| Tuesday, July 22, 2025 |
| Mississippi State's cowbells vie for top spot in sports tradition poll | |
 | Mississippi State University's (MSU) cowbells are known to create a wall of noise during football season, and they're looking to make a similar amount of noise in an online poll. The cowbells are in the voting for USA Today's Top 10 Best College Sports Tradition for 2025. Each voter gets one vote per day until the polls close on Monday, August 18 at 11:00 a.m. CT. The poll contains 20 different school's traditions. The cowbells are looking to compete with other SEC traditions like Auburn's Rolling Toomer's Corner, Oklahoma's Sooner Schooner and Texas A&M's 12th Man. The cowbell tradition dates back as far as the 1930's for MSU athletics. The tradition was almost killed off due to a rule adopted by the Southeastern Conference in 1974, making it illegal to use artificial noisemakers during games. In spite of this, fans still kept their cowbell tradition alive outside of the playing fields. Eventually, the fans' persistence paid off. In the fall of 2010, on a one-year trial with specified restrictions, cowbells were permitted in Davis Wade Stadium for the first time in 36 years. The fans adapted to the newfound restrictions, and their cowbells haven't skipped a beat since. |
| MSU Space Cowboys soar at the International Rocket Engineering Competition despite weather setbacks | |
 | Despite numerous weather incidents, Mississippi State University's Space Cowboys Rocketry Team was able to defeat the odds and place first in their category in the International Rocket Engineering Competition, one of the world's biggest rocketry competitions, this summer. Space Cowboys has been MSU's nationally competitive high-powered rocketry team under the Department of Aerospace Engineering since 2006. The team gives students the opportunities to learn what it means to be an engineer and also to work with the Starkville community. Owen Pogany, the project manager of Space Cowboys and a senior at MSU double-majoring in marketing and accountancy, said the team aims to inspire future generations of engineers. "Our primary goal is to bring STEM into the classroom and introduce younger kids into the realm of science, more specifically, aerospace engineering," Pogany said. "The MSU Space Cowboys team has had a multi-year-long collaboration with Mississippi aerospace partners such as Aurora Flight Sciences, Northrop Grumman and GE Aerospace." Owen Pogany said. "This has led to a close relationship with the MSU Advanced Composites Institute." |
| Community Profile: Mississippi football legend spends past 35 years as business owner | |
 | "I know you ain't at home. You're going somewhere. Tomorrow!" The stern challenge from his high school coach, Ray Self, stuck with James "Cubby" Harris for nearly 50 years. The young defensive back came back home to Starkville after a short stay at Kentucky State, where he passed up the chance to play football in 1976. It wasn't the right fit for him, he said. Harris' family wasn't having it, and neither was Self, who called Cubby to get him on the move again. They weren't content to let Harris waste his talent. "He was my position coach at the time and also my track coach, and he stuck with me," Harris said. "He saw something in me that I didn't see in myself, and he instilled in my mind that better days are coming, and don't give up." Harris is a Starkville native and business owner of 35 years, operating the James Cubby Harris Painting Company in his hometown. He was also a Hall of Fame defensive back for Starkville High School and then-East Mississippi Junior College. His career almost didn't happen as recruiting opportunities were scarce out of high school, but with his family and coach in his ear, Harris called East Mississippi head coach Randall Bradberry and asked for a tryout. The tryout was a pivotal moment for Harris. |
| Five charged with Sunday night robbery in Starkville | |
 | The Starkville Police Department has arrested four adults and a juvenile for the strong-arm robbery of someone Sunday night. The victim filed a report with the Starkville Police Department Monday morning saying they were at The Mill's parking garage on Russell Street on Sunday, July 20. The victim told police that around 10:15 p.m., five individuals, all of whom were known by the victim, then physically assaulted and robbed the victim. The investigation confirmed the victim's account of the incident and led to the arrest of Jadon Agnew, Bella Gregg, and Madalyn Sinko, all 18, and all of Starkville; Ja'Kylin Franklin, 18, of Ackerman; and a 17-year-old white male. The four adult suspects were booked into the Oktibbeha County Jail, charged with strong-arm robbery. The juvenile suspect will be processed through youth court. Starkville police worked closely with the Mississippi State University Police Department and the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office during this investigation. Officials say the incident remains under investigation. |
| Catching up with Miss MS Teen USA 2025, Maddie Oliphant | |
 | Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2025 Maddie Oliphant stopped by the WTOK studio on Monday to catch up on all of the wonderful things she's been doing these past few months since being crowned back in March. Maddie has been busy speaking and making appearances at different events, spreading the love of reading through her community service initiative called Maddie's Little Library, which was inspired by her little brother, Miss Teen USA pageant prep, and so much more. Maddie says it has truly been amazing being able to pour back into the community that has poured into her. "Honestly, the few months that I've been Miss Mississippi Teen USA, it's been genuinely nothing short of amazing, and going right into it, my pageant coach told me you can do as much or as little with your title, and I went with the first thing I'm going to do as much with my title as I can, and so I've been on news interviews, I've done so many community appearances, and it's been so amazing for me to just get to like talk and speak with the children and the adults and the businesses who really poured into me to get me where I am right now," Oliphant says. In the fall, she will be attending Mississippi State University. |
| Mississippi ranks among nation's best in jobs added by reshoring: report | |
| More and more companies moving back to the U.S. are deciding to locate in Mississippi, according to a new report. Reshoring Initiative's 2024 and Q1 2025 report shows that Mississippi is among the top 10 states for jobs created by reshoring, which is defined by the initiative as the practice of relocating business operations back to the U.S. or direct foreign investment in the U.S. In 2024, Mississippi ranked No. 7 in the country with 10,764 reshored jobs. Projected data for 2025, based on Q1 information, places the state at No. 3 on the list with 12,084 reshored jobs. "This is another really impressive accomplishment for Mississippi," Gov. Tate Reeves said. "We're reclaiming thousands of jobs from overseas, which will result in a lot more opportunity for Mississippians." According to the report, the sectors driving reshoring growth include transportation equipment, electronics, and wood and paper products. These industries are among those experiencing the highest year-over-year increases in reshoring activity. |
| Agriculture sector activity remains 'weak' according to Fed's Beige Book | |
| The Federal Reserve published its latest Beige Book last week. That's the report we get eight times each year, with a broad, kind of anecdotal account of how economic activity is changing across the country. One item that got our attention: the agriculture economy. The report noted that, "activity in the agricultural sector remained weak." The Beige Book noted some poor growing conditions and stricter loan practices, among other things. Low prices for commodity crops are a problem for farmers all over the country right now. Corn, soy bean and wheat prices are all fetching lower prices than they were three years ago. Brandon Gerrish is an extension specialist at Texas A&M University. He said some wheat growers chose to not harvest their crop at all this year, and let the livestock have it instead. Beef prices are at a record high right now. "Years like this, where wheat prices are low and, and beef cattle prices are high. We see a lot more producers grazing out their wheat rather than bringing it to grain harvest," said Gerrish. |
| Bacon eyes more trade help in skinny farm bill | |
| A member of the House Ag Committee says additional investments for trade programs should be included in the skinny farm bill. Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska says the One Big Beautiful Bill was a good start, but there's still plenty of work to do. "We need to have trade promotion money in there. We went from being a net agriculture exporter five years ago to the biggest trade deficit we've ever had nearing $50 billion. He tells Brownfield, "Our trade deficit has gotten worse and now we're in a trade war. I worry about our farmers because a big part of our income comes from trade, and we've hurt ourselves in the trade arena the last five years." Bacon says he expects discussions for the farm bill will start once lawmakers return from August recess. |
| Steering Committee taps Garbarino to serve as Homeland Security chair | |
 | The House Republican Steering Committee late Monday recommended Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York to succeed Mark E. Green to chair the House Homeland Security Committee. Garbarino, who currently chairs the committee's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection subcommittee, beat three other candidates who sought the gavel: Michael Guest of Mississippi, Carlos Gimenez of Florida and Clay Higgins of Louisiana. Though seventh in line in GOP seniority, Garbarino is considered a close ally of Speaker Mike Johnson. He's also a member of the steering committee. He was selected on the second ballot. The full GOP conference will need to ratify his selection. Garbarino, 40, whose district includes Long Island, is a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group equally split between Republicans and Democrats, as well as the Republican Main Street Caucus, a 60-plus member bloc of center-right lawmakers. The new chairman takes the gavel just weeks after Congress infused the Trump administration with $170 billion as part of the reconciliation law to implement its immigration enforcement priorities. The chair will be charged with oversight of the executive branch on immigration enforcement, as well as consideration of new legislative language tightening border security rules. |
| Trump administration releases thousands of files on MLK Jr.'s assassination | |
 | The Trump administration on Monday released more than 230,000 pages of documents related to the April 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who announced the move, said the files include "discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information about James Earl Ray's former cellmate who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more." She said the files released Monday had not previously been digitized and were shared with minimal redactions. An early review of the documents on Monday did not disclose any new information about the FBI's surveillance of King or whether the bureau had any involvement with the convicted assassin James Earl Ray, as some researchers -- and the King family -- have claimed. The release of the King documents comes as Democrats and some members of President Donald Trump's base have demanded the release of a different trove of records, those related to the sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. Ray was convicted of the assassination of King after fleeing the country and being captured in England, and Gabbard said the documents include CIA records outlining "overseas intelligence on the international hunt for the prime suspect." But the King children reaffirmed that they believe someone else was the shooter and that Ray was set up to take the fall. |
| House GOP leaders grapple for way out of Epstein crisis | |
 | House Republicans have lost control of the floor over their Jeffrey Epstein blow-up, and they're struggling to chart a path out of the crisis. GOP leaders are talking with Trump administration officials, searching for ways to appease Republican members incensed over the lack of public information and Speaker Mike Johnson's handling of the matter broadly. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, as he headed into a House GOP conference meeting Tuesday morning, said in a brief interview that Republican leaders and others are now trying to "expedite" the administration's release of information over the August recess. "I think a lot of members are frustrated that for years, Democrats covered for Epstein. But ultimately, they also know that President Trump's in court right now trying to unseal the documents, and for whatever reason, the courts have sealed a lot of those records," Scalise said. "We hope they unseal those and show them to the public," said Scalise, "and we're trying to get that expedited." At their own weekly caucus meeting elsewhere in the Capitol Tuesday morning, House Democrats were gloating. |
| Mississippi Public Media Hit Hard Under Trump Cuts | |
 | PBS and NPR stations in Mississippi will lose about $2 million after Congress eliminated $1.1 billion in federal funding for public media, accounting for about 15% of the budget, says Mississippi Public Broadcasting Executive Director Royal Aills. Already, Mississippi Public Broadcasting has decided to eliminate a streaming channel that airs children's programming like "Caillou" and "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" to the state's youngsters 24 hours a day, said Taiwo Gaynor, the system's chief content officer. "This is important for families, to have access to content that they don't have to pay for," Gaynor said. "That is a sad thought, to think that we ... might not be able to provide that for a generation of children." President Donald Trump had called for the cuts, saying public media's news programming was biased against him and fellow Republicans, and threatened GOP members of Congress with primary challenges if they didn't fall in line. The cuts are expected to weigh most heavily on smaller public media outlets away from big cities, and it's likely some won't survive. Katherine Maher, NPR's president and CEO, estimated as many as 80 NPR stations may face closure in the next year. Some stations are already fielding offers from commercial entities to buy their broadcast licenses, she said. |
| Federal funding cuts put national programming in jeopardy at MPB | |
| More than a billion dollars in federal funding is being cut from public broadcasting. That creates a domino effect for Mississippi Public Broadcasting. "Asking for support, more support than you've ever done because now is the time to help us out," noted Royal Aills, Mississippi Public Broadcasting Executive Director. This request is different than others you've heard in the past because a financial hole could equal a hole in the programming you've come to expect. Mississippi Public Broadcasting isn't the same as PBS or NPR. MPB is producing Mississippi-based content for both TV and radio. But the federal money they get from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cover the cost of syndicated programs is what's being cut. "I would say about 80% of our content that is on our television programming side is nationally purchased content that we get," described MPB Chief Content Officer Taiwo Gaynor. There are nods to programming of the past as you walk through the MPB offices, including locally produced children's content focused mostly on puppets. The only one still in rotation is Ed Said. The rest is now national. "The biggest part that really hurts is going to be the PBS kids because everyone knows in this state, kids is a big gap filler for families," added Aills. |
| Judge Wingate temporarily blocks anti-DEI law in Mississippi | |
| Enforcement of the anti-DEI law passed by the Mississippi Legislature this last session has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. The decision was made Sunday by U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate in relation to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Mississippi and the Mississippi Center for Justice in June. The lawsuit alleges that HB 1193, which was passed during the 2025 legislative session, violates the 1st and 14th Amendments of the Constitution. The new law, as it was described by lawmakers, prevents public K-12 and higher education institutions from utilizing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices when making decisions concerning school employment, academic opportunities, and student engagement. Such decisions are to be based on an individual's merit and qualifications rather than a person's race, color, sexual orientation, or gender. The law passed through both bodies in the State Capitol and then received the governor's signature in April. According to the court order, the plaintiffs allege that enforcement of the law has already resulted in direct harm to instruction in the classroom. "Faculty members attest that the law has chilled their classroom discussions and curtailed their ability to engage with students on matters of race, gender, and identity," the order reads. "Students and student groups claim that their programming and expressive activities have been disrupted or canceled in anticipation of institutional discipline." |
| Judge Blocks Mississippi Ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | |
| A Mississippi law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs from public schools and universities is on hold after a judge temporarily blocked it on Sunday. U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate approved the request for a temporary restraining order brought by a group of plaintiffs, including the Mississippi Association of Educators. The ACLU of Mississippi, which represents the plaintiffs, said in a statement that the new law imposes the "preferred views" of Mississippi's state government on students, educators and families, violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments. In his ruling, Wingate cited instances in which the law is already having an impact as part of his motive for siding with the plaintiffs and temporarily pausing it. Faculty members at Jackson State University have been instructed not to discuss gender theory or systemic racism, he wrote. "Suppressing constitutional speech through vague prohibitions and the specter of financial retribution does not serve the public good -- it undermines it," the ruling reads. |
| Brown University and MCC to launch adolescent health study | |
 | Brown University and Meridian Community College are working together on a long-term health study focused on adolescents in the Meridian area and are looking for participants. The Mississippi and Alabama Adolescent Environmental Health Study: Greater Meridian is led by Dr. Erica Walker, a Mississippi native, and conducted through Brown University's Community Noise Lab, with field work in partnership with Meridian Community College's Associate Degree Nursing Program. The one-day study visit is Friday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. by appointment in the Riley Health Building on the MCC campus. The study will include youth between the ages of 12 and 17. Each youth who qualifies and participates will receive $175; only two participants per household are allowed. Parents or guardians must complete a form before the event to take part. During the event, participants will provide health information, and over the next five or more years, Brown University will follow their progress with support from MCC. |
| MGCCC receives $700K grant from Lowe's Foundation for skilled trade programs | |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has been selected as the recipient of a $700,000 grant from the Lowe's Foundation to support the college's skilled trade education programs. The Gable Grant comes from the Lowe's Foundation, which is the philanthropical wing of the home improvement company, and aligns with the foundation's national effort to close the skilled labor gap through strategic partnerships with community and technical colleges. MGCCC is one of 12 institutions nationwide awarded a 2025 Gable Grant. The $700,000 reward marks the second grant MGCCC has received from the Lowe's Foundation in three years. In 2023, the college was awarded $1 million to expand technical training and launch a commercial and residential construction technology program, which equips students with industry credentials and skills in carpentry, plumbing, and masonry. "This continued partnership with the Lowe's Foundation is a powerful endorsement of the work we're doing to meet the growing demand for skilled trades professionals," said Dr. Jonathan Woodward, vice president of teaching and learning at MGCCC. |
| U. of Arkansas, Fayetteville shortens full-time MBA program to 1 year | |
| The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville is expediting its full-time Master of Business Administration program so students can bring their enhanced skills into the workforce more quickly. Beginning this fall, the MBA will be a one-year curriculum, rather than 21 months. Accelerating the MBA follows a national trend, although the Executive MBA program -- a two-year part-time program designed for working professionals -- will remain available, said Jerra Toms, director of marketing and communications for the Sam M. Walton College of Business. The redesigned format maintains the program's hallmark academic rigor and standard of excellence while enhancing accessibility for rising professionals eager to accelerate their careers without lengthy interruptions, Toms said. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of one-year MBA programs in the United States, Canada and Latin America accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business increased from 131 to 210, with Penn State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Connecticut and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign among those that have shifted away from the traditional two-year MBA model. |
| John Zerwas sole finalist for UT System chancellor; Jim Davis lone candidate for UT-Austin president | |
| The University of Texas System Board of Regents named former Texas Republican lawmaker John Zerwas the sole finalist for the position of chancellor during a brief telephone meeting Monday. They also named interim University of Texas at Austin President Jim Davis as a sole finalist for that job. Rather than do a national search, regents said they would create a committee of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members, along with the presidents of two other UT System schools, to offer the board advice and an evaluation of Davis. "We're extremely excited about the process for these two gentlemen," said Board Chair Kevin P. Eltife. "We think they'll do an outstanding job for UT System and the flagship, and we look forward to working with them." State law requires the board to wait 21 days before voting to confirm the appointments. The UT System is undergoing a major leadership shake-up at a time of heightened political scrutiny of higher education. This year's legislative session saw the passage of laws limiting faculty's influence over curricula and hiring as well as restricting on-campus free speech. Davis, who previously worked for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and has no prior teaching experience, has been an active interim president, consulting with the UT System's board of regents on the recent hiring of a provost. He selected William Inboden for the role, who is the director of the GOP-backed civics center at the University of Florida. |
| In a Key Court Showdown With Harvard, Trump Administration Encounters a Skeptical Judge | |
 | Harvard University squared off against the Trump administration Monday in a Boston courthouse, the first big test in its legal battle to restore more than $2 billion in canceled federal research grants and avoid sweeping oversight by the government. It's too soon to declare a victor in the skirmish: The judge, Allison D. Burroughs of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, said she had not prejudged the outcome, and she issued no decision. But over the course of the two-and-a-half hour hearing, she appeared skeptical of both the government's actions and motivations. At one point, she said the administration's assertion that it had the authority to cancel federal contracts raised "mind-boggling" questions. The outcome of the case could have a significant impact not only for Harvard but higher education broadly. If the government is successful, it could set the stage for a future in which research grants could be awarded and canceled at the whim of each new president with little or no explanation and little recourse for the institution. Unlike many legal challenges to the Trump administration, which seek temporary pauses to the government's actions while court battles proceed, Harvard is seeking a quicker summary judgment -- a finding that the government's case is so weak that it need not proceed to trial. |
| College business officers survey finds risks, resilience | |
 | The latest Inside Higher Ed/Hanover Research Survey of College and University Chief Business Officers, released today, reveals concerns about near-term uncertainty and financial sustainability -- buoyed by confidence in the longer-term outlook. One of the most significant findings is that federal policy uncertainty has created difficulties in conducting basic financial planning as the Trump administration has introduced a flurry of changes impacting federal funding for higher education, international students, how students pay for college and more. That uncertainty, experts noted, has had a palpable effect on the sector. "Chief business officers like certainty, whether it's certainty about revenue streams or potential costs," said Kara Freeman, president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. "And right now they just are not getting it and that leads to anxiety." The annual Survey of College and University Chief Business Officers, now in its 15th year, offers insights from financial leaders at 169 institutions in 2025, both public and private nonprofits. Responses were gathered in April and May. Amid the uncertainty, about three in five CBOs (58 percent) rate their institution's financial health as good or excellent, with differences by institution type. |
| NIH to Limit AI Use, Cap P.I. Grant Applications at 6 per Year | |
| The National Institutes of Health is telling researchers to limit the number of applications they submit and restrict how much they use artificial intelligence in writing their proposals. The agency announced last week that it will accept no more than six "new, renewal, resubmission or revision applications" per principal investigator per calendar year. Principal investigators are the designated lead researchers for studies. The announcement noted that the NIH has "recently observed instances of Principal Investigators submitting large numbers of applications, some of which may have been generated with AI tools," adding that the use of such tools has enabled some P.I.s "to submit more than 40 distinct applications in a single application submission round." Michael Lauer, who retired in February as the NIH's deputy director for extramural research, said he had once seen this happen, Science reported. In an email to Inside Higher Ed, the NIH said, "As AI is becoming increasingly commonplace, it is reasonable to anticipate a potentially rapid increase in the use of AI in application development." The agency said it wants to "mitigate the potential overload of its review systems." |
| What does Trump's executive order on foreign gift reporting mean for colleges? | |
| Since President Donald Trump retook office, the U.S. Department of Education has launched investigations into several high-profile colleges over their compliance with Section 117, a decades-old law that was largely ignored until 2018. The law -- part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 1986 -- requires colleges that receive federal financial assistance to disclose contracts and gifts from foreign sources worth $250,000 or more in a year to the U.S. Department of Education. In late April, Trump signed an executive order charging U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to work with other executive agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, to open investigations and enforce Section 117. The order also explicitly ties compliance with Section 117 to eligibility for federal grant funding and directs McMahon to require colleges to disclose more specific details about their foreign gifts and contracts. However, complying with the law is difficult and time-consuming for colleges given the challenges they face collecting the needed data and uploading it to the Education Department's system, according to higher education experts. That means universities must take steps to ensure they are complying, such as dedicating a staff member to meet the law's requirements, they said. Failing to properly do so could put colleges in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. |
SPORTS
| The most crucial position for Jeff Lebby in Mississippi State football preseason practice | |
| Jeff Lebby said from the onset of Mississippi State football's spring practices that offensive line was a position of need. Then, the second-year coach doubled down on it, saying again that offensive linemen were still needed before the spring transfer portal opened in April. The Bulldogs followed through with it, adding five offensive line transfers in the spring -- three of whom were starters at their previous teams. That's in addition to two offensive lineman transfers in the winter and five high school and junior college signees. Lebby said at SEC media days on July 16 that the position is "without a doubt" better than it was at the start of spring practices. MSU doesn't have clear-cut starters at the five positions, led by new offensive line coach Phil Loadholt. It makes for a crucial month of preseason practices before the season kicks off at Southern Miss on Aug. 30 (11 a.m., ESPN). "That's going to be the biggest emphasis on offense is getting these five guys up front," Lebby said. "Playing the best five, finding the right five, and then getting it ready to roll." Adding to the complexion of MSU's offensive line for 2025 is position flexibility. |
| Garrett Endicott finishes second at Southern Amateur | |
| Mississippi State golfer Garrett Endicott finished as the runner-up at the Southern Amateur tournament at Blessings Golf Club in Johnson, Ark. Endicott started strong on the first two days of the competition, recording rounds of 4-under 68 and 5-under 67 to take the top spot on the leaderboard. He held the lead after the third round of play, finishing 1-over, but finished in second at 5-under as John Daly II took over down the stretch and finished the job on Saturday. Daly, the son of two-time major champion John Daly, is a Southeastern Conference rival of Endicott, playing for Arkansas. Though he was disappointed not to come out on top, the experience was a positive one for Endicott. It's his second Top 10 finish this summer, and he expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to win a prestigious tournament on the final day. "It's always a good week whenever you have the opportunity to win a golf tournament," Endicott said to The Dispatch. "You learn a lot about yourself and your game when the lights shine the brightest, so even though things didn't go my way overall, I still walked away with a lot of positives." |
| Former MSU slugger notches 100th MLB home run | |
| Former Mississippi State baseball star Brent Rooker added another milestone to his career this weekend. Rooker belted his 100th career home run in the Major League with a solo shot in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday. Rooker's performance featured an RBI triple in the ninth inning as the Athletics lost 8-6 in Cleveland, a stellar return to action after his second All-Star game appearance and first Home Run Derby appearance. He now has a team-best 21 home runs in 2025 as the A's begin the second half of the year. "It's cool because it took a lot of hard work to get here," Rooker said to MLB.com after the game. "Getting to 100 took a lot longer than I thought it would, so I'm proud of the accomplishment. It's a good feeling." Rooker made his way to the A's after bouncing around the Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals organizations from 2020 to 2022. He was designated for assignment by the Royals in November 2022 and was claimed by the A's, where he earned a spot on the 40-man roster the following spring. Since then, Rooker has made two All-Star games with 90 home runs in green and yellow. He earned a five-year $60 million contract from the A's in January, committing his future to the organization as it navigates relocation in a difficult American League West division. |
| Hail State Night to Feature Everett Kennard Bobblehead, Mud Monsters Cowbell Giveaway | |
| The wheels are turning for a night of Bulldog pride, bobbleheads, and just the right amount of noise. On Thursday, August 14, the Mississippi Mud Monsters will celebrate Hail State Night with a special tribute to longtime Mississippi State favorite Everett Kennard -- featuring a limited-edition bobblehead giveaway presented by Cline Tours. And that's not all. 150 lucky fans will also win one of the most unique collectibles in team history: a dual-branded Mississippi State and Mud Monsters cowbell, crafted by world-renowned bellmaker The Bellsmith. These custom noisemakers feature the fierce Mud Monsters logo alongside iconic MSU branding -- the ultimate mashup of Mississippi pride. The only way to be eligible? Purchase the Everett Kennard bobblehead package and you'll be automatically entered to win. For decades, Kennard has been a fixture in Mississippi State athletics -- driving teams across the country, supporting athletes at every level, and leading with quiet consistency. |
| Relatives, authorities ask for public's help with investigation of Ole Miss player's fatal shooting | |
| Authorities on Monday asked for members of the public to provide surveillance footage and details from eyewitnesses as they investigate the fatal shooting of an Ole Miss freshman football player in a Memphis neighborhood after a pool party. Corey Adams, an 18-year-old defensive lineman from New Orleans, was found with a gunshot wound inside a vehicle at an intersection in the Memphis suburb of Cordova on Saturday night, said Anthony Buckner, chief deputy of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. Adams died at the location of the shooting. Four other men who suffered gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening arrived at nearby hospitals in personal vehicles. Three of them had been released from the hospital as of Monday afternoon, Buckner said. The shooting happened after a pool party attended by about 100 people, including Adams, Buckner said during a news conference. About 40 rifle and pistol casings were found at the shooting scene. Adams' mother, who spoke at the news conference but declined to be named for fear of retribution, said Adams was a loving son and brother who had hopes of playing in the NFL. He had time off from practice and went to Memphis to enjoy himself, she said. |
| The Billion-Dollar Question Looming Over College Sports | |
 | College football is still weeks away, but the sport is already gripped by a bruising confrontation that could have huge repercussions for the season ahead. This one doesn't involve quarterbacks or head coaches, but another character who has been central to college sports for more than a century. We're talking about boosters, as in the deep-pocketed alumni who for years have bankrolled sparkling facility upgrades and hefty coach salaries. When the NCAA started letting athletes capitalize on their name, image or likeness (NIL) in 2021, these boosters formed collectives that would raise funds from fans -- in amounts from $25 to $1 million -- and steer the money to athletes in exchange for promotional or charity work. Now, a fight is raging over whether booster collectives can still do that. At stake is a massive amount of money -- collectives made up more than 80% of the estimated $1.7 billion college NIL market in 2024-25, according to Opendorse, an athlete marketplace. Meaning that nearly $1.4 billion in compensation could vanish overnight if the new rules hold up. That is, if the boosters agree to play ball. "One thing I know about people who are wealthy is that they're going to do what they want," said Brad Heinrichs, who played varsity golf at Iowa and now runs the Swarm Collective that supports Hawkeye sports. At odds in this fight are college sports' new policing arm on one side and lawyers representing athletes in a recently settled antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA on the other. |
| LSU legend Ben McDonald shares an update on his status after falling 25 feet from deer stand | |
 | Ben McDonald is OK. The Baton Rouge native and former MLB pitcher made headlines after he fell 25 feet from a deer stand. On Sunday night, McDonald uploaded a selfie video to his social media accounts to address the incident. "I am fine," the former LSU right-hander said in the video, where he appeared to be standing and walking around outdoors. "I want everyone to know that I am fine. Severe concussion, I guess. I still don't remember anything about it. A couple cracked vertebrae's in my back, it's going to heal fine. Honestly, the more I move around, the better I feel. I can't move around a whole lot, doctor's orders, but I am moving around a little bit." The former pitcher was moving the stand from one tree to another when "the chain or the strap" broke. McDonald also advised people in stands to wear their safety belts. "I got lucky," he said. "I'm still talking about it, but I will now, from now on, have a safety belt on all the time." |
| Memphis' Big 12 pitch, including $200 million in sponsorships, isn't gaining traction: Sources | |
 | The University of Memphis pitched itself to the Big 12 with an offer to bring sponsorship revenue to the conference while taking no media rights payments, an unprecedented offer to join a conference, but the deal has not garnered enough support within the league. According to people briefed on the situation, that proposal would include Memphis joining the Big 12 without taking revenue from the league for at least five years -- what administrators dub the "SMU model" based on the deal the Dallas-based school stuck with the ACC -- while also committing hundreds of millions in corporate sponsorships from Memphis supporters. Big 12 athletic directors recently met on the idea, and conference presidents talked about it on Monday. But the determination was that the league is not interested. One source said there was "very little momentum for this," and multiple league sources expressed concern that adding Memphis could "dilute" the league's value in the next television deal. Any expansion would need 12 of 16 members to approve a move, a number that was not reached for UConn or Gonzaga over the last year. Yahoo! Sports first reported the details of the pitch. "The University of Memphis is aware of the recent conversations regarding our potential inclusion in the Big 12," the school said in a statement. "While those discussions did not ultimately move in our favor, our University and Memphis Athletics are stronger than ever, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our position nationally." |
| USOPC asks for tweak of college sports bill to set minimum spending limits for Olympic programs | |
| U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee leaders are pushing lawmakers for tweaks to legislation that would regulate college sports by adding guarantees that schools will spend the same percentage on Olympic programs in the future as they do now. USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland told The Associated Press on Monday that a letter she and chair Gene Sykes sent to members of Congress last week was intended to restart a conversation about the SCORE Act, which currently calls for schools to sponsor at least 16 teams. That's a number that conforms with current NCAA rules for Power Four schools, and one that Hirshland worries would give schools no incentive to fund non-revenue sports that power the Olympic pipeline. "You look and you say, 'Is that effectively going to thwart the issue of allocating too many resources to football and not enough to other things?' And my assessment is, no, it's not going to do that," Hirshland said. The USOPC says all but three of the 67 Power Four schools sponsor more than 16 sports and the average school in that group has more than 21. At last year's Paris Olympics, 75% of U.S. Olympians and 53% of Paralympians had a connection with U.S. college sports. |
| Nevada WR Cortez Braham Jr. Catches Court Win as NCAA Eligibility Cases Split | |
| In the latest twist on whether college athletes whose NCAA eligibility has expired have a legal right to keep playing for NIL deals and preparation for pro sports, a federal judge in Nevada last Friday blocked the NCAA from rendering University of Nevada wide receiver Cortez Braham Jr. ineligible for what will be his seventh season in college sports. U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du's ruling, which the NCAA can appeal to the U.S. Court for the Ninth Circuit, sets the table for a potential circuit split that attracts the interest of the U.S. Supreme Court. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reversed a ruling that would have allowed Wisconsin cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean to play a fifth season of college football in five years. Meanwhile, the NCAA and Vanderbilt quarterback and former JUCO transfer Diego Pavia, who last December received a court ruling to play another season this fall, wait for the Sixth Circuit to decide. The NCAA can appeal Du's order to the Ninth Circuit. Many of the NCAA's arguments have persuaded other judges reviewing similar cases, particularly since there might not be a "limiting principle" to athletes suing to keep playing. |
| Commanders fans have pointed response for Trump on team name change | |
 | D.C.-area residents have a message for President Donald Trump who is threatening to derail the Commanders' pending football stadium deal unless the team restores its old name: Stay out of the city's business and do your job. Trump posted on Truth Social on July 20 that he may block a deal for the team to build a new stadium on the old RFK Stadium site if the team doesn't switch back to its former name, considered offensive to Native Americans. Steve Mahoney, 62, said Trump has "bigger fish to fry" than pressuring the Commanders to change the team name. "Focus on lowering prices, everything else that he said he was going to do that he's not doing," he said. Griffin Lafayette, a Raleigh, North Carolina native visiting Washington, called Trump's threat to block the RFK stadium deal if the Washington Commanders don't revert their name back to the original nickname "really stupid." "It's just on his laundry list of things to complain about to get attention," said Lafayette, a 25-year-old football fan. Lafayette said he was "all for" ditching the team's original name. Gerald Collins, 66, said he doesn't care about the team name, but he wants Trump to "stay out" of the RFK stadium deal. "He isn't a Washingtonian," said Collins, a lifelong DC resident who works in construction. "What he's doing is very wrong. He just wants to control things." |
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