| Tuesday, May 18, 2021 |
| Buddy, dog set on fire in Mississippi by child, prompts petition drive | |
 | While Buddy, a stray Labrador retriever mix, recovers after being intentionally set on fire by a child in Mississippi, a petition drive, Justice for Buddy, continues to garner signatures, and dozens of adoption applications have been submitted. "He's a loving, forgiving dog," Sandy Williams, shelter director of the Tunica Humane Society, said. "I don't know how he's come through this and kept his tender heart, but he has. He's going to make somebody an exceptional dog." Hanging above Buddy's enclosure at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Starkville is a get-well card. Dr. Elizabeth Swanson, one of Buddy's veterinarians, said he is making good progress. "Everything is continuing to move along great," Swanson said. "The healing is really exceeding our expectations, so we're really pleased with that." Buddy's bandages are now changed every other day, instead of daily, another sign of progress. Swanson said they are waiting to see how Buddy's skin heals over the grafts, which could take some time. Preventing infection, a major concern involving burns, is critical, she said. Through everything, Buddy has remained loving and trusting. Swanson said he will cuddle up to his caretakers, resting his head on them, and has even ventured outside, exploring on his own without any help. |
| Paige Watson named Starkville Main Street director | |
 | The Starkville Main Street Association announced Monday that Paige Watson has been named the new director of the Main Street program. She had most recently served as the Special Events and Projects Coordinator for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership. Watson will assume her new duties effective immediately. She'll continue to assist in the development, planning and coordination for all Partnership and Main Street events and programs. Watson is a graduate of Mississippi State University and the University of Alabama. |
| Who's applying to run the Mississippi Department of Transportation? | |
 | Mississippi's elected transportation commissioners have received a handful of resumes for executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, including from Gov. Tate Reeves' Chief of Staff Brad White, former chairman of the state Republican Party. Other applicants include Jeff Altman, a longtime MDOT employee who's serving as interim director of the agency, and Heath Hall, owner of a public relations firm who has served as a consultant to Madison County and its sheriff's department. Hall was briefly deputy administrator for the Federal Railroad Administration but abruptly resigned after being accused of improperly being paid by the federal agency and Madison County at the same time. White formerly served as chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and the late Sen. Thad Cochran. He was formerly a chief of staff for the state auditor's office and served as chairman of the state Republican Party from 2008 to 2011. He served as an assistant to former Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall. MDOT's director is supposed to answer directly to a three-member, elected commission, not state lawmakers or other politicians, but the realpolitik is lawmakers are historically keenly interested in, and prone to meddle with, road building and maintenance and the running of MDOT. Whomever the elected commission picks as director is subject to state Senate confirmation in the next legislative session. |
| Mississippi lawmakers: Revive initiatives, marijuana program | |
 | Some Mississippi lawmakers say they want Gov. Tate Reeves to call them back to the Capitol for a special session to revive the state's initiative process. Others want a chance to quickly revive discussion of a medical marijuana program. The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that the medical marijuana initiative is void because Mississippi's initiative process is outdated. That effectively killed other initiatives for which people are already petitioning. "We 100% believe in the right of the people to use the initiative process to express their views on public policy," Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn said Monday in a statement that did not mention medical marijuana. "If the Legislature does not act on an issue that the people of Mississippi want, then the people need a mechanism to change the law." A spokeswoman for Reeves said Monday that the Republican governor is still reviewing the case and has not decided about a special session. About 1.3 million people voted in Mississippi in November, and more than 766,000 of them voted in favor of Initiative 65. |
| Mississippi Speaker Philip Gunn calls for special session to restore voter initiative process | |
 | With Mississippians now bereft of any way to directly amend their state constitution, momentum is building for a special session of the Legislature to begin the revival of the voter initiative process. Following a consequential ruling by the Mississippi Supreme Court on Friday, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, on Monday called for Gov. Tate Reeves to convene a special legislative session -- something only the governor can do. "We 100% believe in the right of the people to use the initiative and referendum process to express their views on public policy," Gunn said. "If the legislature does not act on an issue that the people of Mississippi want, then the people need a mechanism to change the law. I support the Governor calling us into a special session to protect this important right of the people." In a ruling last week, the Mississippi Supreme Court voided the passage of Initiative 65, which legalized medical marijuana, and found that, under current law, there is no valid way to place a voter initiative on the ballot. Gunn heads the state House of Representatives and would thus play an influential role over the outcome of any special session, but the governor must first call the special session and set the agenda to be considered. |
| Speaker Philip Gunn supports special session to fix ballot initiative process | |
| House Speaker Philip Gunn says he supports Gov. Tate Reeves calling a special session to allow legislators to reinstate the state's initiative process after the Mississippi Supreme Court struck it down in a landmark 6-3 decision last week. "We 100% believe in the right of the people to use the initiative process to express their views on public policy," Gunn said in a statement. "If the legislature does not act on an issue that the people of Mississippi want, then the people need a mechanism to change the law. I support the governor calling us into a special session to protect this important right of the people." Gunn did not comment on whether he believes medical marijuana also should be taken up in a special session if Reeves calls one. The Supreme Court struck down an initiative where voters approved medical marijuana in the same opinion where it voided the whole initiative process. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, has been unavailable to comment on questions from Mississippi Today about whether he wanted the governor to call a special session. But Secretary of State Michael Watson, who oversees state elections and the initiative process, said via social media he also supports the governor calling a special session. |
| 'Overturning the will of the people': Medical marijuana activists decry court decision | |
| Mississippi was supposed to join dozens of other states with medical marijuana programs. People looking to grow and dispense marijuana for medical purposes were making plans, some spending millions on land and buildings. Those eligible under the list of 22 debilitating conditions were counting on it come August. On Friday, the Mississippi Supreme Court flipped that reality upside down. Its decision to overrule a voter-approved medical marijuana initiative has sparked outrage from several organizations. Some have started petitions, one coalition called for a boycott of the city of Madison -- its mayor filed the lawsuit that was before the court -- and another is planning a rally for June. "The Supreme Court's decision effectively told the people of Mississippi: 'You have no voice, no vehicle for voter initiative, y'all's power is over,'" said Diesoul Blankenship, with Mississippians for Medical Marijuana and co-owner of Magnolia. "It's nothing short of erroneous and illegal." Still looming is Initiative 77, looking to decriminalize and legalize marijuana and cannabis in the state. And just as contentious, Initiative 76 that aims to expand Medicaid may be under the same technical vice-grip by the outdated initiative process. |
| Supreme Court throws abortion fight into center of midterms | |
| In agreeing to hear a potentially groundbreaking abortion case, the Supreme Court has energized activists on both sides of the long-running debate who are now girding to make abortion access a major issue in next year's midterm elections. For many evangelicals, the case could serve as a validation of more than four decades of persistent work and a sometimes awkward relationship with former President Donald Trump, whose three Supreme Court appointments sealed a 6-3 conservative majority. If those justices unite to uphold a Mississippi law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, it would mark a first step toward the possible demise of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established a nationwide right to abortion at any point before a fetus can survive outside the womb, roughly 24 weeks. Abortion rights advocates, meanwhile, are urgently warning that the case is the biggest threat to decades of rulings that have consistently upheld, with some caveats, a woman's constitutional right to decide whether to end her pregnancy. Among 2022 U.S. Senate races where the issue could be a key factor are those in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. |
| Supreme Court pulls President Biden into an abortion fight he didn't want | |
 | The Supreme Court's Monday decision to reconsider the right to an abortion drags President Joe Biden into an incendiary political fight that will loom large heading into the mid-term election. As a presidential candidate, Biden largely stayed quiet on the issue while Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and other Democratic contenders took the lead in putting forward sweeping abortion rights policy platforms. He conceded when pressed, however, that the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide should be written into federal law and the longtime ban on federal funding for abortion should be abolished. But by placing the issue front and center, the high court immediately forces his administration to reconsider its measured strategy that's largely consisted of rolling back Trump-era policies on reproductive rights and appointing some vocal abortion rights supporters to key federal health jobs. Pressed Monday about how the administration will respond to the court's taking up Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the administration is "committed to codifying" Roe but declined to say how such legislation could get through an almost evenly divided Congress. |
| Mississippi politicians react to SCOTUS decision to review state's 15-week abortion ban | |
 | Mississippi lawmakers are commenting on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to take up the case of the state's 15-week abortion ban, which could potentially change or overturn a nearly 50-year-old decision. "You may have a Supreme Court that's ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, or at least at the very least place some major restrictions on abortion in the country," said Sen. Joey Fillingane of District 41. In 2018, the Mississippi legislature overwhelmingly passed House Bill 1510, known as the Gestational Age Act, banning abortions in the state after 15 weeks. That same year, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves for the Southern District blocked the law, ruling it unconstitutional. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals backed that ruling, which caused the state to appeal to the Supreme Court. Now with a 6 to 3 conservative majority, Fillingane said he believes the court could be ready to change the law. "At least four of them must have wanted to make a statement on this issue, and they're using the Mississippi law as the vehicle whereby they will hear the case and make a determination," Fillingane said. The Mississippi Center for Justice and the Center for Reproductive Rights, who first challenged the 15-week abortion ban on behalf of the state's only abortion clinic, issued statements Monday saying they would fight to uphold the precedent of Roe v. Wade. |
| America's Herd Immunity Fixation Should End, Scientists Say | |
 | The end of this pandemic sometimes gets boiled down to two words: herd immunity. But now, as an academic debate swirls over when or even if America can get to a high enough percentage of people with immunity to reach that goal, some scientists say it's time for the public to stop worrying about it. "I think we're focusing too much of our time, our effort, on quibbling over a number," says Lauren Ancel Meyers, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and head of the university's COVID-19 Modeling Consortium. Instead, Meyers and others say the public should follow one simple piece of advice: Get vaccinated. "This pandemic ends when enough people are protected from severe illness, and selfishly you want to be protected from severe illness," says Devi Sridhar, a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Vaccination "helps you and it helps your community." Achieving herd immunity sounds like a simple goal that spells the end of the coronavirus. It feels concrete -- something to grab onto in a time filled with so much uncertainty, a finish line for which to strive. But the problem with framing the goal that way, say the scientists who actually build the models, is that the herd immunity threshold is far harder to calculate reliably than many in the public realize. |
| Former president's son defends father, calls U. of South Carolina a 'toxic atmosphere' | |
 | Days after the University of South Carolina president resigned under scandal, his son took to Twitter to defend his father and criticize the school. In a tweet thread, Nick Caslen called USC a "toxic atmosphere," labeled some faculty as childish, and said the school's board of trustees set the former president "up for failure" when it controversially elected him president in 2019. In one severe critique, Caslen condemned faculty members. "2 years ago I introduced myself in an open letter to @UofSC," he wrote. "It was well received by some, but sadly mocked and ridiculed childishly by most. Sadly mostly by faculty. The hate I experienced exemplified to me the true 'Carolina Creed'. Sad to see 'professionals' act like that." The Carolinian Creed is USC's value statement which focuses on academic integrity and respecting others. Caslen added, "It's evident that the example of accountability displayed by my father was lost on so many affiliated with @UofSC. Lost on everyone who apparently has life figured out. I doubt many will ever learn that lesson and I feel sorry for them." His father "never had a chance of succeeding ... due to the toxic atmosphere pervasive at @UofSC," Caslen said. |
| U. of Tennessee ends mask requirement for fully vaccinated students and staff | |
 | The University of Tennessee at Knoxville will no longer require masks for students and employees who are fully vaccinated, Chancellor Donde Plowman announced. Masks have been required on campus since last June. Now, those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer need to wear one, except in specific settings, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last week, the CDC said fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a face mask or practice social distancing in most settings. Exceptions to the new guidance include health care facilities and on public transportation, where masks are still recommended. Those who are not fully vaccinated are still encouraged to wear masks. Plowman added, however, that "any individual can choose to wear a mask on campus, regardless of their vaccination status." UT will not require students or employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine for the fall semester, but everyone is encouraged to do so. The university has been hosting vaccine clinics for months for students, employees and members of the public. The next clinic is set for Wednesday. |
| Face masks not required by U. of Florida except in medical facilities like hospitals | |
 | Masks are now optional for University of Florida students, faculty, staff and guests, according to an email sent Monday afternoon by the university and its corresponding health guidance webpage. The new policy covers UF properties and facilities, the page states, except for hospitals and "patient-facing clinical facilities," like the university dental and veterinary practices. It follows a recent announcement by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said Thursday that fully vaccinated people could "resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing" unless separate guidance, such as workplace rules or local laws, says otherwise. UF's update did caution those who aren't vaccinated to continue wearing face masks and sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. The decision is not absolute and can be adjusted or reversed if necessary. UF, along with Florida's other 11 public universities, is expected to return to pre-pandemic "normal" classroom capacity and in-person activities by the start of the 2021-22 school year. For Gators, that is June 28 and includes athletic events, the email said. |
| Texas universities urge passage of funding bill for campus construction to train more medical students after pandemic | |
 | Texas public university leaders are crossing their fingers that the Legislature will pass a bill this year that would open up billions of dollars of funding for construction of new and existing campus buildings. Many of the projects named in the bill would add health care education and research infrastructure as the state continues to face a shortage of physicians and nurses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials say the pandemic has exacerbated the needs for these construction projects that will expand public health education. House Bill 1530, which would authorize the state to issue $4.3 billion in bonds to fund the infrastructure projects, heads to the Senate for approval after the Texas House passed it last week. If passed by the Texas Senate and signed into law, it would send more than $150 million collectively for construction of new public health education buildings at Texas A&M University in San Antonio and at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, $88 million for a health professions building at Texas State University in Round Rock and $163 million for a dental school building at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso, among other projects. |
| Cooper Drury named interim dean of U. of Missouri's College of Arts and Science | |
 | Cooper Drury will serve as interim dean of the University of Missouri College of Arts & Science after Dean Patricia Okker leaves for her new position as president of New College of Florida. The appointment takes effect June 1, Provost Latha Ramchand wrote in an email to faculty. Drury has served as senior associate dean since 2016 and chair of the political science department from 2013-16. His leadership positions also include chairing the 2017-18 Task Force on Academic Program Analysis, Enhancement and Opportunities. He has served on the MU Faculty Council and the Intercampus Faculty Council. He served as editor-in-chief for Foreign Policy Analysis as the 2016 International Studies Association program co-chair and is a recipient of the Foreign Policy Analysis Distinguished Scholar Award. |
| Students Struggling With Mental Health Often Confide in Professors. They Want More Guidance on How to Help. | |
 | During an academic year that has been shaped by the pandemic, faculty members have encountered plenty of students who are grappling with mental-health issues. But data in one report shows that, despite their willingness to assist students in distress, professors don't know as much as they'd like about how to get them the help they need. The report -- based on a survey of 1,685 faculty members conducted during the spring semester by the Boston University School of Public Health, the Healthy Minds Network, and the Mary Christie Foundation -- showed that nearly eight out of 10 professors had a one-on-one conversation with a student about mental health during the last 12 months. However, less than 30 percent of faculty members said they have received training from their institutions to have such discussions. Almost 70 percent of professors said they want to better understand student mental-health issues and would welcome training. In fact, 61 percent of those surveyed said basic training on how to respond to students undergoing a mental-health crisis should be mandatory for all faculty members. The results from the survey, which was led by Sarah Ketchen Lipson, an assistant professor of health law, policy, and management at Boston University, show that colleges "can do a better job in supporting faculty as they fulfill this increasingly important role in addressing the mental health of all students on campus," the report said. |
| Investors Put Millions Into a Luxury Student Dorm. They Say They Were Ripped Off. | |
 | Adelaida Martinez was attracted by the opportunity to invest in Skyloft Austin, an upscale student housing complex near her alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, and collect a monthly dividend check. James Parziale put money into the same deal because he was impressed by the shiny new high-rise with its sun-drenched rooftop pool and door-to-door garbage collection service. Now Ms. Martinez and Mr. Parziale are among dozens of small investors who are suing, saying they were taken for a ride by a group of professional real estate investors who raised tens of millions of dollars from people like them to finance the purchase of the student dorm. According to the lawsuits and investors, more than 200 lawyers, accountants, doctors, retirees and others each invested $100,000 to $500,000 in the deal in 2019. At least half of them are now suing the property management firm that promoted the deal, as well as a hedge fund that provided additional financing and later took control of the building before selling it off. The investors are seeking to recoup much of the $75 million they put in. Such deals, known as private placements, are often pitched by brokers to chosen groups of small investors. They involve the sale of stocks, real estate or other assets, but the small offerings, which promise good returns, can be risky because they lack transparency. Real estate private placements such as the Skyloft deal are also popular because they offer people a way to defer taxes on property sales. |
| Earmarks are making a comeback and higher education may benefit | |
 | The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have brought back earmarks after a 10-year moratorium, but this time the provisions come with several reforms that could make higher education institutions prime recipients of the funding. Now referred to as "community project funding" in the House and "congressionally directed spending" in the Senate, earmarking allows lawmakers to direct funding from federal agencies to specific projects in their home states or districts. The practice was controversial, with opponents concerned about corruption and wasteful spending. But with its ban in 2011, Congress ceded some of its power to the executive branch, said Senate Appropriations Committee chair Patrick Leahy, the Democrat from Vermont. "Even though we appropriate the money, we can't even direct even a tiny fraction of the tax dollars we collect from the hardworking constituents and send those tax dollars back into the communities," Leahy said in an April 26 floor speech announcing that the committee would begin accepting requests, adding that executive bureaucrats "can't understand our communities to the extent each one of the 100 senators in this body do." |
| U.S. Senate votes to open debate on China tech bill | |
| The U.S. Senate voted 86-11 Monday to open debate on a measure authorizing more than $110 billion for basic and advanced technology research over five years in the face of rising competitive pressure from China. The Endless Frontier Act would authorize most of the money, $100 billion, to invest in basic and advanced research, commercialization of the research, and education and training programs in key technology areas like artificial intelligence (AI). Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate will debate the bill for a week or two beginning on Tuesday. "We can either have a world where the Chinese Communist Party determines the rules of the road for 5G, AI, and Quantum Computing -- or we can make sure the United States gets there first," Schumer said, calling it a "once-in-a-generation investment in American science and American technology." The bill under consideration includes $2 billion to boost semiconductor production and research for the auto and defense sector, but a group of senators are also working on a measure to include $52 billion for chips, according to draft summary of a proposal. Republican Senator Steve Daines said he will introduce an amendment this week to include critical mineral production as part of a new program to help the United States remain globally competitive. |
| U.S. set to allow more facilities to produce marijuana for research | |
| Drug Enforcement Administration opens door to more cannabis growers to supply drug for research. Moving to end one university's decadeslong monopoly on supplying marijuana for U.S. research, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said last Friday it will soon issue licenses to a number of growing facilities. Since 1968, only one operation, the University of Mississippi, has been licensed to supply marijuana to U.S. medical researchers who want to explore its value for treating conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. DEA announced on its website that it had sent a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to several manufacturers that had applied for licenses to grow cannabis for research studies. "We were euphoric. This is a victory for scientific freedom. It's finally a chance to use real-world cannabis in our own studies and supply genetically diverse cannabis to scientists across the nation," says Sue Sisley, the president and principal investigator at the Scottsdale Research Institute (SRI), which received one of Friday's MOAs. Sisley, a physician who is also an adjunct professor at Humboldt State University, says the marijuana grown by the only currently licensed facility, the National Center for the Development of Natural Products at the University of Mississippi, is not pure or potent enough for research. |
SPORTS
| Diamond Dawg Gameday: host Jacksonville State | |
| The final regular season home game arrives in the form of a midweek tilt against Jacksonville State on Tuesday (May 18) on Dudy Noble Field. The Diamond Dawgs and Gamecocks will meet for the 13th time in program history. Mississippi State leads the all-time series, 11-1, but Jacksonville State earned the victory in the last meeting in 2014. MSU is 9-1 at home, 1-0 on the road and the two teams squared off in the 2004 NCAA Atlanta Regional, a 7-6 victory for Mississippi State. Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen provide one of the best one-two punches in college baseball, as Jordan sets the tables as the leadoff hitter and Allen has delivered so many big hits out of the two-spot in the order. Jordan enters the week on a 34-game hitting streak -- which is the fifth-longest streak at MSU since 2002 -- and he is hitting .358 with 44 hits, 39 runs scored and 21 walks during that stretch. Over the last 10 games, Allen is hitting .500 with 24 hits, 11 runs scored and 10 RBIs. In 2021, Allen leads the SEC in batting average (.388), is No. 2 in hits (73) and No. 4 in on-base percentage (.466) and runs scored (52). Allen is the only SEC student-athlete to rank among the top 10 in average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hits, runs scored and RBIs in 2021. |
| Mississippi State hosts Jacksonville State in final non-conference game | |
| Mississippi State has lost three of its last four games, but the Bulldogs have a chance to right the ship tonight. Mississippi State, ranked No. 10 by D1baseball this week, is hosting Jacksonville State tonight at Dudy Noble Field for the last regular-season home game of the season. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. The Bulldogs (36-13, 17-10) were tied for first place in the SEC just two weekends ago, but lost the series-finale to South Carolina before losing the series to Missouri at home this past weekend. They're now tied for fourth place in the conference with Florida and despite the losses, MSU still has a chance to lock up a national seed by finishing the regular season on a high note. Jacksonville State is 24-25 this season and the Gamecocks have lost four of their last six games. They have played three games against SEC opponents and are 0-3 in those games - two losses to Alabama and a loss to Auburn. |
| 'Let Them Play': How Barstool Sports helped salvage Mississippi State women's golf season | |
| It started with a text at 6:59 a.m. "We really should put on this tournament for these girls." That's the greenlight Barstool Sports podcast host and blogger Sam "Riggs" Bozoian needed. The message came from Dave Portnoy, founder and president of the widely popular pop culture and sports media outlet Barstool. Portnoy and Riggs watched the same video everyone else did. They saw an NCAA Tournament committee tell a dozen women's golf teams on May 12 that their season was over without hitting a single shot in the Baton Rouge Regional. They saw an outcry of disapproval on social media ranging from players who were supposed to play in the regional to PGA Tour winners Justin Thomas and Max Homa. They saw an opportunity. "I played college hockey," Riggs told The Clarion Ledger. "I know what goes into it. I know what being a student-athlete takes. It consumes you. It's your identity at a pretty impressionable part of your life. And to have your season or career end with a sad, disappointing announcement, it didn't sit well with me. Rather than being upset about it, I wanted to do something." So that's what he did. The Let Them Play Classic gets underway at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona, on Thursday -- exactly one week after Portnoy texted Riggs. What a whirlwind, indeed. |
| No. 16 MSU Falls To No. 8 Texas A&M In NCAA Round of 16 | |
| Despite making a late comeback bid, the 16th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis squad fell to No. 8 Texas A&M 4-0 Monday night in the NCAA Team Championship Round of 16 at the USTA National Campus to conclude team competition for the 2021 season. The Bulldogs finished their successful campaign 18-10, advancing to the NCAA Team Championship Round of 16 for the 15th time in MSU's 25 all-time appearances (including four of the last five). State is now 31-25 all-time in NCAA Team Championship action. The opening doubles point Monday night would be a typical aggressive SEC battle with the Aggies securing the first two courts for the early 1-0 lead. Court 3 would finish first, where the Bulldog duo of Nicolas Ocana and Giovanni Oradini were edged by A&M's 86th-ranked team of Hady Habib and Noah Schachter 6-3. A&M then claimed the opening point with a win on court 2 where the 65th-ranked tandem of Pierce Rollins and Valentin Vacherot downed MSU's Nemanja Malesevic and Davide Tortora 6-3. At the time of the clinch, the Aggies' eighth-ranked duo of Juan Carlos Aguilar and Bjorn Thomson led MSU's 15th-ranked tandem of Florian Broska and Gregor Ramskogler 5-3. |
| Former Diamond Dawg roundup: Adam Frazier hits first home run of the year | |
 | Hits have been coming all season for Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Adam Frazier. Entering Monday night's games, the former Diamond Dawg had the 11th-highest batting average in Major League Baseball, boasting an average of .323. But the power had yet to arrive. Until Tuesday. Frazier hit his first home run of the season against Cincinnati relief pitcher Sean Doolittle, which continued a 12-game hitting streak for him that was snapped the next night. "I try not to [pay attention to stats], but a lot of people text me all the time and tell me how good I'm hitting," Frazier told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "And I'm just going to knock on some wood because I know how baseball is. Feel great one day and forget how to even touch a ball the next. I know how the highs and lows of the game come just as quick as they go. So I've got 120 or so games left, so I'm not worried about that right now." Frazier is getting on base at a .390 clip, has driven in 13 runs and stolen three bases for the Pirates this season. |
| La. Senate votes for college athlete endorsement deal bill | |
| The Louisiana Senate unanimously voted Monday to let college athletes make money off endorsements and sponsorship deals, similar to actions being taken across several states. Sen. Pat Connick's bill could have had Louisiana as the first state to allow student athletes to earn cash off their name, image or likeness. But an amendment added on the Senate floor likely ensures that other states' laws will take effect first. The provision added to the bill requires each university system governing board to adopt implementation policies before the endorsement and sponsorship deals could begin. Connick's proposal and others like it stem from the NCAA's inaction on a policy for athletes to earn cash off their name, image or likeness. The Marrero Republican said 15 states have passed legislation similar to the measure sent to the House with a 32-0 vote, and he said two dozen others are considering it. Compensation only would be allowed in deals struck with outside, third-party groups unaffiliated with the school. |
| Florida name, image and likeness legislation set to change college athletics landscape | |
| College athletes are about to get paid. In a league constructed around amateurism, that sounds illegal in some way. For most of history, it has been. That'll all change in less than two months. The name, image and likeness legislation, or NIL for short, will go into effect in Florida on July 1. The law will allow college athletes to receive compensation off just that: their name, image and likeness. Schools and conferences still cannot pay athletes for their performances. However, athletes can now sign endorsement deals or profit off their own advertising deals. For example, the University of Florida won't be able to pay quarterback Emory Jones to play for them in 2021, but if a local business wanted Jones to sponsor a sale, under the new legislation, Jones would be able to do so and earn money for the work. Florida attempted to delay the bill until July 2022 on April 29, but public outcry from players and coaches within the state forced an amendment to return the bill to its original start date by the next morning. Neil Schwartz, a longtime sports agent of roughly 30 years, said there's significance in being the first states to accept endorsements for athletes, especially when recruiting prospects. "You're an athlete who's thinking about either going to Texas or Florida or Georgia, and you're hearing that the Florida athletes are making more money than the Texas athletes -- where are you going?" Schwartz said. |
| UF update: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to return to full capacity for fall | |
| Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will return to full capacity this season, UF announced Monday. The Florida athletic program will begin normal operations June 28, the school announced in a news release. "We will also resume full in-person participation in athletic and other activities on our campuses, including fan participation in stadiums and arenas," the release said. NCAA guidelines currently call for a 50 percent fan capacity at NCAA Championship sites and the UAA will be following those policies for the upcoming NCAA Gainesville Softball Regionals this weekend. Given recently released national guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in concert with the State University System, UF will make masks optional rather than required for students, faculty, staff and guests on UF property and in UF facilities effective immediately, the release said. Those not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are recommended to continue wearing masks, according to CDC guidance. Florida will continue to promote COVID-19 vaccinations, closely monitor the pandemic, and take appropriate steps aimed at continuing to safeguard our university community should it become necessary, the release said. |
| Why Ole Miss, Mississippi State are wise to play Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving | |
| SEC columnist Blake Toppmeyer writes: The eyes of football-hungry SEC fans will be on Josh Heupel's debut as Tennessee's football coach when the Vols host Bowling Green on Sept. 2. That's because, last week, Tennessee smartly moved up its season opener two days to the first Thursday in September, making UT the only SEC team to play its opener that day. ... The Week 1 adjustment wasn't the only SEC schedule change announced last week. Ole Miss and Mississippi State shifted the Egg Bowl forward two days so that it will be played on Thanksgiving for the 24th time in series history. The rivalry was played on Thanksgiving from 2017-19 before moving to Saturday last season. ... By moving to Thanksgiving, the Egg Bowl becomes the only Division I game scheduled for the holiday, and it will receive an ESPN showcase at 7:30 p.m. ET. More than in-state bragging rights could be on the line. Both teams have Top 25 potential, so a win could send the victor on to a quality bowl game. ... Making the Egg Bowl a Thanksgiving staple gives the rivalry the platform it deserves. |
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