that someone like her brother went to college and so she will have an easy pathway and know what to do. If she ever needs help she come back and look at me," said Brewer. Fifty percent of the nation's college population is comprised of students whose parents never went beyond high school. The think tank, New America, says the number at historically black schools is even higher. President Beverly Wade Hogan says HBCU's are very important because they help a lot of people get to college that otherwise wouldn't. |
| One injured in shooting incident on Mississippi Valley State campus | |
 | Mississippi Valley State University officials say one person, who is not a student, suffered a gunshot wound just before 7 p.m. Tuesday night in the Charles Lackey Recreation Center on the MVSU Campus. Early reports indicate there was a disagreement between a small group and at some point, one of them fired a weapon. Officials say they've been told the injuries were not life-threatening, but the shooter has not been captured. University officials say they are continuing to investigate the isolated incident and the safety of the campus and the students remains their number one priority. University Police are urging the campus community to use caution and be aware of their surroundings. |
| U. of Alabama, Rondini family reach settlement | |
 | The University of Alabama will create a scholarship in Megan Rondini's name and has agreed to provide money to a new center that will treat victims of sexual assault. The measures were part of a settlement reached between UA and Rondini's parents, who filed a lawsuit against the university and others after the former student committed suicide. Megan Rondini reported to police that she was raped by T.J. Bunn Jr. in 2015, but the investigation ended when a grand jury failed to indict him. Bunn has denied the allegation. Rondini's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Bunn, Sheriff Ron Abernathy and the law enforcement officers who investigated the case, and accused the university and its president of constitutional violations involving the handling of their daughter's case. |
| Jesse Jackson to speak at U. of Alabama Wednesday night | |
| The Rev. Jesse Jackson will speak at a free event Wednesday night on the University of Alabama campus. Jackson, a longtime civil rights leader who ran for president in 1984 and 1988, will discuss "New South, New Challenges" at 7:30 p.m. in the ballroom at the Ferguson Student Center, 751 Campus Drive W. Jackson's speech is open to students, faculty, staff and the community. The event is sponsored by the Black Student Union, University Programs and UA's Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Late last year, Jackson disclosed that he has Parkinson's disease, a chronic neurological disorder that causes movement difficulties. "My time is used more strategically," the 76-year-old told AP. "I'm traveling a little less and focusing more." |
| Andrew Card, who broke 9/11 news to President Bush, to speak at Auburn University | |
 | Andrew Card has referred to the moment as the one that crystalized for his boss "the great burden of being president." Shortly after 9:10 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, Card approached President George W. Bush as he participated in a reading program for second-grade students at a school in Sarasota, Fla. Card leaned in close and whispered into the president's ear: "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack." Card, who served as White House chief of staff from 2001 to 2006, will discuss leadership during an open campus lecture hosted by the Harbert College of Business next Wednesday afternoon, March 7. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the Foy Hall auditorium. "We are pleased to introduce Mr. Card with Auburn University students, faculty, staff and members of the campus community," said Harbert College Interim Dean Joe Hanna. |
| LSU president accepts Greek Life plan to curb hazing, binge drinking | |
 | LSU President F. King Alexander on Wednesday gave the green light to a series of changes put forth by a task force meant to revamp the university's fraternities and sororities -- and further added to the list by vowing to expel and remove students and student organizations that engage in hazing. In a letter to the LSU community, Alexander said he commended the efforts of the task force, which met for about five months to discuss policy changes. He also added three more recommendations to the plan "to support and enhance the university's efforts to holistically -- and positively -- impact the safety of Greek Life on campus." Alexander has previously said he hoped the recommendations could help make LSU a leader in the new era of eliminating hazing and rooting out dangerous Greek life behaviors. |
| UGA student learns agriculture policymaking as legislative intern | |
 | It's 11 a.m. on Thursday, during the Georgia General Assembly's spring session, and people from all over the state start to the fill the wide hallways of the Georgia Capitol in downtown Atlanta. It's noisy, and it's noticeably warmer inside than the weather outside on this brisk February morning. "This happens every day about this time," said Madison Hickey, a senior studying agricultural communication at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The crowded hallways of the Capitol are a far cry from the small town of Toccoa, Georgia, where Hickey grew up, or even the quiet calm of South Campus at UGA, but it suits her. Hickey is a legislative intern with the state Senate Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs as part of CAES's Georgia Legislative Internship. |
| Texas A&M partners with bike-share company for no-commitment transportation option | |
 | Members of the Texas A&M community have a new option for getting around campus with the launch of a partnership with dockless bike share company ofo. Ron Steedly, alternative transportation manager with Texas A&M Transportation Services, said the program, which launched with 500 yellow bikes Tuesday morning, is expected to expand to 4,000 bikes ready for use on campus by fall. Steedly said he believes the new service will provide students, faculty and staff with greater "mobility freedom" as they travel around the campus each day. "With bike share, you're allowing yourself to choose bicycling as a method to get from A to B at any given time without the responsibility of using your own bike, having to take care of it or remember where you [left] it," he said. "It's strictly a one-trip commitment." |
| U. of Missouri seeks expansion of research, humanities | |
 | University of Missouri leaders have worried for several years about MU's position in the American Association of Universities and on Tuesday Chancellor Alexander Cartwright set a goal of climbing out of the bottom of the association's rankings for research spending. The association consists of 28 private and 32 public research universities and MU's total research spending of $250 million annually is in the bottom quarter of public members. In a speech to a crowded auditorium in the Bond Life Sciences Center, Cartwright said it would take $102 million to move up to the next quartile and his goal is to double the funding available. The speech was an overview of actions Cartwright intends to take over the next three to five years to expand research and promote humanities on campus. One method will be to replicate programs such as the National Swine Resource and Research Center, which will create opportunities for larger grants, he said. |
| Parental involvement drastically changes students' college experience, study shows | |
 | A new report on parental involvement and wealth shaping a college student's experience presents the following striking scenario: one student is accepted into a prestigious dental program, steered by her family, who also carefully shape her undergraduate path. Another, much poorer student, announces her intention to be a dentist, but without the same level of expertise and service from her parents ends up in $11-an-hour dental assistant job, which doesn't even require a bachelor's degree. Research published recently in Sociology of Education tracks a contingent of female students from 41 families in their years at an unnamed flagship public institution in the Midwest. The authors of the study show how parents' affluence can significantly boost their children's college and employment prospects. But it also demonstrates that the working class rely on resources -- programs for low-income students, advisers, tutors -- touted by institutions that may not be accessible or affordable. |
| Faculty, students and alumni object to moving UT Austin's fine arts collection off-site | |
| Real estate on the University of Texas at Austin campus is scarce -- so scarce that the College of Fine Arts and the University of Texas Libraries have already moved tens of thousands of books, journals, music scores, CDs and other works from Austin's Fine Arts Library off-site with little input from the faculty. That, along with a proposal to keep culling and moving the collection, has many professors up in arms. "The declared aim is to move libraries into the 21st century, and nobody's opposing that here," said Thomas G. Palaima, Robert M. Armstrong Centennial Professor in Classics and director for Austin's program in Aegean scripts and prehistory. "But don't move it into the 21st century by destroying a resource that's been built up over decades and decades." |
| Intriguing confluence of federal, state tax cuts meet court review in Wayfair case | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "How 2017 federal and 2016 state tax cuts impact Mississippians and the abilities of state and local governments to provide services based on the revenues available from future tax collections under those cuts are questions not yet fully answered. But to make matters even more interesting, the long term impact of those federal and state tax cuts may well be significantly impacted by the outcome of a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court review of a 26-year-old ruling that the National Conference of State Legislatures predicts could have an over $26 billion impact nationally on state and local tax revenues. How does that translate into Mississippi sales or use tax revenues at a time when traditional sales tax collections have shifted from reliable annual growth to a near flat-lining of revenues?" |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs travel to McNeese State tonight | |
| No. 21 Mississippi State will suit up for its fifth road game in six days tonight at McNeese State at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs (3-4) saw Monday's contest at Texas Rio Grande Valley was canceled due to fog with Mississippi State up 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth. The Diamond Dogs will send junior right-hander Jared Liebelt (0-0, 30.38 ERA) to the mound tonight to make his first start while McNeese State counters with senior righty Tyler Wesley (0-1, 12.27). The Cowboys (1-6) lost a series at Texas State over the weekend but won a 1-0 no-hitter on Sunday. |
| Five Bulldogs bring in SEC awards | |
| Mississippi State reaped more rewards from its Southeastern Conference championship season on Tuesday. Vic Schaefer was selected as the SEC Coach of the year by both the Associated Press and the league's coaches. Schaefer also earned that distinction during the 2014-15 season. Senior guard Victoria Vivians and junior center Teaira McCowan were each added as first team All-SEC selections by the coaches and were unanimously picked by the AP. McCowan was additionally named Co-Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Defensive Team. Senior guard Blair Schaefer was selected Scholar Athlete of the Year and also to the All-Defensive Team. Senior guard Morgan William was a second team All-SEC pick by the coaches. |
| Three Mississippi State women's players finalists for Gillom Trophy | |
| The Mississippi State women's basketball team made more history Monday. After completing the first undefeated regular season by a Southeastern Conference team since 1998, MSU's Victoria Vivians, Teaira McCowan, and Blair Schaefer claimed all three finalist spots for the Gillom Trophy, which goes to the best women's college basketball player in the state. It is the first time one school has had three of its players named finalists for the award. MSU's Quinndary and Nick Weatherspoon were named finalists for the Howell Trophy, which is given to the best men's college basketball player in the state. In addition to Vivians being named a finalists, the senior from Carthage was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Player of the Year Trophy. Vivians and South Carolina's A'ja Wilson are the only representatives from the SEC. |
| No. 16 Tennessee uses big second half to beat Mississippi State | |
 | Tennessee stayed in the hunt for a Southeastern Conference title thanks to a stellar second-half performance on the road. Admiral Schofield had 24 points, Lamonte Turner added 12 and the 16th-ranked Volunteers pulled away for a 76-54 victory over Mississippi State on Tuesday night. Schofield also had seven rebounds and shot 9 of 18 from the field for the Volunteers (22-7, 12-5 SEC), who made 13 of their final 15 field goal attempts. Quinndary Weatherspoon led Mississippi State (21-9, 9-8) with 17 points. Nick Weatherspoon had 11 points and Aric Holman finished with 10 for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State finishes regular-season action on Saturday when it visits LSU. |
| How Mississippi State's loss to Tennessee impacts tournament chances | |
| When Tennessee's Jordan Bone banked a jumper just before the shot clock expired with 9:13 left in the game, the only noise heard inside a packed Humphrey Coliseum came from the roaring voices on the Volunteers' bench. Bone's bucket gave Tennessee a 17-point lead at that point. Mississippi State's chances of making the NCAA Tournament are all but gone. The Bulldogs (21-9, 9-8 SEC) were among the first four out in ESPN's latest projected bracket. On Wednesday morning they dropped to the next four out. "We had an opportunity to beat a really good team at home and not only did it not happen," Ben Howland said, "they beat us handily." All hope is not completely lost for the Bulldogs because there's a small shot they can still get in. It will be difficult, though. |
| Mark Hudspeth jumped at chance to come home | |
| Mark Hudspeth's roots run deep within Mississippi. The Louisville native played his college ball at Delta State and was later the offensive coordinator there. He also coached two seasons at Winston Academy and was wide receivers coach at Mississippi State under Dan Mullen from 2009-10. So when the opportunity arose to return to the Magnolia State as tight ends coach and associate head coach at MSU this offseason, Hudsepth jumped at it. "I've got so many friends and family in this state so anytime you have a chance to come home and coach at a place that you love -- you don't get many chances to do that at this level -- so that's been pretty neat," Hudspeth said. |
| Ole Miss' Ross Bjork: We have been engaged with coaches directly | |
| Ross Bjork went more than five years as Ole Miss' athletic director without having to make a coaching hire in football or men's basketball. He checked football off his list with the hire of Matt Luke in November. Andy Kennedy announced his decision to step down from his post about two weeks ago, which means men's basketball is next on Bjork's plate. On Tuesday morning, Bjork sat down with the Clarion Ledger and discussed Kennedy's departure, the status of the men's basketball coaching search, program expectations and more in a Q&A. |
| Could college football have recruiting scandal? Muschamp says there's 'huge difference' | |
 | With college basketball embroiled in a coast-to-coast scandal, plenty of people have wondered if college football could be next. However, there's a big difference between the two sports when it comes to recruiting, South Carolina head football coach Will Muschamp said Tuesday. "Our apparel companies aren't targeting our guys at this point that I know of in high school," Muschamp said. "That's where I think it becomes much different between the two sports to my knowledge. I think that's a huge difference." The college basketball scandal centers around shoe companies and agents providing impermissible benefits to high school basketball players in an attempt to either steer them to a particular school or secure their signature at the time they turn pro, or both. The risk versus reward of doing the same thing in college football is lower, and that might factor in keeping similar corruption lower in college football. |
| Congress investigating NCAA recruitment scandal | |
 | The NCAA men's basketball tournament begins in two weeks, just as a congressional investigation into recruiting practices at some of the most successful, best-known programs in the country is tipping off, too. Talk about March Madness. "As we look at the NCAA overall, there are obviously serious issues here," said Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman. "You've got the issue with abuse and now you've got this issue." Walden's committee had already begun an investigation of the NCAA as part of a larger look at sexual abuse, triggered by the conviction of Dr. Larry Nassar for sexually abusing hundreds of young gymnasts. Nassar worked at Michigan State University and for USA Gymnastics. |
| Obama: NCAA's basketball farm system 'not a sustainable way of doing business' | |
 | Former president Barack Obama added his voice to the chorus calling for fundamental change to college basketball's order, saying the current NCAA-administered system is "not a sustainable way of doing business." The sport needs "to create a well-structured [developmental league], so that the NCAA is not serving as a farm system for the NBA, with a bunch of kids who are unpaid but are under enormous financial pressure," Obama said during an appearance at last week's MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston. Obama's off-the-record session at the annual event became public when Reason published audio of his remarks. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
