| Wednesday, November 26, 2025 |
| MSU Winter Catfish Seminar set for Dec. 2 in Columbus | |
 | Catfish farmers and industry professionals are invited to the Winter National Warmwater Aquaculture Center Catfish Seminar on Dec. 2. The seminar will run from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Mississippi State University Extension Service office in Lowndes County, 485 Tom Rose Road, Columbus. Speakers from MSU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will cover topics including nutrition, genetics, fish health, industry updates, water quality, physiology and bird depredation. Registration is free and encouraged by Dec. 1 by calling 662-686-3269. Lunch will be provided. The event is organized by MSU Extension Service personnel, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and USDA. For disability accommodations or more information, contact Jimmy Avery at 662-686-3273 or jimmy.avery@msstate.edu. |
| Gipson urges Mississippi farmers to register for first F.A.R.M. meeting | |
 | Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson is encouraging farmers and agriculture industry stakeholders to register for the first Future of Agriculture Resiliency for Mississippi (F.A.R.M.) meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11, at 10 a.m. at the Capps Center at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. The meetings are part of the development of the F.A.R.M. Strategic Plan, which will provide policy recommendations aimed at strengthening and supporting Mississippi's agriculture industry. Gipson said farmers, ranchers, producers and agricultural workers play a vital role in sustaining communities and the state's economy. "Mississippi farmers are at a pivotal moment, with many facing uncertainty about the future of their operations," Gipson said. "Their voices and experiences are essential to shaping this strategic plan, and that's why I'm asking them to participate in these important meetings." |
| Mary Means Business: Newk's coming to Columbus | |
| Newk's Eatery is officially coming to Columbus. The fast-casual chain, founded in Oxford back in 2004, has grown to more than 100 locations across 13 states, including one in Starkville. Jaimin Patel, who is also opening the Columbus Beef O'Brady's location, is bringing the Newk's location to Columbus. Jaimin Patel and his partner Vikaskumar Patel are opening Newk's and Beef O'Brady's in Columbus. Both restaurants will be located at 2400 Hwy. 45 N. Jaimin Patel said he hopes to open Beef O'Brady's by next August and Newk's by the end of 2026. ... Moving over to the holiday. I hope this week brings you good food, good company and a couple of well-earned days to rest and relaxation. But we all know what Turkey Day brings in addition to heartburn and loosening belts: Black Friday deals. Because the Egg Bowl (GTHOM) is in Starkville this year, a handful of retailers will open Thursday night. Downtown Starkville is hosting "Six Seven Thanksgiving Night" beginning at 6 p.m., complete with popcorn, sweet treats and festive vibes. Participating shops include Ali Kat's, Dunkington, Mississippi Eyewear, B-Unlimited, Fleur De Lis, The Olive Tree, D2 Starkville, George-Mary's, Reed's, L.A. Green and Merle Norman Luna Bella. |
| Mississippi officials brace for record Thanksgiving travel as troopers boost enforcement | |
 | Mississippi drivers should expect heavy congestion, stepped-up enforcement and a return to pre-pandemic travel volumes as millions of people hit the road for Thanksgiving celebrations this week. AAA spokesman Don Redman says they're projecting one of the busiest holiday travel periods in years, with roughly 8.5 million more people travelling than last year. "We're in uncharted territory now," Readman said. "Nearly 82 million people will be on the move, and then when you look into the Gulf South, you're talking in excess of 10 million people are going to be traveling on the roadways." To help ease congestion, the Mississippi Department of Transportation is suspending most construction statewide from Wednesday afternoon through Monday. While workers won't be present, many existing lane closures will remain in place. The Mississippi Highway Patrol's Thanksgiving enforcement period begins Tuesday at 5 p.m. and runs through the end of the day Saturday. Troopers will be watching for speeding, impaired driving, seat belt violations and aggressive behavior as volumes increase. |
| Mississippi one of the cheapest states to shop for Thanksgiving dinner: study | |
| Mississippi families preparing to gather around the dinner table this Thanksgiving will be doing so while spending less money than most of the nation, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. As part of its annual Thanksgiving survey, AFBF found the national average cost of what it says is a "classic" turkey day meal -- made up of turkey, stuffing, rolls, peas, cranberries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and a veggie tray -- for 10 people totals $55.18. In Mississippi, the cost lands at $46.77, or about $4.67 per person. While retail promotions leading into Thanksgiving are expected to push price tags down even further, farmers and ranchers who are keeping the holidays affordable "continue to face a tough economic year," the survey added, citing falling crop prices, weather disruptions, and high costs for fuel, fertilizer, labor, and equipment. "Even while facing rising costs and unpredictable weather, Mississippi farm families continue working to make sure every table in our state has access to a safe, affordable Thanksgiving meal," Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation president Mike McCormick said. |
| Pope says Thanksgiving is a 'beautiful feast' that unites all | |
 | Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that Thanksgiving was a "beautiful feast" that unites believers and non-believers alike, as he issued a message of thanks ahead of the U.S. holiday. Leo said he was thankful for many things and urged everyone to recognize the gifts they have been given. "First and foremost, the gift of life. The gift of the faith. The gift of unity," he said. He was responding to reporters' questions Tuesday night as he left Castel Gandolfo, where he goes on Mondays and Tuesdays for a rest and to play tennis. He described Thanksgiving as "this beautiful feast that we have in the United States, which unites all people -- people of different faiths, people who perhaps do not have the gift of faith" to say thank you to someone. Leo will spend his first Thanksgiving as pope in Turkey on his first foreign trip. |
| Red Kettle campaigns launch this week in Columbus, Starkville with $150K Goal | |
| The Columbus and Starkville Salvation Army chapters are gearing up to begin their Red Kettle campaigns on Friday with the goal of collecting a combined $150,000. The campaign is the organization's largest fundraising effort held each year during the Christmas season. The money collected funds organization efforts throughout the year, including food pantries, rental and utility assistance and clothes closets. In Starkville, Salvation Army Service Center Manager Tatiana Burgess said her team hopes to raise $50,000 despite only raising about $32,000 in 2024. Burgess said part of the goal in raising more money is to turn less people away who are seeking assistance with rent and utilities. Burgess said she started recruiting volunteers in October and already has more than 200 signed up, with hopes of adding 400 more to take on shifts during the month since Starkville doesn't have any paid bell ringers. In addition to their food pantry and bill assistance programs, The Salvation Army also hosts the Angel Tree Program every year at Christmas, which allows the public to "adopt" children and purchase toys and other items from their wish lists so they can have gifts at Christmas. |
| Consumer Confidence Fades and Retail Sales Growth Cools | |
 | Shutdown-delayed data showed American consumers closed out the third quarter on a cautious footing, while a measure of consumer confidence tumbled in November. Taken together, the new and older data suggest the U.S. economy is heading into the all-important holiday season buffeted by a cooling labor market, continued inflationary pressures and signs consumers were easing their pace of spending and searching for bargains. Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in September from the prior month, the Commerce Department said. That fell short of economists' expectations for a 0.3% rise, as shoppers reined in purchases in a number of key categories affected by tariffs, including vehicles, electronics and clothing. At the same time, consumers boosted spending at bars and restaurants, personal-care stores and on furniture. The September data reflect a period just before the government shutdown began on Oct. 1; statistics agencies are catching up after the government reopened in mid-November. More recent earnings from major retailers, which generally painted a rosier picture of consumer spending, indicated consumers are hunting for value but still spending. |
| Amphitheater could host first show in spring 2027 | |
| If the city council votes next week to put $1 million more toward the project, a completed Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater could host its first show on the Island in spring 2027. That "if" seemed more or less a done deal after Tuesday's work session at City Hall, where four participating council members agreed to place the expenditure on next week's consent agenda, meaning it can be approved without any further discussion. The $1 million would come from the city's capital improvement fund. Combined with $1 million each from a 2024 state legislative appropriation and the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau, City Engineer Kevin Stafford believes there's enough to rebid the project and finally complete the amphitheater that has sat unfinished and unused for nearly a decade. Once complete, the amphitheater could hold 3,500 spectators -- with seating for half in the lower bowl and an open grass area in the upper level – and book 10 to 12 shows per year. |
| Mayor Percy Bland recaps trip to Washington DC | |
 | Mayor Bland made an annual trip to the nation's capital this past week, alongside a few of Meridian's city councilmen. He says the focus was to engage with legislative officials and federal agencies to secure resources and funding for the Queen City and its infrastructure. "We met with the entire delegation. We met with Senator Wicker, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Congressman Bennie Thompson, and our local congressman, Michael Guest. We also met with a congressman from the Gulf Coast, in regard to some of the major projects that we have on the table right now that's in legislation. And it deals, again, with our water and sewer projects, our consent decree," said Bland. "We also have a big cops grant, which is a two-million-dollar public safety grant, and we have some other major improvements that we're doing inside and around the city to our medical district that we specifically met with them about." |
| Why Republican lawmakers are split over banning Chinese drones | |
 | A Capitol Hill push by GOP China hawks to impose new restrictions on Shenzhen-based aerial drone maker DJI is facing resistance from Republicans who warn the company's products have become critical tools for U.S. farming and energy firms. The fight is playing out after Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a close ally of President Donald Trump, secured the crackdown in the House version of a must-pass defense policy bill. At stake for DJI are new restrictions on its ability to offer products in the U.S. Stefanik is making the case that the company's products expose Americans' data to the Chinese government -- an allegation that the company denies as it lobbies hard to make the case that it operates independently of Chinese officials. But Stefanik and her allies are facing pushback in the Senate. "They are the primary drone maker in the United States at a reasonable price," Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, said of DJI in an interview. "This technology is being used more and more. ... That's the crux of the problem." |
| FBI probes Democrats who taped viral video message to military | |
 | Members of Congress who produced an explosive video last week said Tuesday they have been informed that the FBI is investigating them. The agency is seeking interviews with the six Democratic lawmakers, who were contacted through their respective chambers' sergeant-at-arms' offices, the members said. In the video posted last Thursday, four House members and two senators who served in the military or in the CIA urged those currently serving in U.S. military and intelligence positions to disobey unlawful orders. The report of an FBI probe came a day after the Pentagon said it was probing one of the lawmakers, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., for alleged misconduct over the video. Kelly retired as a Navy captain after more than two decades of service and so falls under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA and Defense Department official who serves on the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs panels, posted on X that she has been told the FBI is investigating her. "The President directing the FBI to target us is exactly why we made this video in the first place," Slotkin said. "He believes in weaponizing the federal government against his perceived enemies and does not believe laws apply to him or his Cabinet. He uses legal harassment as an intimidation tactic to scare people out of speaking up." |
| Trump steps back from Ukraine peace process, sends out envoys | |
 | President Donald Trump's demand that Ukraine sign a deal by Thanksgiving appears to have softened as he leaves some of the most important details of the peace plan in the hands of his envoys, one of whom was just embroiled in a high-profile phone leak. A recording of an alleged phone call between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin from October appears to show the envoy advising the Russians on their negotiating strategy. Trump postponed an expected meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of Thursday's deadline, when he had initially threatened to cut off all support to Ukraine if it was not met. On Tuesday, Trump said he was not ready to meet with Zelensky or Putin. "I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages," Trump wrote on social media. In remarks Wednesday, however, several Russian officials said any peace deal was still far off and reiterated hard-line positions that conflict with the latest amendments to the U.S. peace plan. |
| Local university responds to federal funding changes | |
 | A change in wording could make a difference of thousands of dollars for some students seeking advanced degrees. President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" proposes a new loan-borrowing limit for certain graduate programs. If the plan is implemented, only students pursuing what are classified as professional degrees will be eligible for the higher level of assistance. Those pursuing what are deemed as "non-professional" degrees will have assistance, such as student loans, capped at a much lower rate. One of those degree fields that would be considered "non-professional" is Nursing. "A lot of students also know the affordability of our programs. Tuition here is much, much lower than the cap that they are discussing for these loans. So, I don't think that it will impact quite as many of our students," said Dr. Brandy Larmon, MUW Dean of the Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences. MUW also said that the nursing students -- both grad and undergrad -- get a lot of financial assistance from donors and scholarships the school offers. |
| JSU stadium talk at Jackson City Hall veers to UMMC cancer center push | |
 | What began as a Jackson City Council resolution supporting a new Jackson State University football stadium opened up into new details about UMMC's long-planned cancer center across the street. The resolution, introduced by Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes at the council's Tuesday, Nov. 18, meeting, carried no funding, zoning changes or policy shifts. It simply put the council on record as supporting Jackson State's pursuit of a new football stadium, something university and city leaders have discussed for years but have never secured financing for. During the discussion, Stokes linked the stadium question to another long-running ambition in the city: the University of Mississippi Medical Center's effort to build a comprehensive cancer center. He said the future of Veterans Memorial Stadium -- the massive, aging facility where JSU plays and which sits directly across from UMMC -- has become part of the conversation around the cancer center's location. Stokes said the city should help JSU decide where a future stadium might go -- possibly on campus or downtown -- so that both projects can continue moving forward. |
| LSU students push for broader education on AI: 'Going to affect every major across the board' | |
 | The LSU student government is calling on the university to strengthen its education in artificial intelligence, particularly for students outside the Division of Computer Science and Engineering. The Student Senate passed legislation last week requesting an online AI fundamentals certificate available to all students that would offer training on basic AI use and explore the ethical and legal considerations of the technology. "AI is going to affect every major across the board," said junior Aaron Lomastro, co-author of the legislation and a member of the Student Alliance for AI Regulation. "It already is. It's not fair that only these sort of technology-specific majors are receiving these courses. We think it's important that every major and every student has equal opportunity in preparing themselves with just a foundational understanding of what AI is." |
| U. of Kentucky seeks company to oversee maintenance, custodial, some health care services | |
 | The University of Kentucky is looking to hire an outside services company to oversee maintenance, custodial services and some aspects of health care, the university told staff last week. The university has said the public-private partnership will be not lead to reductions in pay or benefits for current staff, and is "not about reducing staff," according to information posted on UK's website. Six staff areas at the university, UK HealthCare, UK St. Claire and UK King's Daughters could be overseen by an outside company: maintenance, grounds, custodial services, dining and food services, in-patient transport and in-patient sitting services. More than 1,100 employees work in those services, said UK spokesperson Whitney Siddiqi. "We recently communicated with employees that as part of this review, the university is exploring whether partnering with an external company could help us design, implement and manage a more coordinated, effective enterprise-wide service model," Siddiqi said. In 2014, UK entered into a partnership with Aramark to take over the school's dining services. Under that contract, current dining employees remained UK employees with benefits, while new dining employees were hired through Aramark. |
| Vanderbilt takes next step on Nashville innovation neighborhood plan | |
| Vanderbilt University is filing a Specific Plan application with the Nashville Planning Department this week to reshape 40 underutilized acres on the campus's western edge into a mixed-use, pedestrian-first hub for research, collaboration and entrepreneurship. The goals of this long-term initiative are to more quickly translate university research into real-world solutions, strengthen cross-sector partnerships and expand opportunities for students, alumni and faculty by putting Nashville and Tennessee at the forefront of the innovation economy of the future. Vanderbilt's plan, developed through extensive consultation with neighbors and community stakeholders, prioritizes walkability, safety, connectivity, public spaces and thoughtful traffic management in alignment with university and community values. The innovation neighborhood is a long-term, phased project for Vanderbilt. Filing the SP establishes the framework, but implementation will roll out over time. |
| A U. of Oklahoma Professor Was Released After 3 Days in ICE Detention. Some Fear a 'New Normal.' | |
 | A University of Oklahoma professor arrested by immigration officials at an airport over the weekend has been released, marking the first publicly known instance of a tenure-track faculty member landing on ICE's radar this year. But it remains unclear why the professor, who is from Iran and has been teaching in the United States for over a decade, became a target. Vahid Abedini, an assistant professor of Iranian studies, was en route to the annual conference of the Middle East Studies Association in Washington, D.C., on Saturday when he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, said Joshua Landis, co-director of the university's Center for Middle East Studies. After being held by the Logan County Sheriff's Office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement took custody of Abedini on Monday morning. In a LinkedIn post Tuesday, Abedini said he had been released the previous night. Landis, who was involved in Abedini's hiring, said he was in the United States legally on an H-1B visa, which employers use to hire foreign workers with specialized skills. |
| OU leadership considered African, African American Studies department 'not salvageable,' emails show | |
| Five days before the University of Oklahoma announced it would not close the Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies, Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences leaders were discussing dissolving the program. Through documents obtained via open records request, the Daily received a total of 10 emails -- spanning from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 -- containing correspondence between College of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael Markham, Senior Vice President and Provost André-Denis Wright and African and African American Studies faculty, detailing the College of Art and Sciences' concerns for the Department of African and African American Studies. According to the documents, Markham met with department faculty on Sept. 26 to consider the future of the department. In the 2015-16 academic year, nine bachelor's degrees were awarded to students enrolled in the African and African American Studies department, with that number falling to two in the 2020-21 academic year, according to OU's Institutional Research and Reporting office. The department awarded three bachelor's degrees in the 2024-25 academic year. |
| Disillusioned by UT, seniors choose humor over outrage -- and revive 1960s-era newspaper | |
| Kira Small and Ava Hosseini want more from the University of Texas. Hosseini, a first-generation immigrant born in Iran who has called Sugar Land home since the second grade, toured the 40 Acres as a sixth grader and "felt with such conviction that this was the place that I had to be," the college senior recalled. Small, a not only left-leaning, but also self-described "left falling" high schooler -- now Hosseini's roommate and colleague -- wanted to go to college where she could have her ideas challenged while receiving a rigorous liberal arts education. But the top-ranked public university has not delivered, they said. As UT faces intense political pressure to reform, the ever-expanding influence of artificial intelligence and threats to academic funding, the pair feel that the university's liberal arts programs have suffered. And the rigor Small and Hosseini crave is absent. Seeking a way to candidly speak to power and critically debate ideas, the two friends set out to create a new public square, complete with biting humor, satire and commentary -- as well as some clever (and some crude) cartoons. Their resulting neon-colored zine isn't reinventing the wheel, but reviving an Austin artifact: the rebellious "The Rag." |
| U. of Missouri maintains consistent pool of H-1B visa applicants despite federal guidelines | |
 | National discussions surrounding H-1B visas have caused uncertainties for universities about what it means for international scholars. Despite the ongoing changes at the federal level, the University of Missouri System is still well positioned to maintain international professors and researchers. In September, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation, titled the "Restriction of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers," that adds a new requirement to H-1B visas of a $100,000 dollar fee during the petition process of the visa application. This left many companies and educational institutions alike questioning the future of their immigration worker pools. Kristen Colbrecht, the director of international student and scholar services, said the recent guidance on who is subject to the $100,000 fee will affect a very small number of cases Mizzou files each year. Current H-1B visa holders are permitted to travel internationally and should not be subject to the $100,000 fee. |
| New limits on medical and nursing school loans worry health educators | |
 | A little-noticed provision in the sweeping "One Big Beautiful" legislation enacted by the GOP over the summer sharply limits the amount of federal student loans that students earning professional degrees -- including medical school -- can borrow. It also imposes even stricter borrowing caps for other health fields including nursing and public health. The Education Department does not consider graduate education in those fields "professional" education, though officials described that as a technical and regulatory decision, rather than a value judgment. The loan changes will hit next July when an open-ended federal loan program known as Grad PLUS will stop making new loans. From that point on, med students won't be able to borrow more than $50,000 a year -- or more than $200,000 over the four years. Many private med schools already cost north of $300,000, including living expenses. "That will automatically give a lot of people some pause to think about where they're accepted and what their finances are," said Vineet Arora, vice dean of education, at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. |
| What to Know About Trump's Definition of Professional Degrees | |
 | The Trump administration is soon expected to propose a plan that would cap loans for a number of advanced degrees -- including master's and doctoral degrees in nursing -- and it's gone viral on social media. From TikTok to Instagram, to local news headlines, the plan set off a storm of online criticism as influencers and advocacy groups take issue with the supposed declassification of certain degrees. But defining programs as professional or graduate isn't a debate about social prestige or cultural characterization; it's a debate about access to student loans, and now the Education Department is saying it's time to "set the record straight." "Certain progressive voices have been fear mongering about the Department of Education supposedly excluding nursing degrees from being eligible for graduate student loans," the department said in a news release Monday. "This is misinformation." The commentators are concerned about an upcoming federal rule, prompted by Congress's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that could limit student loan access depending on what post-baccalaureate program a student enrolls in. |
| The New Must-Have College Admissions Skill: Tolerating Other Viewpoints | |
| For years, high-schoolers have boasted in college applications about learning Latin, leading the chess club or acing Advanced Placement Physics. Now there is a new way to get a leg up: Show how well you can disagree with people. Elite schools like Harvard, Columbia, Emory and Wellesley have added essay questions in the last couple of years asking applicants to recount a dispute with someone whose beliefs differ from their own. Known as the "disagreement essay," its rise comes as conservatives accuse top schools of being hotbeds of liberal groupthink where students can't tolerate dissent. Admissions advisers and influencers are flooding the internet with advice on how to answer the question. Some tips: Don't write about arguing with parents (shows immaturity), don't push political opinions (too controversial) and pick unexpected topics (try humor that slides into deeper meaning). "We call it the hot, new 'It Girl' of college admissions questions," said Caroline Koppelman, a college-admissions consultant. The aim, colleges and advisers explain, is to probe how well students can countenance other viewpoints. "We are looking for students who want to be bridge builders," New York University tells applicants on its website. |
| My wise grandmother taught me to be thankful for the power of the penny | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: Here in the South, where the soil runs red and the porch light glows softly against the approaching night, we've always held a soft spot for small things -- a cardstock Jesus fan on a hot Sunday afternoon, a warm biscuit split three ways, and a found penny offering the tiniest shimmer of hope in the dust. Now that the federal government has declared the penny obsolete, I can't help but feel the loss like a missing button on a well-loved shirt: small, but its absence leaves us oddly undone. Folks will tell you it makes sense. Costs more to make a penny than it's worth. Slows down the checkout line. Time to round up or round down, they say, let the nickel do the work. But some of us remember when a penny did work hard. Out in the country, back before electricity stretched to the far hollows, before paved roads and steady wages, a penny and its brothers often were the difference in hard times. My grandmother came through the Great Depression in a hilltop farmhouse that my grandfather and father built, down to the wooden shakes on the roof, shaved from logs with a draw knife. She'd save pennies in a Mason jar under the kitchen sink, her "rainy day money." When the clouds rolled in, usually in the form of an unexpected need or a child's want -- she'd count them out, one by one, with a patience that today's bank app could never understand. She said it wasn't about the money so much as the habit: "You keep up with your pennies," she told me, "and the dollars will take care of themselves." |
SPORTS
| Why Egg Bowl history shows Mississippi State can capitalize on Lane Kiffin chaos | |
| In normal circumstances, the focus leading up to the Egg Bowl is typically about the game itself. But the two weeks leading into the 2025 rivalry game between No. 6 Ole Miss football (10-1, 6-1 SEC) and Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6) on Nov. 28 (11 a.m., ABC) haven't been a normal news cycle. Lots of attention is on Rebels coach Lane Kiffin and whether he'll leave for LSU or Florida. Kiffin hasn't said publicly whether he's staying or leaving. He declined to answer any questions about his future at his Nov. 24 news conference, only answering questions about the Egg Bowl. Could the distractions be an advantage for MSU as it aims to clinch bowl eligibility? Ole Miss has denied that it's impacting the team. Recent history of the Egg Bowl suggests otherwise. It's no surprise to hear Kiffin and Ole Miss players saying they aren't distracted. That's a difficult thing to quantify though, especially when college athletes are glued to social media. |
| Mississippi State defense has to step up against Ole Miss | |
 | To say Mississippi State has struggled keeping opponents off the scoreboard in recent weeks is an understatement. And it's not going to be any easier on Friday with No. 6 Ole Miss rolling into Starkville. Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6) heads into this year's Egg Bowl looking to bounce back from a series of rough defensive performances, especially against the run. In Mississippi State's last four games, opponents have scored at least 35 points each. The Bulldogs have been especially porous against the run, surrendering the most rushing yards (2,088) in the SEC this season. Mississippi State has allowed 868 yards on the ground in its last three games. In the Bulldogs' last game, a 49-27 loss to Missouri, they let Ahmad Hardy run for 300 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. "The run game is just playing our gaps, doing our assignment," Mississippi State linebacker Nic Mitchell said. "Like I said postgame (against) Mizzou, we just got to do simple better, and we're going to do that this week and handle business." |
| What to watch for: Mississippi State vs. No. 6 Ole Miss | |
| Mississippi State's 2025 season is drawing to a close with the 122nd edition of the Egg Bowl. The Bulldogs (5-6, 1-6 SEC) face College Football Playoff hopefuls, No. 6 Ole Miss, in need of just one more win to attain bowl eligibility. The Rebels (10-1, 6-1 SEC) have a lot to lose in the matchup. On top of in-state bragging rights, a win would all but guarantee a host bid for the playoff next month, and would also boost their resume in the event that head coach Lane Kiffin picks a Gators or Tigers hat during his special decision on Saturday. The Bulldogs saw Albert Reese IV return from injury in the last two games, but Isaac Smith was out against Mizzou after suffering an injury against Georgia. His status is uncertain at the time of reporting, as Lebby did not offer an update, but the first SEC availability report on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. will shed some light on the situation. MSU receiver Brenen Thompson left the Mizzou game and did not return in the second half, but met with media on Sunday and noted that he is "back and rolling" for his Senior Day game. This one is hard to predict. Not because Mississippi State is fresh off of two blowout losses yet carries all sorts of offensive potential, and not because Ole Miss is a playoff hopeful in the midst of a possible head coach departure. It's hard to predict because Egg Bowls are notoriously weird. |
| Will Mississippi State football beat Ole Miss in Egg Bowl, clinch bowl bid? Our prediction | |
| The Mississippi State football season has been full of ups and downs all leading into the Egg Bowl. The Bulldogs (5-6, 1-6 SEC) are hosting No. 6 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1) at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 28 (11 a.m., ABC). A lot is at stake for both teams in addition to the rivalry bragging rights. MSU can clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022 with a win, but has whiffed in the last two games with consecutive 20-point losses. The 2022 season was also the last time MSU won the Egg Bowl. A loss for Ole Miss might not knock the Rebels out of the College Football Playoff but could make things complicated -- especially with the ongoing coaching saga surrounding Lane Kiffin. Here is our scouting report and score prediction for the game. |
| A high-stakes Egg Bowl could be overshadowed by Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin's future | |
| The 124-year-old football rivalry between Mississippi and Mississippi State has a new subplot that could very well overshadow what is a high-stakes game in its own right. The sixth-ranked Rebels (10-1, 6-1 SEC, No. 7 CFP) could lock up a spot in the College Football Playoff with a victory Friday over the Bulldogs (5-6, 1-6) in the Egg Bowl -- only to have their celebration muted if coach Lane Kiffin announces after the game that he has decided to leave the program for another suitor. During the past two weeks, Kiffin family members have traveled from Oxford, Mississippi, to both Gainesville, Florida, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, while Ole Miss has sought to fend off efforts by Florida and LSU to lure away their coach. This is the second time that the rivalry game has been shadowed by Kiffin's potential exit from Oxford. In 2022, Kiffin was linked to an opening at Auburn. His Rebels lost to the Bulldogs at home, 24-22, and wound up 8-5, but Kiffin signed an extension with Ole Miss. On Friday, the stakes are higher for the Rebels, but the Bulldogs have a chance to extend their season as well because one more victory would make them bowl eligible in coach Jeff Lebby's second season. |
| Inside LSU's pursuit of Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin. 'You never know what he will do.' | |
| Around noon on Nov. 17, several of Lane Kiffin's family members, including his ex-wife, walked out of a private hangar at the Baton Rouge airport. They climbed into a black Chevrolet Suburban and were driven through the city for the rest of the day, getting a feel for where they might live as he considered the LSU job. A little more than a week later, Kiffin is still the primary target in LSU's coaching search. LSU leaders want to secure a commitment from him within the week, multiple sources with knowledge of the process told The Advocate, but his true intentions remain uncertain heading into a critical weekend. Although a sense of confidence has grown since late last week around LSU, multiple officials pointed out Kiffin's unpredictable nature and the way coaching searches can take an unexpected turn in the final days. Many are waiting for finality with an announcement on Kiffin's future expected Saturday, the day after No. 7 Ole Miss plays rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. "It's Lane Kiffin," one source said, "so you never know what he will do." It's unclear who else is under serious consideration. At this stage, all eyes are on Kiffin. |
| College football coaching carousel is going into overdrive, and Lane Kiffin's decision will only ramp up the madness | |
| The coaching carousel is spinning, perhaps faster than ever before. Round and round it goes. The jobs are big. Eight power conference gigs are open -- four of them are considered blue-blood, championship-type programs in LSU, Florida, Auburn and Penn State. The names (some of them, at least) are big. Lane Kiffin, the most coveted of them all, it seems. Jon Sumrall, the popular up-and-comer at Tulane. Jeff Brohm, the offensive whiz at Louisville. Eli Drinkwitz, the man who's made Missouri a consistent winner. Clark Lea and Brent Key, who have led programs like Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech to playoff contention. There's Jedd Fisch at Washington, too, as well as a slew of non-power league coaches: Alex Golesh (USF), Bob Chesney (JMU) and Ryan Silverfield (Memphis). Where will they all land? The puzzle is beginning to take shape. The pieces are aligning. For one coach, Kiffin, the biggest domino of 'em all, his own school publicly set a deadline for a decision: Saturday. A decision from Kiffin -- or Ole Miss administrators -- is expected no later than Saturday afternoon, a day after the program plays Mississippi State in the annual Egg Bowl. |
| Women's Basketball: Bulldogs Win Bay Bracket At Emerald Coast Classic | |
| he Mississippi State Bulldogs dominated the Middle Tennessee State Raiders in the championship game of the Bay Bracket at the Emerald Coast Classic, winning the contest 69-47. The Bulldogs shot over 40 percent in every quarter and shot 50 percent or better in three of the four quarters, including shooting 63.6 percent in the third and 70 percent in the fourth. The Bulldogs jumped out to a hot start, as they entered the locker room at halftime with a 16-point lead. State expanded on it in the fourth, outscoring the Blue Raiders by six. The Bulldogs finished shooting 55.1 percent while holding Middle Tennessee to 35.6 percent. Madison Francis was named the Bay Bracket's MVP. The freshman from Lancaster, New York, tied career-highs of 17 points and six blocks, as well as collecting six rebounds and a steal. Francis went 7-11 from the floor, including a make from deep. She played a season-high 33 minutes. The Bulldogs will return to Humphrey Coliseum after Thanksgiving break on Sunday, November 30 when they take on the ULM Warhawks. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on SEC Network+. |
| Men's Basketball: Ali's Heroics Give Spark To Determined Dawgs | |
| If you felt a gust of wind in Starkville around 9 p.m. on Monday night, there was good reason. The Mississippi State fans gathered in Humphrey Coliseum all let out a collective exhale. For about two and a half hours, the Bulldog family was holding its breath. Amier Ali finally gave all in Maroon and White some oxygen. Ali's clutch 3-pointer with just a second left in overtime was the difference as MSU topped New Orleans 81-78. The Arizona State transfer cherished the chance to play hero for Dear Ol' State. "It felt like when you're a kid and on the playground thinking [the clock is counting down] three, two, one," Ali said. "I just shot it, and I made it." The ball left Ali's hand, banked off the backboard and through the rim it went. The shot provided a jubilant ending to a tough night -- one that saw MSU trail for most of the evening before the Dawgs rallied from 13 down with under five minutes left in regulation. It was a hard-earned win for a State squad that's finding its way. And it seemed fitting the man who played the leading role in the victory was a Bulldog that seems to be settling in individually. |
| Mississippi State set to return to Biloxi in March to face Tulane | |
 | The Biloxi Shuckers have announced that the Mississippi State Bulldogs will return to Biloxi for the 2026 Hancock Whitney Classic on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:05 p.m. against the Tulane Green Wave. This marks the fifth consecutive season and eighth season total that the Bulldogs have visited Keesler Federal Park. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets in advance to receive a discount as prices will increase on the day of the game. "Mississippi State fans are some of the most passionate in college baseball and partnering with Hancock Whitney to continue these games is an honor," Shuckers General Manager Hunter Reed said. "We're excited to welcome the Bulldogs and their fans back for another year and showcase our ballpark to Green Wave fans. It will truly be a special night at our ballpark." The programs have not met in a neutral-site game since the 1998 Winn-Dixie Showdown at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Mississippi State will be led by first-year head coach Brian O'Connor, who brings a resume to Starkville that includes 917 career wins, seven College World Series appearances and a 2015 College World Series title. |
| Zach Bryan Brings 'With Heaven on Tour' to Starkville for Show at Davis Wade Stadium | |
| Davis Wade Stadium is about to trade cowbells for guitar strings. Mississippi State Athletics announced Monday that country-Americana powerhouse Zach Bryan is bringing his "With Heaven on Tour" trek to Starkville on May 2, 2026, marking the first live concert in the stadium since 2012 and the first full-stadium show ever. Bryan, whose heartfelt howl has taken over playlists everywhere, is the voice behind fan favorites like "Something in the Orange," "Pink Skies," "Heading South," "Dawns," and plenty more songs folks love to scream-sing in their trucks. Known for his raw lyrics and roof-raising performances, he's one of the biggest names in music right now and he's picking Starkville as one of the lucky stops on a 40-plus city run across North America and Europe. The show is expected to shine a national spotlight on the "Best Small Town in the South," giving Mississippi State another major moment on the map and showing off just how big Davis Wade can go when it hosts more than football. |
| Why 2025 Carolina-Clemson football game was demoted to SEC Network | |
 | Six months ago, the possibilities felt endless. With Clemson football coming off a 2024 College Football Playoff appearance, South Carolina football just missing the 12-team field and both teams returning major stars who helped them win a combined 19 games last year, their rivalry game felt like a shoo-in for a top TV channel. And ESPN executives certainly bought into the hype surrounding the preseason No. 4 Tigers and No. 13 Gamecocks. The network publicly announced on June 11 that the 2025 Palmetto Bowl would kick off at noon on Nov. 29 in Columbia and air on one of the network's top two channels, ABC or ESPN. Then a funny thing happened. When ESPN announced final details for this weekend's rivalry game slate on Nov. 17, the Clemson-USC game had a new television slot: noon Saturday on SEC Network. It was a subtle change -- neither the ACC nor the SEC acknowledged it in their news releases for TV times last week. And from a fan access perspective, it's a footnote, since SEC Network is a widely accessible channel on every major cable and streaming TV platform nowadays. But the change in TV channel for Clemson-USC was an interesting bit of public back-tracking -- and, as multiple sources familiar with the process told The State, was essentially a midseason demotion based on how poorly both teams had played. |
| U. of Missouri System Board of Curators meeting for potential Drinkwitz contract extension Wednesday | |
| As the 2025 regular season nears its conclusion, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz's future with the program could be decided this week. The University of Missouri System Board of Curators announced a special meeting set for Wednesday afternoon that will begin with a call to order at 3. An executive session will begin at 3:05 p.m. According to the notice, the consideration of certain confidential or privileged communications with university counsel, personnel matters and contracts will be discussed. Ahead of Saturday's matchup against Arkansas, a contract extension could be on the table for Drinkwitz and Missouri. KOMU has learned the meeting relates to the future of Drinkwitz and a contract extension to keep him at Mizzou. This comes after several weeks of Drinkwitz's name being floated in job rumors across the country, including at Penn State, Florida, LSU and Auburn. If an agreement is made between him and Missouri, that would end the possibility of the sixth-year coach leaving elsewhere. |
| Texas attorney general Ken Paxton urging state schools not to sign CSC's participation agreement | |
| A letter from the Texas state attorney general threatens to derail college sports' new enforcement entity before it has really even got going. In a three-page letter sent to the seven power conference universities in Texas, Ken Paxton implores the schools not to sign the College Sports Commission's participation agreement -- a document that binds the 68 power league programs together under new enforcement rules, most notably requiring them to waive their right to sue over infractions decisions. The agreement, only enforceable if all members of the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC sign, intends to provide protection so the College Sports Commission can enforce new policies and penalties related to the athlete revenue-sharing concept implemented this year through the NCAA's settlement of three antitrust cases, often referred to as House. Perhaps most notably, Paxton targets the agreement's notion of arbitration. The agreement provides schools an avenue of arbitration in exchange for not filing legal challenges against the College Sports Commission. However, Paxton writes in his letter, Texas public universities are prohibited by state law from agreeing to arbitration. |
| Amazon Lines Up 15 Hours of Live Sports for Black Friday Boon | |
| Somehow, Amazon has made Black Friday even bigger. This year, Prime Video has planned 15 hours of exclusive live sports broadcasts, starting with a return of the PGA Tour's Skins Game in the morning, including a Bears vs. Eagles NFL tilt, and concluding with a pair of NBA Cup contests. "It shows how we've grown as a sports programming destination," Prime Video VP of global live sports production Jared Stacy said. "Hopefully there's a bunch of people across the country and actually the world that put on Prime during the day and leave it on throughout the night." The day begins at 9 a.m. ET with The Capital One Skins Game, which will see Keegan Bradley, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele start with $1 million apiece on the scoreboard and the opportunity to win -- or lose -- money on each hole. |
| 'Game Over When the Ambulance Arrives.' 21 Rules for Thanksgiving Family Touch Football | |
| The Wall Street Journal's Jason Gay writes: When I wrote my inaugural list of Rules for Thanksgiving Family Touch Football, my motive was simple: A quick holiday weekend column to avoid writing about the Michigan-Ohio State football game. Fifteen editions later, I'm still at it: A touch football column to avoid Saturday's Buckeyes-vs.-Fancy Weasels grudge match. I'm grateful to everyone who reads and shares this tradition, through all your family games, neighborhood feuds, sprained ankles, surgically-repaired shoulders, weddings, graduations, funerals, babies and at least three confused Aaron Rodgers franchises. Here we are with 21 more gridiron edicts for 2025. Stay safe, and as always, try to avoid urgent care. |
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