| Friday, December 6, 2019 |
| Mississippi State president encourages Coast seniors to choose higher education | |
 | Challenging today's high school seniors with educational opportunities. That's what Mississippi State President Dr. Mark Keenum hoped to do Thursday when he visited seniors at Gulfport High. Keenum urged students to consider higher education as their next step in their journey to become part of the state's future workforce. He told the group that STEM-related fields are important, since more than half of the jobs that will be open in 2030 haven't even been created yet. He says much like the Bulldog athletic coaches recruit athletes, he does the same thing with trips like this one. "I invite all high school students I visit with to come and see Mississippi State University and come see our campus and learn more about our programs and hope that it may be a good fit for them to get their education," Keenum said. "We want to be focused on young people of tomorrow on our campus at MSU. I use these opportunities to inspire them to go and get an education, but to come and possibly be a student at Mississippi State." |
| Mississippi State University President visits Gulfport High School | |
 | Local high school students received a big visit from one of the state's top educators today to talk about the benefits of higher education. Dr. Mark Keenum was born in Starkville, graduated from Mississippi State University and has been president of MSU for ten years. The top Bulldog visited the Admirals to talk about the virtues of college education and planning for the future. Dr. Keenum said, "We've got to have our young people today, while they're in high school, thinking about their future, to prepare themselves for this changing world of tomorrow." Senior Janilyah Khadaran has not decided where she'll attend college, but Keenum's speech and willingness to meet with prospective students has her planning to schedule a campus tour soon. "He's really persuading. Now I want to go there because of what he said about it." |
| Archie McDonnell Jr. to address fall graduates at MSU-Meridian | |
 | The chief executive officer of Citizens National Bank is the fall graduation speaker at Mississippi State University-Meridian. Archie R. McDonnell Jr. will deliver the Dec. 12 commencement address during an 11 a.m. public ceremony at the MSU Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts. More than 100 students are candidates for fall degrees at MSU-Meridian. "Archie's commitment and dedication to our community is inspiring," said Terry Dale Cruse, associate vice president and head of campus at MSU-Meridian in a news release. "The investment Citizen's National Bank and his family have made here is exceptional for a city the size of Meridian." CNB manages the Jerry & Ruth Scott Trust, which has funded more than $70,000 in scholarships to assist working adults with completing their degree at MSU-Meridian. |
| Exhibit at Mississippi State highlights state's role in women's suffrage movement | |
 | Maddie Arbogast's visit to the women's suffrage exhibit on display at Mississippi State University was partly by accident, she said. Arbogast, a senior from Florida, had some time on her hands after a study session got canceled in November before Thanksgiving break. She was walking through the Old Main Academic Building and noticed the 11-panel display in the Louis Burns Brock, Jay Brock and Hank Brock Gallery on the building's first floor. She said she was surprised to learn how active Mississippi women were in the national fight for women's right to vote. "Votes for Women! A Centennial Celebration of the Women's Suffrage Movement in America" highlights the movement for women's voting rights, with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment coming up in August 2020. The exhibit has been up since October and will stay up for two more weeks, but it will be on display again in Mitchell Memorial Library in August, exhibit curator Jenifer Ishee said. |
| Programs for women receive funding from Women's Foundation of Mississippi | |
 | Two Northeast Mississippi programs were among nine Mississippi-based nonprofit agencies and programs to receive grants totaling $200,000 from the Women's Foundation of Mississippi. The Women's Foundation of Mississippi is a public grant making foundation. The foundation invests in programs that focus on either access to opportunity through a two-generation approach and healthy women; and healthy women and reproductive health education. Raising Mothers to Rise of the Exchange Club Family Center of Oxford received $25,000. EmpowerHER of Mississippi State University's Health Promotions and Wellness Department received $25,000. |
| Economy added booming 266,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 3.5% | |
 | Hiring picked up in November as employers added a booming 266,000 jobs, underscoring a healthy economy despite trade jitters and sluggish global growth, and easing recession fears. The gains far outpaced the 184,000 expected even after accounting for the return of striking General Motors workers. Strong job totals could help President Trump as the 2020 election draws closer. The unemployment rate fell from 3.6% to 3.5%, matching a 50-year low, the Labor Department said Friday. Also encouraging: Job gains for September and October were revised up by a total of 41,000. September's additions were raised from 180,000 to 193,000 and October's, from 128,000 156,000. The robust showing highlights that consumer spending and the service sector largely remain insulated from the manufacturing industry's troubles, which are linked to the U.S. trade war with China and a weak global economy. |
| Mississippi plantation venue owners: National wedding website boycotts won't hurt business | |
 | Mississippi is home to plenty of antebellum and plantation homes that have brought celebrants from near and far to enjoy the wedding of their dreams. But some national websites that help brides plan their special day are no longer promoting plantations or using them as vendors or advertisers on their sites. Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said people and businesses are entitled to their opinions. "I'm not going to criticize a private website or publication," he said. "But we tend to look at all history as what it is -- history. If we continue to live in the past, we'll stay in the past." Ron White, owner and operator of Grey Oaks Plantation in Vicksburg, said he doesn't expect the move will affect his business. "They've never done me a bit of good to begin with," he said. "I think it's a poor choice on their part to take a stand, especially in our region." |
| Tupelo not seeking reimbursement for Trump rally expenses | |
| As cities across the nation are asking President Donald Trump's campaign to reimburse them for expenses incurred during campaign rallies, the city of Tupelo and Lee County are opting to absorb the cost and not ask for reimbursement. On Nov. 1, the Trump campaign hosted a rally in Tupelo, where he endorsed Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for governor. The rally required extra protection from local law enforcement, which led to several Tupelo police officers working overtime. According to Kim Hanna, the city's chief financial officer, the city spent around $7,775 in overtime expenses for the rally. Even though Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton supported Reeves' opponent, Democrat Jim Hood, Shelton's administration won't ask the Trump campaign to reimburse the city. "It is incumbent on our city to protect the President of the United States," Shelton said. "That is just part of the job." |
| Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson cancels bid for fairgrounds concessions after family protested | |
| Mississippi's top agriculture official said he's cancelling the bid process for concessions sales at the state fairgrounds. The decision comes after the family-owned business that held the contract for years challenged the bid process. Now, the Mississippi State Fair Commission will no longer have a standing contract with any concessions vendor, according to a statement from Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson. Instead, the fair commission will "bring concessions in-house on an interim basis, and promoters of events at the Mississippi Fairgrounds will have the freedom to select the catering and/or concessions vendors of their choice," Gipson said. The commission might decide to have a contract later, Gipson said. Clark & Co. had been the exclusive concession company at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds for about 20 years, meaning they provide concessions to almost every event hosted at the Coliseum or fairgrounds, though not the actual Mississippi State Fair. |
| Secretary of State-elect Michael Watson to name Keith Davis as Chief of Staff | |
 | Secretary of State-elect Michael Watson announced that he will be hiring Keith Davis as his Chief of Staff. Watson was elected in November with 59% of the vote to become Mississippi's next Secretary of State. Keith Davis is currently serving as the Chief of Enforcement for the Department of Marine Resources, a position he has held since July 2014. He is a veteran law enforcement officer including service with the Gulfport Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff's Office, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, D'Iberville Police Department and as Police Chief of Moss Point from May 2011 through June 2014. Davis is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. |
| Southaven Republican challenges 14-vote loss to Democrat, asks House to overturn election | |
| State Rep. Ashley Henley, a Southaven Republican, is asking the GOP-led Mississippi House to overturn the results of the election she narrowly lost to Democrat Hester Jackson-McCray. Jackson-McCray won the Nov. 5 general election by 14 votes, according to election results certified this week by the Secretary of State's office. Henley filed the election challenge on Wednesday, according to a copy of the challenge obtained by Mississippi Today. In the petition, Henley writes that several findings of her ballot box examination show a failure "to adhere to proper election procedures to insure a fair and legitimate election" under state law. In an interview on Thursday, Henley told Mississippi Today she was challenging the election results because of what she called "voter irregularities" in House District 40, located in northern DeSoto County. |
| As millions risk losing food benefits nationwide, Mississippians to see increase in assistance | |
| While millions of Americans will be kicked off food assistance under the Trump Administration's new restrictions, Mississippians stand to see their benefits increase. Mississippians won't be forced off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new work requirement, set to take effect in April, because the state already imposed the restriction on recipients in 2016. Instead, researchers estimate another lesser known provision will increase Mississippi's food assistance allocation by $32 million or 4.9 percent, the most of any state. The federal government currently requires people between the ages of 18 and 49 to work at least 20 hours a week or participate in workforce training in order to keep receiving food stamps. But it granted waivers to states with areas of high unemployment. |
| Appropriators seek to wrap up talks this weekend | |
 | Spending bill negotiators set their sights on wrapping up a year-end deal by this weekend, but they differed on how realistic that deadline might be. With only two weeks left before current funding runs dry, appropriators are hoping to finalize work on all 12 spending bills and pass them by Dec. 20 to avoid another stopgap measure or possible government shutdown. But unless a deal comes together in the next several days, lawmakers have warned, there likely won't be enough time to write the bills and move them through both chambers before the holiday recess. "I'm more enthusiastic than I was a couple of days ago," said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. "We want final negotiations to be done this weekend." Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby of Alabama confirmed the weekend goal but appeared less confident that it could be met. |
| President Clinton Was Impeached 21 Years Ago. Some Parallels Run Deep | |
 | The impeachment process now under way against President Trump comes 21 years to the month after the last presidential impeachment, when the House approved two articles against then-President Bill Clinton. And there are many parallels in the two procedures. Some are on the surface; others deeper. There are 55 lawmakers in the House now who voted on the Clinton impeachment in 1998. The day Clinton was impeached, Dec. 19, was a dramatic one. Not only did the House vote to impeach Clinton, but the Republican who was expected to become the next House speaker, Rep. Bob Livingston of Louisiana, surprised everyone by announcing he was stepping down, after conceding he too had had extramarital affairs. Ray LaHood, a Republican congressman from Illinois who presided over the House during the Clinton impeachment votes, was as shocked as everyone else when Livingston made his announcement. "The air came out of the House," LaHood told NPR. |
| Uber discloses 3,000 reports of sexual assault on U.S. rides last year in long-awaited safety study | |
 | Uber has disclosed that 3,000 sexual assaults were reported on its U.S. rides last year, the first time it has revealed the scale of the safety problem that exists at ride-hailing companies. The reported assaults were part of Uber's long-awaited safety study, published Thursday amid widespread and ongoing criticism of its safety practices and pressure to increase its transparency about the issue. In the lengthy report, which divides sexual misconduct into 21 categories but focuses on the five most serious, Uber said it recorded 235 rapes last year and thousands more reports of assault that could involve unwanted touching, kissing or attempted rape. The reports involved drivers and passengers. The company tallied roughly 6,000 reports of those types of assault in 2017 and 2018. The report also examined other safety categories, including motor-vehicle deaths and violent crimes such as physical assaults. |
| State agency approves plan to relocate Ole Miss Confederate monument | |
| The Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History on Friday unanimously approved plans submitted by the University of Mississippi to relocate the Confederate monument that stands at the center of the Ole Miss campus. The plans were initially sent to the board in August, which detailed the university's intent to move the statue from its location in the Circle to the Confederate cemetery located near the Tad Smith Coliseum. Kane Ditto, the president of the board of trustees, told members of the board that the board's job was simply to evaluate the technical plans submitted to them and ensure those plans comply with federal and state guidelines. The board was not making the final decision to move the statue. Katie Blount, the director of the state agency, also told members of the board that she and the agency had received some "public comments" that all focused on the issue of relocating the statue, but none about the plans. The final decision now rests with the state Institutions of Higher Learning to decide if the monument can be relocated. |
| College Panhellenic at UM to consider moving recruitment week before school | |
 | College Panhellenic is considering plans to move recruitment to the week before the fall semester begins in 2020 with a decision potentially coming as early as next Friday. The Interfraternity Council is not considering moving their recruitment before classes begin. According to Arthur Doctor, director of the Office of Fraternal Leadership and Learning, the potential change is a result of "feedback we received from a number of stakeholders on campus." Formal sorority recruitment is held typically five weeks into the semester and has been since the mid-90s, according to Doctor. FLL sent a collection of dates to the 10 Panhellenic chapters to vote on, but ultimately FLL will make the decision on when recruitment will happen. Kellie Kampen, a junior Chi Omega member, said that recruitment this year was especially hectic, and a change would bring relief to both potential new members and active members. |
| Town and Tower luncheon celebrates MUW and Columbus partnership | |
 | Mississippi University for Women and the community it calls home celebrated their partnership Thursday. The annual Town and Tower luncheon was held on The W campus. Members honored two people who shine a positive light on the community and the campus. The campus award went to Gale Griffith director of the University's Wesley Foundation. Renee Sanders, Executive Director of United Way, was honored with the group's Community Award. MUW president Nora Miller was also surprised with an award from the Mississippi National Guard. Back in May, The W signed onto an agreement ensuring free tuition to undergraduates in the Mississippi National Guard and those on active duty in the Army who are enrolled full time. |
| USM students manage stress during the holidays while preparing for exams | |
 | Christmas break is right around the corner for many students, but before the break, students prepare for exams. The preparation can be stressful because of the readiness for the Christmas break. "Many students deal with stress by doing physical activity, getting appropriate sleep and staying hydrated," said Portia Granger, a risk assessment specialist at the University of Southern Mississippi. These few tips will allow students to be well rested for the exams and then ready for the Christmas break. Christopher O'Quinn, a student at USM, said being proficient with your time will also break down anxiety and stress. |
| Where does LSU stand on new ACT policy? Not just doing it 'because everybody else is doing it' | |
 | Controversy erupted Thursday at the LSU Board of Supervisors on whether the school should adopt a major change to the ACT, which helps determine college admissions and scholarships. Jose Aviles, vice-president for enrollment management, told the board that other SEC schools and others are quickly endorsing the overhaul, which he said may put LSU at a competitive disadvantage. But some panel members, including former chairman James Williams, said allowing students to re-take sections of the ACT, not the whole test, would most benefits students from wealthy families. No vote was taken on the issue. However, the pointed discussion suggests the topic will spark more arguments before any final decision. Aviles said one concern is that, if LSU does not go along with the change, it could hamper the school's ability to recruit top-flight students. |
| Mumps cases up on U. of Arkansas campus; state confirms 26 since September | |
| The number of mumps cases tied to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has climbed to 26 since September, a state Department of Health spokeswoman said Thursday. On Nov. 25, UA announced nine confirmed cases of mumps on campus. The latest total includes 20 cases identified in November, said the Health Department's Danyelle McNeill. There also were three in September and three in October, she said. In June, UA revised a campus policy to state that all incoming students, including transfer students, must have two MMR vaccinations unless they have medical exemptions or exemptions as allowed by state law. The change made clear that the policy applies to all incoming students, including graduate students and international students, not just incoming freshmen. |
| Increased sign language interest prompts new degree program at U. of Memphis | |
| Since offering an initial undergraduate course in American Sign Language in fall 2015, the University of Memphis saw interest balloon. Now, the university is poised to become the only college in West Tennessee offering a degree program in the language by fall 2021. School districts, industry professionals and business leaders in the Mid-South shared letters of support for the creation of the degree program, which would enroll about 40 majors per year and graduate 15 to 20 students per year, according to the proposal. The four-year American Sign Language and Deaf Studies degree program will be housed within the School of Communication Sciences & Disorders at the university. It is designed so that students could double major with another program, which makes Memphis' program different than the recently proposed program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, according to Memphis' proposal. |
| Eyeing populist challenge from the left, Trump seeks plan to tackle student debt | |
| President Trump is demanding aides present a plan to tackle student debt and the rising cost of a college education, worried that he has no response to expansive plans from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats he may face on the ballot next year, several administration officials said. But a battle is underway inside the administration over what to propose, with little appetite for the big spending that Democrats want and no success identifying a more modest plan that will satisfy the president, aides said. The internal frustrations and failure to come up with a student debt plan are feeding the president's anxieties that Democrats such as Warren will tap into populist impulses that propelled his 2016 victory, and that he will need policies beyond his signature areas of immigration and trade to counter them. |
| Medical amnesty policies encourage students to call 911 | |
 | When fraternity members at the Kappa Sigma chapter house at Louisiana State University thought their brothers were experiencing drug overdoses last March, they called 911. The following day, a Louisiana State Police detective arrived at the house with a search warrant in hand. The detective's warrant referenced the reported drug use -- the two members suspected they overdosed on fentanyl and an unknown substance -- and police confiscated drug paraphernalia in the three-story house, the local newspaper, The Advocate, reported. The call to 911 might have saved the lives of the two students, who recovered after being stabilized at the hospital, said Allison Smith, the program administrator for the Louisiana Center Addressing Substance Use in Collegiate Communities, or LaCASU, a statewide coalition of institutions that research and address student drug and alcohol use. But the call and the police response also raised important questions. "What happens when a call for help is made, but then subsequently followed up by law enforcement action?" Smith wrote in an email. "Would that deter students from calling for help?" |
| U. of Wisconsin System Aims To Double Online Enrollment By 2025 | |
| To counter projected declines in the number of Wisconsin high school graduates, the University of Wisconsin System is doubling down on online course offerings in hopes of enrolling more adult learners. Online classes are not new to UW System campuses but since 2017, online education initiatives have been grouped under a new division called the UW Extended Campus or UWEX. On Friday, the UW Board of Regents will discuss a goal set by UWEX to double online enrollments by 2025 by adding two new online programs each year through 2025. UW Board of Regents President Drew Petersen said redoubling online course offerings will ensure the UW System can adapt to a changing student body. "There are fewer high school seniors graduating now than 2010 and the future forecast suggests there will be fewer," said Petersen. "So, we need to be nimble and assertive about looking at other potential enrollment growth opportunities for in-state residents." |
| Purdue president apologizes for calling black scholar 'rarest creature in America' | |
| With campus groups and faculty pressuring Purdue President Mitch Daniels to atone for his choice of words when he called an African American scholar "one of the rarest creatures in America" and the "rarest phenomenon," the former governor of Indiana apologized in a letter sent to members of five organizations on campus. "I retract and apologize for a figure of speech I used in a recent impromptu dialogue with students," Daniels wrote in a letter sent Wednesday to members of the Purdue chapter of the NAACP, Purdue's Black Caucus of Faculty and Staff, Purdue's Latino Faculty/Staff Association, the Black Student Union and the Latino Student Union. "My reference was in praise of a specific individual and the unique and exciting possibility of bringing that particular individual to Purdue," Daniels wrote. "The word in question was ill chosen and imprecise and, in retrospect, too capable of being misunderstood. I accept accountability for the poor judgment involved." |
| Michigan shares insights from academic-level (not chief) diversity officers | |
| You've heard of chief diversity officers, but what about academic diversity officers? Four years into its innovative plan to put diversity officers into every academic and administrative unit, to carry out program-specific diversity plans, the University of Michigan has some thoughts. More precisely, the campus's National Center for Institutional Diversity just published a report on the experiences of these academic diversity officers, or ADOs. Beyond making various recommendations for academic deans and academic diversity officers, the report finds that ADOs require special skills. ADOs in the study also had a wide variety of personal and professional experiences, with some common threads. Most had experience in faculty work, student affairs, general administration or community organizing. |
SPORTS
| SDN Exclusive Q&A: Mississippi State AD John Cohen talks football, fan experience, facilities | |
| It's a busy time in Mississippi State athletics. The football team is fresh off an Egg Bowl win over Ole Miss and preparing for the school's 10th-straight year with a postseason bowl game. The men's and women's basketball seasons are in full swing. Baseball is on the horizon. That's not to even mention all of the other sports either happening or about to start up on the Bulldog landscape. Amongst it all, MSU director of athletics John Cohen sat down with the Starkville Daily News to discuss a plethora of topics ranging from head football coach Joe Moorhead's contract situation, to the possibility of alcohol sales at MSU to the upcoming renovation of Humphrey Coliseum. What follows is a transcript, slightly edited in spots for clarity. |
| Mississippi State's Reggie Perry placed on Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list | |
| Mississippi State sophomore forward Reggie Perry was placed on the watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which goes to the Division I National Player of the Year. Perry is averaging 14.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and has posted three double-doubles through the Bulldogs' first seven games. Perry's 8.9 rebounds is tied for the SEC lead. The 6-foot-10, 250-pounder from Thomasville, Georgia is currently shooting 54.9 percent from the field and averaging 28.1 minutes a game. Perry is one of six players from the SEC selected to the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list. Duke's Zion Williamson won the honor last year. |
| Louisiana Tech upsets Mississippi State, 74-67 | |
| The ball swished through the net. Disgusted, Mississippi State forward Reggie Perry caught it as it landed, then slammed it in frustration. The sophomore couldn't believe what was happening defensively. Louisiana Tech had drilled another 3-pointer, the sixth of what would be 10 on the night for the blue Bulldogs. Rinse, and repeat. MSU's defense, help-side and man-to-man sets alike, let it down time and time again Thursday night in Louisiana Tech's 74-67 upset victory over the maroon Bulldogs. "You have to give them credit," MSU senior guard Tyson Carter said. "They brought it tonight. We didn't." MSU is back in action against Kansas State on Dec. 14 in the Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, New Jersey. |
| Louisiana Tech tops Mississippi State at home | |
| Mississippi State looked every bit like a team that hadn't played a game in 11 days. Ben Howland's bunch came out rusty and couldn't keep pace with a sharp-shooting squad from Louisiana Tech. The visiting Bulldogs nailed 10 3-pointers in a 69-61 victory Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum. "It's a long stretch to go without playing," Howland said. "What probably did hurt us is timing it like this because our guys are stressed working on their finals tomorrow. It was probably stupid on my part to schedule that game tonight, the day before finals." MSU maintained the lead for the majority of the first half but allowed Daquan Bracey to bank in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Louisiana Tech a 39-36 lead at halftime. State only saw the lead once more the remainder of the game as Louisiana Tech continued to heat up from long range. LA Tech knocked down 10 of 16 from behind the arc led by Bracey, who was 4 of 4. |
| 'Losing hurts': How Mississippi State men's basketball was upset by Louisiana Tech | |
 | There are no trap games in men's college basketball. Anybody can beat anybody. Ask Kentucky. Ask Duke. Those blue bloods lost to Evansville and Stephen F. Austin, respectively, within the first month of the season. UK and Duke were both ranked No. 1 in the country at the time of their falls. It was unranked Mississippi State's turn to drop a game it wasn't supposed to Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum. In a battle of Bulldogs, it was the smaller of the two who claimed victory. Louisiana Tech walked into enemy territory as an underdog and walked out as the victor. The Bulldogs of the visiting variety beat the home Dogs, 74-67. "We've got to learn from it," MSU head coach Ben Howland said. "It's a sting. Losing hurts. And especially losing at home. I thought we had a great crowd tonight. I thought they were behind us. There were a lot of positives going into the game." |
| After reported Arkansas meeting, Mike Leach agrees to new deal at Washington State | |
| Washington State announced an agreement for a contract extension through the 2024 season for Cougars Coach Mike Leach on Thursday after he reportedly met with University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek and Deputy Athletic Director Jon Fagg earlier this week to interview for the Razorbacks' coaching vacancy. The extension adds a fifth year to Leach's contract with his annual compensation remaining at $4 million, but with a $750,000 retention bonus if he stays at Washington State through the 2020 football season. Leach, 58, also showed interest in the Tennessee job after the 2017 season before the Volunteers hired Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. He has led the Cougars to a 55-46 record in eight seasons, including 43-21 since 2015 highlighted by an 11-2 mark in 2018. With Leach staying at Washington State, speculation about the Razorbacks' next coach continues to center on Florida Atlantic Coach Lane Kiffin. |
| UGA will have about 70% of crowd at SEC title game, study projects | |
| Almost 70% of the crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the SEC Championship game Saturday will be Georgia fans, according to projections by a secondary-ticket marketplace. Vivid Seats' "fan forecast" model -- "using an algorithm that explores our proprietary data," according to the company -- estimates the crowd will favor Georgia over LSU by a 69% to 31% breakdown. The SEC allocated a total of 32,600 tickets to the participating schools -- 16,300 each. The SEC distributed the remaining tickets to the conference office, sponsors, Falcons club-seat personal-seat-license holders, stadium suite holders and SEC Championship game renewable ticket holders. Many tickets subsequently changed hands on the secondary market, and it's no surprise Georgia fans gobbled up many of those with the game being played in Atlanta. |
| Senators Chris Murphy and Mitt Romney launch working group to discuss college athlete compensation | |
| There's now a working group in the United States Senate devoted to the topic of college athlete compensation. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) announced the launch of the bipartisan group on Thursday. The group was launched to "facilitate ongoing discussions about student-athlete compensation and related issues" and also contains presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Both Murphy and Romney have previously spoken out against the current collegiate system that prevents athletes from capitalizing on their name, image and likeness rights. Thursday, the NCAA said it looked forward to working with Congress. A federal law superseding state laws regarding athlete compensation would make things easier for NCAA schools rather than navigating the specific intricacies of differing state laws. |
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