| Thursday, August 17, 2023 |
| Salter promoted to vice president at Mississippi State | |
 | Veteran Mississippi State University administrator Sidney L. "Sid" Salter has been promoted to vice president for strategic communications at the land-grant research university as part of the ongoing university transformation initiatives. Salter brings more than four decades of experience in Mississippi print, broadcast and digital journalism and multimedia management to the task in addition to experience in public affairs, marketing, corporate governance and crisis management. Since 2012, he served as director of public affairs and chief communications officer at MSU during a period of unprecedented growth under the leadership of MSU President Mark E. Keenum. As vice president, Keenum said Salter will continue to serve as MSU's spokesman and chief communications officer. The vice president is also responsible for developing strategies and driving outcomes in the university's comprehensive marketing and branding efforts. "Over the last 18 months, our university has completed a rigorous and thorough review of our future growth and development goals with the global management and marketing firm Prophet," said Keenum. "From that innovative partnership, we are implementing our transformation plan to take Mississippi State to the next level and tell our exceptional story to an even wider audience. I have confidence in Sid's unique skill set and commitment to MSU in leading this effort." Keenum said the university is also launching a search for a chief marketing officer as part of the reorganization. |
| Mississippi State promotes Sid Salter to vice president | |
 | Veteran Mississippi State administrator Sid Salter has been promoted to vice president for strategic communications, announced by the university on Wednesday. Salter, a Philadelphia native, brings more than four decades of experience in print, broadcast, digital journalism, and multimedia management to the task in addition to experience in public affairs, marketing, corporate governance, and crisis management. For the past 11 years, he served as director of public affairs and chief communications officer at Mississippi State during a period of unprecedented growth under the leadership of university president Mark Keenum. As vice president, Salter will continue to serve as spokesman and chief communications officer. He will also be responsible for developing strategies and driving outcomes in the university's comprehensive marketing and branding efforts. "Communication is a team enterprise. I'm honored to serve my alma mater along with an incredibly talented group of communicators in the Office of Public Affairs and marketers across this vital university," Salter said. "I'm excited about the challenges before us as we continue to strive every day to advance Mississippi State and grateful to Dr. Keenum for this opportunity." |
| New social media app pops up on Mississippi State campus | |
 | Social media is looking to make a positive impact on the Mississippi State campus. A new app that works like a private Twitter, may provide students with a safe space to chat anonymously. The social media app FIZZ is bubbling up in conversation among students at MSU. Will the app stand the test of time or will it fizzle away? We caught up with two FIZZ ambassadors who think it's here to stay for the long haul. The new social media app is making noise on Mississippi State University's campus. It's an app, only available to college students, with the exception of 20 moderators. Fizz allows students to post anonymously about questions, memes, events, and anything that comes to mind. Kaitlyn, a FIZZ ambassador, said that cuts down on outside interference and keeps the conversations relevant to university life. "It'll be better for students because it'll give us more of a forum to talk about campus-related things without having people outside of the campus giving input. So it kinda cuts down on there being random adults on there and maybe high school students, instead it's just for the college," said Kaitlyn. |
| Glo ranks among fastest growing private companies | |
 | Glo, a Starkville-based light-up cube and toy company, has been ranked 3,563 in the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the nation. CEO Hagan Walker told The Dispatch the company received the award earlier this week and is glad to be recognized. "Making the list constitutes I think it's the top 0.5% of the fastest-growing private companies in America," Walker said. "For us as a small company in Starkville, Mississippi, that started out of a classroom project, that's pretty cool to be in that top percent." The Inc. 5000 is a running list of the top 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country, and rankings are awarded based on sales growth over three years. Glo started in 2015 as a light-up drink cube company. It entered the toy space in 2018 and features Sesame Street characters, as well as some original creations, among their products. Walker said he believes the company made the list thanks to a few key components of Glo's business model. Those include the revamping of its signature Glo pals, which are light-up figure toys, diversifying where Glo sells its products internationally and even increasing its larger retail customers domestically. Chief Creative Officer Anna Barker said that local customers and having a solid team have played a pivotal role in the company's success. "We have been so fortunate to have the support of our local community, as well as our consumers," Barker said. "But most importantly, we have an amazing team who has helped propel our business and get us to this milestone in our company history." |
| ALDI to acquire all Winn-Dixie locations in Mississippi as part of expansion | |
 | ALDI on Wednesday announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket as part of a larger divestiture of Southeastern Grocers to various entities. The deal includes approximately 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations including all locations in Mississippi. It also includes stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana. Winn-Dixie has no locations in Jackson but has one Hattiesburg. The other Mississippi locations are in Gulfport, Long Beach, Ocean Springs, D'iberville and Meridian. ALDI has been expanding for the last several years, including in Hattiesburg, Flowood, Corinth, Horn Lake, McComb, Meridian, Ocean Springs, Olive Branch, Southaven, Starkville and Tupelo. The transaction will bring together three brands with a history in the region. ALDI first established its presence in the Southeast in the mid-1990s and since has invested $2.5 billion in the region. Most recently, ALDI deepened its roots in the region, opening its 26th regional headquarters and distribution center in Loxley, Alabama to help support new stores, with plans to open 20 new ALDI locations in the area by the end of the year. |
| Census projections suggest Mississippi's 'brain drain' continues, affecting major cities | |
 | Recent census projections are suggesting that major cities in Mississippi are going through a population decline. Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi and Hattiesburg are all projected to have population declines of at least .5% since 2020 based on recent data from the US Census Bureau. The largest change is a 5% decrease in Jackson, followed by a 1% decrease in Gulfport. Jamiko Deleveaux is the interim director for the Center for Population Studies at the University of Mississippi. He says that while the cost of living in Jackson is lower than other large cities in the region, wages in the capital city still need to be higher to attract more residents and businesses. "When you look at Nashville and you compare it to Jackson, the pay range that you get paid in Nashville is completely different than the pay ranges that you're going to get paid in Jackson," he said. "We also have to contend with making sure that Mississippi salaries are comparable." State leaders have made addressing "brain drain," a phenomenon of young educated people relocating to other states, a priority. Deleveaux says for populations to increase in Mississippi, the state will have to invest more into their urban areas. "I think that we have to look at it from a long-term perspective," he said. "And if in the next couple of years there's new economic development and jobs that pay higher salaries, that's really gonna attract people to Mississippi." |
| Mississippi sees 6.2% decrease in quarter-two gaming revenue | |
| While the U.S. experienced record-breaking quarter two gaming revenues, Mississippi saw a decline in earnings. A record of $16.07 billion was acquired from gaming institutions throughout the U.S., according to the American Gaming Association's (AGA) commercial gaming revenue tracker. The total outpaced Q2 2022 by 8.1 percent and marked the 10th consecutive quarter of annual growth for the commercial gaming industry. Though most states experienced increased gains in revenue, Mississippi's $617 million in Q2 earnings was a 6.2 percent decrease from last year and the highest drop-off of any other state. "I would say with the uncertainty of the economy, gas prices, the beginning of summer, and expansion sports betting around us would be some of the reasons we would be down," Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association Executive Director Larry Gregory told SuperTalk Mississippi News. Experts with the AGA speculate that the state's slowdown continues to be most noticeable in the northern region, where traditional gaming revenue saw a 13.3 percent decrease through the first half of the year. Serving an increasingly competitive Memphis area, north Mississippi casinos reportedly continue to lose shares to Southland Casino across the Arkansas border which saw a revenue surge of 19.3 percent in the first half of 2023 and is now one of the highest-grossing casinos in the country outside of Nevada. |
| Reeves speaks on education and economic development at Vicksburg Warren Chamber luncheon | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves spent the lunch hour in Vicksburg as the keynote speaker for the Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce's August luncheon, during which he praised local schools and touted opportunities for economic development in the region. "I am very lucky and fortunate to be able to serve as Mississippi's 65th governor," Reeves said. "And I really do think the work that is being done in this city and county by elected leaders is not going unnoticed." Reeves first highlighted growth in capital investments across Mississippi in the 10 years before he was elected governor. During that time, the state averaged approximately $900 million per year in new capital investments. By comparison, in 2022 alone, he said, the state had more than $6 billion in economic development announcements. Workforce development is another contributing factor to the state's economic growth, Reeves said, and it's something that must begin in primary school and continue through adulthood. The governor highlighted his efforts to work with Sen. Briggs Hopson (R-Vicksburg) to implement more than $100 million for workforce development during his term. "This is investing in our people so they can not be prepared for the jobs of the last 50 years, but be prepared for the jobs of the next 50 years," he said. "Not only have we been able to do it for those that are already out of school; we've also seen record investment in our K-12 educational system." |
| 'It lit a fire': Democrats work to make the GOP-dominated Mississippi Gulf Coast competitive | |
| John Willie Dedeaux has suppressed an urge for the last 15 years to mount a campaign for the state Legislature. But this year is different. After recently retiring as a full-time school resource officer, he decided to finally run as a Democratic candidate for his House seat in Pass Christian because he believes his community could improve with a different representative in the state Capitol. Dedeaux knows it will be difficult for him to unseat his opponent, three-term Republican incumbent Carolyn Crawford, and become the first Democrat to represent his district in 12 years. But after hearing from some of the nation's most prominent Democratic officials last week in his home county, he's certain the political tide may be turning across the Gulf Coast, and this year could be different for other reasons. The Congressional Black Caucus Institute on Aug. 10 convened its annual Mississippi policy event at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, with Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison making a rare appearance in the Magnolia State. Harrison last appeared in Mississippi in 2018 for the state's two U.S. Senate elections. Chairman of the national party since 2021, he wields influence with Democratic officials across the country. And speaking to Mississippians could give local organizers and candidates a morale boost during the peak of the campaign cycle. Before last week, Dedeaux said he thought the national party didn't care about him, his campaign or even his town. But after hearing national leaders pledge not to overlook Mississippi, the Blackest state in the nation, he now has a different opinion. "Those guys coming down and explaining how they want the party to grow, it lit a fire down here," Dedeaux told Mississippi Today. "And it should put a fire under a lot more people." |
| Presidential candidate Mike Pence coming to Mississippi Book Festival | |
| Former Vice President, and current Republican presidential candidate, Mike Pence will visit Jackson on Saturday to participate in the Mississippi Book Festival, the annual literary celebration that takes place in and around the State Capitol. Pence, whose inclusion in the festival drew criticism and protest from local LGBTQ advocacy groups, will take part in a panel moderated by former Republican U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper focusing on Pence's autobiography "So Help Me God," which chronicles his upbringing and political career, culminating in the events of Jan. 6, 2021. "In 'So Help Me God,' Pence shows how the faith that he embraced as a young man guided his every decision. It is a faith that guided him on that historic day and that keeps him happily at peace, ready to accept the next challenge," reads part of the book's summary from publisher Simon and Schuster. Pence served as vice president for four years under former President Donald Trump. On Jan. 6, 2021, he was tasked with presiding over the joint session of Congress where Democratic President Joe Biden was to have his 2020 election victory certified. Trump, and many of his supporters, endorsed a theory that Pence could reject electors from states Biden narrowly won, like Georgia and Arizona, and instead seat alternate electors that would cast their state's votes for Trump. Pence has said he held no such power. What ensued was an insurrection, as Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol and temporarily halted the certification process. Pence, who is now a candidate against Trump and others, has faced questions from skeptical Republican primary voters asking why he did not try to overturn the 2020 election. Pence's panel, moderated by Harper, will take place at 2:45 p.m. Saturday in the Old Supreme Court room inside the Capitol, and live coverage will be provided by CSPAN. |
| Decision sets up likely Supreme Court showdown on abortion pill | |
 | A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled in favor of restricting a commonly used abortion drug, setting up what could be the next major Supreme Court case with national implications for abortion. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit heard oral arguments in May in a case brought by conservative medical provider groups who oppose the Food and Drug Administration's 2000 approval of mifepristone, which is used to end pregnancies. Abortion opponents have criticized the drug since its approval, and mifepristone is subject to tighter regulation than most other FDA-approved medications. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal advocacy organization, challenged the FDA's approval of mifepristone in November 2022 on behalf of anti-abortion medical groups and four physicians, citing their concerns about the drug's safety. The court in the 93-page ruling partially upheld a district court ruling by leaving in place the FDA's initial approval of the drug and the 2019 approval of a generic version and striking other changes made in 2016, 2021 and 2023 that eased how the drug is dispensed and prescribed. The Justice Department is expected to appeal the decision. In April, the Supreme Court issued an order pausing any changes to regulating mifepristone while litigation continues. |
| Biden's approval rating on the economy stagnates, AP-NORC poll shows | |
 | President Joe Biden has devoted the past several weeks to promoting the positive impacts of his policies -- but his efforts have yet to meaningfully register with the public. Only 36% of U.S. adults approve of Biden's handling of the economy, slightly lower than the 42% who approve of his overall performance, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Both figures are close to where Biden's approval numbers have stood for about the past year and a half, including just two months ago. Signs of an improving economic outlook have done little to sway how people feel about the Democratic president as he gears up for a 2024 reelection campaign that could pit him against his predecessor and 2020 opponent, Republican Donald Trump. Job growth has stayed solid with the unemployment rate at 3.5%, while the pace of inflation has slowed sharply over the past year to the annual rate of 3.2%. Both Biden and Trump have weaknesses as older candidates seeking a rematch. Trump, 77, faces a series of criminal indictments that include his possession of classified material and allegations that he tried to overturn the 2020 election, which has rallied support among Republicans while leaving him with substantial vulnerabilities in a potential general election contest. The poll also found that 55% of Democrats say they don't think Biden should run again in 2024, though a large majority -- 82% -- say they would definitely or probably support him if he is the nominee. Overall, only 24% of Americans say they want Biden to run again. |
| New report: United Methodist Church disaffiliation movement in US largely white, Southern, male-led | |
 | The traditionalist exodus out of the United Methodist Church in the U.S. is definitively white, Southern and male-led, according to a scholarly analysis of the most recent available data. The report is the second of its kind from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, a research center out of the UMC-affiliated Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C., using a much larger data set than the first. The new report shows that of the 6,000-plus churches that have left the UMC, through a process called disaffiliation, 70% of are in the denomination's two Southern jurisdictions and 98% are majority white. More churches are expected to leave the UMC by the end of the year and lead researcher Lovett Weems, emeritus distinguished professor at Wesley, expects the trends to stay the same. "When we had the first 2,000, there was pushback the trends would change. But they really didn't," Weems said, comparing the newest report with the first one released in February using data through the end of 2022. "There's no reason at this point" to expect a drastic change, Weems added. Amid a splintering following disagreements over theology and church policy, including dealing with LGBTQ rights, churches have been leaving the UMC since 2019 and many are joining the Global Methodist Church, a more conservative breakaway denomination. |
| William Carey School of Education receives $2.1M grant | |
 | William Carey University has received a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, catering to those wanting to teach in the STEM field. William Carey is 1 of 8 colleges and universities to receive this type of grant award this year and the only one from Mississippi. "We're trying to help people answer the call to teach," said University President Dr. Ben Burnett. "We have graduated over 1,000 education majors just in the last 2 years, so this will just help us accelerate that and specifically in a needed area in science and technology but also special education. Those are some of the most critical shortage areas in the state of Mississippi." Students will be paired with a teaching mentor in their junior and senior years, learning teaching strategies for STEM. After graduating, the student will be required to work in their partner school for two years. U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell said this grant will help not only with the retention of teachers in the state but also inspire those reaching for this goal in their futures. "Our young folks are hungry for a better education system and to be a part of making something better for not only the state but for our country," said Ezell. "So, this is going to pay big dividends, way more than this grant will ever give us. Just what will come from this for our young folks going through the system here and being a good contributor to America." |
| More States Threaten to Hold Back Third-Graders Who Can't Read | |
 | In the race to fix a nationwide reading crisis that worsened during the pandemic, more states are threatening to make students repeat third grade to help them catch up. Tennessee, Michigan and North Carolina are among at least 16 states that have tried in recent years to use reading tests and laws requiring students to repeat third grade to improve literacy. Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Nevada have all passed similar laws that will go into effect in the coming years. Politicians and educational officials say the goal isn't to hold children back, but to create an incentive to do well while also reducing social promotion. Tennessee state Rep. Mark White, a Memphis Republican who co-sponsored a 2021 law that went into effect for students entering fourth grade this fall, said the threat of retention brings needed accountability. "We cannot continue to kick the can down the road when it comes to reading literacy and proficiency with young people," he said, citing a desire from businesses for a better-educated workforce. Reading by the end of third grade is considered a pivotal benchmark, because students must be able to read in subsequent grades to learn math, science, social studies and other subjects. Third-graders who lack reading proficiency are four times more likely to drop out of high school, according to a 2011 study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Mississippi, which passed the Literacy-Based Promotion Act in 2013, is often held up as a model of how retention can succeed. The state, which educates 440,285 students, has held back between 4% and 10% of third-graders for low reading scores and other reasons. Students are flagged in kindergarten if they aren't on track, teachers receive literacy coaches, and students who repeat third grade receive extra support. |
| Texas A&M Regents approve a freeze on tuition | |
 | The Texas A&M University System Regents approved a freeze on tuition and fees for undergraduate Texas residents in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, while also authorizing a $4.8 billion capital plan for the next five years at Wednesday's meeting. The System is able to provide the support due to the unprecedented revenue surplus at the state level, and the Texas Legislature offered additional funding as part of the State of Texas' Higher Education Affordability initiative. Also Wednesday, the regents approved billions for construction for projects at every System entity. The $4.8 billion system capital plan includes $3.2 billion of previously approved projects that are either in design or construction. The plan also includes $1.6 billion in proposed future projects across the System's 11 universities and eight state agencies. |
| A&M Regents establish $200M Space Institute to be built near NASA | |
| Nancy Currie-Gregg was selected as an astronaut in 1990, one year after former President George H.W. Bush announced on the 20th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission that people would return to the moon and go to Mars. For Currie-Gregg, she thought her class of astronauts would achieve those new ambitions. Although those astronauts didn't fulfill Bush's plans, Currie-Gregg said the space industry is now on the precipice over 30 years later to make those goals finally come to fruition and she will have a hand in possibly making that happen. Currie-Gregg will serve as the director of Texas A&M University's Space Institute, which was approved and created by the A&M Board of Regents on Wednesday. A&M Regents also approved the construction of a $200 million A&M facility to be built adjacent to NASA's Johnson Space Center in south Houston. The A&M facility adjacent to the Johnson Space Center will be constructed with funds appropriated by the Texas Legislature earlier this year from House Bill 3447. A&M officials plan to bid on access to 32 acres along Saturn Lane, which sits adjacent to Rocket Park and at the entrance of the Johnson Space Center. A&M officials noted this new institute will help the state of Texas remain a space exploration and industry leader. In 1989, A&M's flagship campus was named a space grant university. |
| U. of Missouri System says data breach compromised some personal data | |
 | The breach of file transfer software used by thousands of organizations, including the University of Missouri System, has compromised some personal data stored in the system, an investigation has found. The file transfer software is MOVEit, used to share large files among organizations. "The breach impacted some outside vendors that we use to assist in our operations, including our enrollment and pension processes," Ben Canlas, interim vice president for Information Technology, said in a news release. "While we continue to work on obtaining specific information, we want to alert our employees, students and retirees that they might be impacted by this breach." Pension Benefit Information, a subcontractor with several university vendors, and the National Student Clearinghouse, which is used to verify academic information and educational data reporting, were affected by this breach. The files from these vendors might have included information from the student record database on current or former students of the University of Missouri. "This is a large-scale investigation and as such, many details, including the specific types of information and the number and identity of the individuals impacted, have not been confirmed at this time," Canlas said in the news release. "The comprehensive process to identify this specific information is proceeding as quickly as possible." |
| $1B gift to Kansas college is example of fundraising success | |
 | An anonymous donor has propelled a small, obscure college in Kansas into the billion-dollar endowment club alongside wealthy and well-known institutions such as Harvard, the University of Texas at Austin, and Yale. McPherson College, which had a modest endowment of $53.4 million a year ago, now boasts an endowment valued at $1.59 billion. It has proven that it is possible for a college's financial status to change drastically in less than a year, though a jump of this magnitude is both unusual and highly unlikely for a college of its size and reputation. At the close of fiscal year 2022, McPherson's endowment ranked 581st out of all U.S. colleges and universities, according to a report by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Last month, Michael Schneider, McPherson's president, announced the college had surpassed the ambitious $1 billion endowment goal he set years ago. While Schneider said McPherson was in a stable financial position already -- which is what motivated some of its biggest donors to invest -- this new access to such a large endowment will allow the college to sustain and grow its operations indefinitely. "We're fortunate, we're grateful, but I don't know if I would describe it as lucky," Schneider said. "I set off with a very bold goal to build a $1 billion endowment. A lot of people laughed at me at first, but no one is laughing now." Schneider, a 1996 McPherson alumnus who's led the college since 2009, said he never expected a donor would step up in such a big way, but believes his consistent focus on making donors "feel like stakeholders" paid off. Those stakeholders included alumni, parents of students, and former faculty. |
| Lawmakers urge Education Department to help end legacy and donor admissions | |
| A trio of senators urged Education Secretary Miguel Cardona this week to help end legacy and donor preferences in admissions. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, both Democrats from Massachusetts, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, wrote a letter Monday calling on Cardona to use his "advisory and investigatory authority" to level the playing field for college hopefuls. The lawmakers voiced concerns about the ongoing impact of legacy preferences, which tend to benefit White and wealthy students, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June striking down race-conscious admissions. The letter marks one of the most prominent calls yet to end legacy and donor admissions, which gives preferential treatment to applicants related to donors and alumni. Scrutiny over these practices heightened after the Supreme Court gutted race-conscious admissions, uprooting decades of precedent. "The Court's decision strikes a blow against diversity in higher education while keeping intact harmful practices that advantage the wealthy and well-connected," the lawmakers wrote. The three lawmakers called on the Education Department to support colleges transitioning away from legacy and donor preferences, aggressively pursue complaints against these practices, and deny federal funding to institutions that use these admissions tactics to disproportionately benefit White and wealthy students. |
| Gender studies on 'high alert' amid conservative attacks | |
 | Gender studies, a college-level field established decades ago to dive into the relationship between gender and society, is trying to fight off a fresh barrage of conservative attacks. Evolving from women's studies, the academic branch now also encompasses LGBTQ issues and works with many other disciplines. While it has always faced some criticisms, this evolution has put a target on the back of the major, with the recently appointed conservative trustee board at the New College of Florida voting to end its 28-year-old gender studies department last week. "They're trying to capitalize on what they see as a political moment. And it's really unfortunate because what they're doing is going to have long-term negative effects on our education system, and the health and well-being of our children," said Amy Reid, director of the gender studies department at New College. Trustee Matthew Spalding, a Hillsdale College professor, told The Daily Signal, "Removal of gender studies as an area of concentration at New College is fully in accord with its strategic mission to be the state of Florida's liberal arts honors college." Conservatives across the country have increasingly taken up arms against gender studies, especially as the debate around transgender youth and what children should be taught in schools about LGBTQ issues has ignited. Gender studies professors say these attacks show a fundamental misunderstanding of what the field is and diminishes the work they have done for decades. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State Soccer Travels to the Grand Canyon State to Kickoff 2023-24 Athletics Year | |
| As anticipation builds for the 28th season of Bulldog soccer, State gears up to travel to Arizona for a pair of duels in the desert with the Lopes of Grand Canyon (Thursday) and the Sun Devils of Arizona State (Sunday). The Bulldogs, led by Head Coach James Armstrong, are entering the new season with renewed determination and a roster brimming with talent. With a history of strong defensive plays and strategic attacks, the Bulldogs are poised to build on their NCAA tournament experience from a year ago. Thursday will mark the inaugural encounter between MSU and Grand Canyon University. On the Lopes side, the 2023 Preseason All-WAC team has proudly included Gianna Gourley and Leah Pirro. Notably, Gourley has been designated as the Preseason Co-Offensive Player of the Year. This distinguished duo, consisting of a senior forward in Gourley and a sophomore midfielder in Pirro, stands among the esteemed 11 preseason honorees from the Lopes. With their leadership, the Lopes team is anticipated to excel, a sentiment echoed by their selection as the second-place prediction in the conference coaches' preseason polls this season. The Bulldogs return 22 Dawgs to the pitch this season from last year's squad. Notably, State returns 78% of goals scored in 2022, 77% of points scored and 71% of their shots on goals from last year's record-breaking squad. Last season, MSU captured their first wins in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments all while being cheered on by record-setting crowds of the Maroon and White faithful. |
| What we've learned about Mississippi State football secondary from preseason practices | |
| Friday marks two weeks since Mississippi State football began preseason practices, and Saturday marks two weeks until kickoff against Southeastern Louisiana. Still, first-year coach Zach Arnett isn't sure what his starting secondary will look like. "I've been pretty open about it," Arnett said last week. "I have concerns about the number of snaps we're replacing at safety and the experience we're replacing within the defense." MSU lost four of its five starters between safety and cornerback. Safeties Jalen Green, Jackie Matthews and Collin Duncan exhausted eligibility or pursued professional careers. That's a combined 2,120 snaps Arnett is losing from last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The Bulldogs also lost cornerback Emmanuel Forbes in the first round of the NFL Draft -- another 729 snaps out the door. Decamerion Richardson, who was the No. 2 corner behind Forbes, is the lone returner from the starting secondary. The first glimpse at how Arnett may sort this year's lineup came on Aug. 9 when he noted safeties Ja'Kobi Albert and Marcus Banks as standouts. Both joined MSU via the transfer portal with Albert coming from Kentucky this year and Banks coming over from Alabama ahead of last season. Banks, who transferred as a corner, transitioned to safety in the spring and has emerged as a starting candidate this month. "Banks continues to play at a high level," Arnett said. "He's a senior. We need him to take charge and be the leader of that group. Make sure everyone is up to the standard." |
| Notebook: Mele excited, encouraged by special teams units in fall camp | |
| The Australian influence on college football has been well-documented in recent years. Mississippi State football has it's own down-under import this year in Keelan Crimmins, a 22-year old freshman from Melbourne who was ranked the No. 7 punter in the nation for the 2023 recruiting class. "He played Australian rules football for three years for some leagues there," special teams coordinator Eric Mele said. "They're all playing with their feet versus some sports like baseball, so he can run around, starting with the post route, and just punt it up to them, hit them in stride." Crimmins is one of two punters competing for the starting job this season in an increasingly competitive special teams room. The Bulldogs have five kickers in fall camp, as well as a number of kick and punt returners headlined by Zavion Thomas and Lideatrick "Tulu" Griffin. "A lot more depth, a lot more competition," Mele said. "You don't make your kick or you don't execute, there's someone else ready to earn that rep. It's been good to have that in camp." |
| Mississippi State debuts 1998 throwback uniforms | |
| On November 4, Mississippi State football is going to party like it's 1998. The Bulldogs unveiled new throwback uniforms Tuesday morning on social media, a tribute to the 1998 Southeastern Conference West Division championship, the only one in school history. The uniforms, featuring the interlocking MSU symbol, as well as 'Miss. State' across the chest and a retro SEC logo, will be worn for the Bulldogs' homecoming game against Kentucky. "That mark is special to me," former MSU linebacker Floyd "Pork Chop" Womback said in Tuesday's release. "It's like our mark in history. When you see that logo, you know what that means. It was one of the best times in Mississippi State history." That 1998 season saw Mississippi State finish with an 8-5 record overall and a 6-2 record in the SEC West. The Bulldogs carried an 8-3 record into the SEC Championship Game, losing 24-14 to the eventual national champions, Tennessee. Mississippi State played in the Cotton Bowl Classic later that season, losing 38-11 to Texas. |
| Two assistant coaches added to MSU coaching staff | |
| Mississippi State track and field announced Wednesday the addition of two assistant coaches to the coaching staff in Vanitta Kinard and Trent Zelden. Kinard, who most recently coached at South Carolina, comes to Starkville with over two decades of coaching experience at the collegiate level and with the U.S. Olympic Team. She's made stops in the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten and Big 12, among other collegiate conferences. "What she brings to the table is a high level of recruiting pedigree, a lot of knowledge about the SEC and what it takes to be successful in the conference, and she brings in her professional experiences that she can relay down to our student-athletes," head coach Chris Woods said in Wednesday's press release. She will be assisting with sprint and jump athletes. Zelden, a spring graduate of Mississippi State, competed in the javelin, hammer throw and weight throw events during his time in Starkville. He will be assisting athletes in the throws events in his new role with the team. |
| Blue Delta renews partnership with U.S. Ryder Cup team | |
| Blue Delta Jean has extended its partnership with the United States Ryder Cup Team as an official team supplier through 2025. In 2020, Blue Delta was named the official jean of the team, and this year, it will do it again. "It's an honor for us to partner with the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, and we can't wait to outfit the U.S. players, captains and PGA executive team again in a quality, bespoke jean made in the USA," said Blue Delta CEO Josh West. Blue Delta will provide the team with custom jeans and special-edition, custom leather belts for their off-course wear during the 44th Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Guidonia Montecelio near Rome this fall. Global custom clothier Tom James Co. will also partner with Blue Delta as the exclusive wholesaler of the company's Ryder Cup offerings. "Our jeans are special because of who makes them, where we make them and how we make them. You won't find a better fit," said Blue Delta Chief Operating Officer Nick Weaver. "We are honored to partner with the U.S. Ryder Cup Team to provide off-course style and comfort during this iconic competition." The customer-tailored jeans take three to four weeks from fitting to delivery. A team of tailors and seamstresses make the jeans in Blue Delta's Tupelo factory. "Blue Delta offers more than just blue jeans; we offer an experience, and we take care of our customers like family," Weaver said. "We make sure people are happy, and we guarantee fit. We take 16 measurements and draft a personal pattern. This is the best jean you'll ever own -- its handmade in Mississippi, and it's going to fit perfectly." |
| Conference realignment shakes up recruiting landscape as Big Ten, Big 12, SEC widen footprints | |
| Conference realignment has widened the recruiting footprint for Power Five college football programs long before many teams open play in their new league homes. Oklahoma and Texas accepted invitations to join the Southeastern Conference back in 2021 and programs have been adjusting ever since. The dominoes continue to fall, with the SEC and Big Ten getting stronger, the Big 12 expanding, the Pac-12 left as a shell of its former self and the Atlantic Coast Conference facing angst from the likes of Florida State. The Big Ten has seen the most significant shift, at least in terms of geography. With Southern California, UCLA, Washington and Oregon leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten next year, the sprawling conference will boast programs from the West Coast all the way to New Jersey. "For recruiting purposes, it sort of shrinks the idea of of going far away from home," said Adam Gorney, the national recruiting director for Rivals. "If you were a kid in Arizona and you were a little hesitant to go to Ohio State, well, you are going to come back and play in the West once or twice, three times a year now." Texas and Oklahoma will combine their great histories with membership in the nation's strongest football conference when they begin SEC play in 2024, making them even bigger threats on the recruiting trail. Oklahoma has been touting the move when making its case to recruits. "When you can promote (playing) Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee, or promote going on the road to Baton Rouge (Louisiana) or to Auburn, Alabama, or to Oxford, Mississippi -- it gets the people charged up," Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. "I love creating vision. I love talking about the future, and they like it when you can create vision for them and they can see it." |
| Tuscaloosa Police Set for Gameday With Less Parking, More Towing | |
| Police in Tuscaloosa are getting ready for another college football season at the University of Alabama, and shared what changes the public can expect Thursday morning. Stephanie Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Tuscaloosa Police Department, said fans can expect the Gameday experience to look much like it has in years past, but with several new rules in place with an mind for a safer, more fun experience. "We want everyone to have a fantastic time during the football season while also prioritizing safety," said TPD Chief Brent Blankley. "These changes reflect our commitment to providing a secure and enjoyable environment for all fans, residents and visitors." Of perhaps the biggest impact is a new city law that will mean much more towing in Tuscaloosa. For years, a property owner has been required to be on-site before a vehicle could be towed without the consent of the vehicle owner. That requirement has been removed by city code adopted earlier this year. "This means it's much more likely to get towed if you park in a lot that requires decals or credentials. This is not just a game day rule: tow truck drivers that have entered contracts with apartment complexes and other properties can now monitor parking lots and remove any vehicles without hang tags or decals," Taylor said. "All of the properties taking advantage of this new regulation must post visible signs with tow company information. So keep an eye out for the signs and find a sanctioned area to park." TPD will also be enforcing a new queueing permit which tasks local businesses with monitoring the number of people waiting to enter and preventing lines from taking over the sidewalk and street. Taylor also noted that TPD and the University of Alabama have opened a new joint precinct on the Strip, where people are welcome to stop by to report anything they need to or just say hello to the officers working. |
| ESPN exec on preserving women's college hoops, NBA, CFP TV properties: 'We'll be very aggressive' | |
| Expect ESPN to be very aggressive in trying to keep three of its core sports TV properties in place. With women's college basketball, the NBA and the College Football Playoff all due for new television deals in the near future, ESPN president of content Burke Magnus said this week that the network intends to try to preserve a foothold in all three. ESPN currently holds women's college basketball as part of a larger package of NCAA sports in a deal that expires after the 2023-24 season. If the NCAA seeks a standalone media rights deal for the women's basketball tournament, adopting a recommendation from the Kaplan report which said that those rights are currently devalued, ESPN says it will be very aggressive to bid on those rights. "Oh, I think we'll be very aggressive," Magnus said in a phone interview Tuesday in a wide-ranging conversation about ESPN's present and future plans. "You know how much pride we've taken in that sport and that tournament for many years. Last year was a confluence of a dream matchup (LSU–Iowa) and transcendent players and it paid off to the tune of 9.9 million viewers (for the championship game), which is a number that you just don't see in our business very often in any sport. At the same time, I did start referring to it as a 25-year overnight success just to indicate to people how long we've been at it in terms of women's basketball and the women's tournament." The Wall Street Journal, via research from consultants Ed Desser and former ESPN executive John Kosner, concluded the women's basketball tournament by itself could be worth $81 million to $112 million under a new deal starting in 2025. ESPN has held exclusive rights to the tournament since 1996. The company has consistently increased programming windows and content for the tournament. This year the title game aired on linear ABC for the first time. "We take great pride in it," Magnus said. |
| Could George W. Bush and Condi Rice help push ACC to expansion? Here's why some member schools are unhappy | |
| The phone rings. It is an unfamiliar number. "Hello," a voice comes from the other end, "this is Condoleezza Rice." The phone rings again, also flashing an unfamiliar number. "Hello," the voice says from the other end, "this is George W. Bush." Powerful figures connected to Stanford -- as well as SMU -- are on a campaign to encourage leaders within the ACC to rethink their position on acquiring the two schools, as well as Cal. Both of those figures, Rice and Bush, have communicated with conference officials in pursuit of a membership invitation for the schools in which they are vested, multiple sources tell Yahoo Sports. Rice, the former U.S. secretary of state, is a Stanford professor who serves as director of the school's Hoover Institute, a public policy think tank and research institute. Bush's wife, Laura, attended SMU and his presidential library is located on the school's campus. It is not unusual for influential members of a university to embark on such lobbying efforts. But their campaign is another interesting wrinkle in the wave of college realignment washing across the country, the most impactful version in modern history -- a monsoon that's washed away a power conference and put in motion a cascade of other changes. Will the lobbying efforts of powerful political figures change minds and alter votes? |
| NIL companies position themselves for revenue-sharing model | |
| As a growing number of industry leaders publicly acknowledge now is the time to explore what a revenue-sharing model entails, some NIL-focused companies are already venturing deep into the weeds, strategically positioning themselves for a future many see as a virtual inevitability. A revenue-sharing model that dramatically reshapes the college sports paradigm could very well arrive in the coming years -- if not sooner -- numerous administrators, conference commissioners and NIL stakeholders tell On3. The only questions: When will the new era begin, and which entity -- the courts, National Labor Relations Board or schools themselves -- jump-starts the evolution? "Most objective participants in the college athletics ecosystem acknowledge that revenue sharing with at least some college athletes is going to happen in the relatively near future," Mit Winter, a college sports attorney at Kansas City-based Kennyhertz Perry, told On3. "The only questions are when and how. If your plan is to wait around until there's certainty on those two questions to begin preparing your business or organization for a world with revenue sharing, then it's probably going to be too late." Several prominent NIL-centric companies, including MOGL, Athliance, Opendorse and others that declined to be named, are proactively exploring where their company fits into a potential revenue-sharing world and what benefit it would provide stakeholders if and when that model takes hold. |
| Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark says league is done with expansion after growing to 16 | |
 | Big 12 looks to be staying at 16. League commissioner Brett Yormark says the conference's expansion is finished for now. Yormark addressed the issue in a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday when he was asked if there were any further plans to add other schools. "Right now, we're done," he replied. Yormark elaborated: "We had a vision, we had a strategy and effectively we've been able to execute it. Initially, I wasn't sure if we'd go to 14 or 16. I think 16 was kind of the dream scenario candidly. From our perspective, our focus right now is to integrate the four incoming schools as quick as we can -- get them comfortable. We've already had a couple of transition calls and Zooms with the corner schools, and I'll be making some campus visits. That's my focus right now." There had been speculation that the league's expansion plans might further include broadening its formidable basketball reach by adding Connecticut and Gonzaga. But UConn's return to its roots in the Big East has been widely praised by fans and program insiders alike, and Gonzaga, which does not sponsor football, has a favorable arrangement as the lead dog in the hoops-centric West Coast Conference. The conference will compete as a 14-team league for the upcoming season with the additions of Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston from the American Athletic Conference along with Brigham Young, a football independent that competed in the West Coast Conference in other sports. The Big 12's membership will grow to 16 schools next season, as Oklahoma and Texas exit for the SEC and the quartet of Pac-12 schools from the four-corners region -- Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah -- enter. |
| Inside the Pac-12 collapse: Four surprising moments that crushed the conference | |
 | As the calendar turned to December 2022, the Pac-12 Conference was in a precarious position. Six months after USC and UCLA announced they were joining the Big Ten and the Pac-12 began its media rights negotiations early in response, the 10 remaining schools did not have a new TV deal in place. Worse than that, the Big 12 jumped the Pac-12 in line with ESPN and Fox, agreeing in October 2022 to extend its current deal through 2030-31. But Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff was working on another way to save the 108-year-old conference. Multiple sources not authorized to speak publicly about negotiations shared the following outline of the plan and Pac-12 leaders' response with The Times. Publicly, the University of California Board of Regents' threats to force UCLA to stay in the Pac-12 and avoid hurting UC Berkeley were viewed as posturing, bluffs to get attention and possibly some money from the departing Bruins. Privately, Kliavkoff was deeply engaged with a small group of regents about the framework of a deal that would lead to the regents voting to block UCLA's move -- even though the regents did not want to set a precedent of overturning a monumental campus-specific decision. The regents did the math. UCLA was supposed to make $62 million per year from the Big Ten's new mega media rights deal. The Bruins' travel costs to compete in the Midwest-based conference were expected to be in the range of $10 million to $12 million annually. So, the regents gave Kliavkoff a magic number. If he could guarantee the Bruins $52 million annually during the five years of the league's next media deal, the regents promised Kliavkoff a vote heavily in favor of UCLA staying in the Pac-12. It was not going to be easy for the remaining 10 schools to stomach giving UCLA a much bigger annual revenue share. |
| Athletes' confidence, competitiveness explain willingness and risk to bet on own games, experts say | |
| Allegations of Iowa and Iowa State athletes illegally wagering on sports is one thing. Accusations that some of them bet on games in which they played, or could have, is quite another. While fans of both schools have asked why athletes would risk losing eligibility and possibly going to jail over relatively small amounts of money, National Council on Problem Gambling executive director Keith Whyte said he isn't surprised by allegations of athletes betting on their own games and risking a permanent ban. "Much of the psychology of gambling, and sports betting in particular, revolves around knowledge of the game and belief in your own skill," Whyte said, "so the closer you are to the action, the more likely it is you may think that bet is a sure thing. "So if you're an athlete who has been studying the film, it's not necessarily about controlling the outcome; it's a belief you know the outcome of a game. But there's a very fine line between knowing how a partiuclar game is going to go because of film and experience and crossing into manipulating the game." Of the 14 current and former Iowa and Iowa State athletes who have been charged so far with tampering with records in order to disguise their identities to state authorities and the NCAA, six allegedly bet on football games in which they played and three allegedly bet on football games in which they could have played. College athletes typically attend at least one seminar each year at their school to educate them on the perils of gambling, including NCAA rules and possible penalties. But the proliferation of legal sports wagering across the country and mobile apps that make it easy to place bets has made it a popular activity for college-aged people. |
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