Mississippi

How revenue sharing will impact Ole Miss, Mississippi State football salary cap, NIL

Published

4 weeks ago

May 29, 2024

How revenue sharing will impact Ole Miss, Mississippi State football salary cap, NIL

High-level college athletics put an end to its longstanding amateurism policies last week, leaving administrators at schools like Ole Miss and Mississippi State to find a way forward under the new order.

The NCAA, Power Five conferences and lawyers representing plaintiffs in three antitrust cases agreed to a settlement that will obligate the NCAA to backpay nearly $2.8 billion in damages for current and former college athletes. The same agreement, which still requires the approval of a judge, will require universities to begin sharing revenue with their athletes ‒ with fall of 2025 reportedly targeted as a start date.

What do these changes mean for Ole Miss and Mississippi State? Here’s a look at three big questions facing both schools.

How will Mississippi State, Ole Miss handle the additional expense?

The athletic departments at both Ole Miss and Mississippi State operated at deficits in the most recent reporting year. The Rebels lost over $8 million, with the Bulldogs’ revenue report outlining a loss in excess of $5 million.

Now, the NCAA will be reducing its distributions to schools to help pay the $2.8 billion in damages it owes as a result of the settlement. It says 24% of that $2.8 billion will be made up for by distribution reductions to schools like Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

The initial revenue distribution cap is expected to be at least $20 million, increasing in proportion to athletic department revenues over time. For context, Mississippi State spent roughly $121 million total in the most recent fiscal year. Ole Miss spent about $150 million.

Both institutions face a challenge when it comes to balancing the budget with the sizable new costs.

Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter outlined the approach he’ll take during an interview with The Clarion Ledger in January.

“Are you asking your development staff to raise money in a different way?” Carter said. “We’re always looking for new revenue sources. Obviously, a worst-case scenario is you have to downsize your sports. You have to figure out what makes sense. If the industry of college athletics becomes more businesslike, you may have to start running it more like a profit-loss business.

“That is a worst-case scenario. Nobody in college athletics wants to do that, take opportunities away from college athletes. As we go through this model, everything’s on the table.”

How does this change impact Ole Miss, Mississippi State NIL?

The college football roster construction economy has been driven by name, image and likeness payments since they were made legal in the summer of 2021. Some NIL payments are endorsement deals, with athletes receiving compensation in exchange for advertising a product. Others more closely resemble outsourced pay-for-play, with outside collectives affiliated with each school paying players to join their program.

With a settlement reached and a revenue-sharing cap proposed, there are questions as to whether the NCAA can restrict supplemental NIL payments as a means to circumvent a salary cap.

At Ole Miss, in particular, an aggressive collective has helped drive unprecedented football success. The Rebels won 11 games in 2023 for the first time ever.

“College athletics is evolving and some much needed balance is coming,” Walker Jones, who runs the Rebels’ collective, posted on social media last week. “Ole Miss athletics and (The Grove Collective) will be at the forefront of this evolution and are well positioned to lead and compete at the highest level.”

At Mississippi State, second-year athletic director Zac Selmon took charge amid an NIL surge sparked by the departure of former AD John Cohen.

“We’ve put ourselves in a position to be successful,” Selmon told The Clarion Ledger after 2023 football season. “Successful doesn’t mean reckless, too. Some schools, I think – or some collectives, some NIL boosters, however you want to define them – have been reckless. And a lot of times reckless without any backing.”

BASEBALL: Why Mississippi State baseball will – and won’t – win Charlottesville NCAA Regional

How do Rebels, Bulldogs prioritize their revenue-sharing budget?

Though the future of NIL is unclear, it seems certain that college athletics is headed toward a salary cap.

If each university can distribute around $20 million to its athletes annually, how much of that is spent on football? Men’s and women’s basketball? Baseball?

It’s a challenging question, particularly for Mississippi State and Ole Miss, which have priorities that might not align with their peers. The Bulldogs and Rebels are two of the proudest baseball programs in the country. Do they take money out of football’s budget to spend on baseball? Or do they invest everything they can in football, which is likely to remain the most financially competitive space?

Revenue sharing and women’s sports at Ole Miss, Mississippi State

And what say will Title IX have in how the money gets allocated?

The federal gender equity law adds another factor for athletic departments to consider as they slice up the pie.

Women’s basketball operates at a deficit at both Ole Miss and Mississippi State, though the NCAA could soon begin distributing unit payouts which could change that picture.

The Rebels have won three NCAA Tournament games in the last two seasons, and pay their coach, Yolett McPhee-McCuin, over $1 million annually. Mississippi State has been to the Final Four twice since 2017.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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Mississippi

Mississippi legislature hosts Alabama for softball game at Trustmark Park

Published

2 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

Mississippi legislature hosts Alabama for softball game at Trustmark Park

PEARL, Miss. (WLBT) – Saturday, the Mississippi legislature welcomed the Alabama legislature to Trustmark Park for the inaugural Battle of Tombigbee softball game.

“We got a challenge at the beginning of the year to play the Alabama legislators in a softball game,” said Rep. Troy Smith, who represents Mississippi’s 84th District. “They’ve been doing this for several years; this is our first go around.”

The meeting on the diamond was initiated with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety delivering the game ball to the field via helicopter and kicked off a fun and friendly rivalry between the two states.

Not your typical game at Trustmark Park today. It’s The Battle of Tombigbee: the Mississippi legislature is facing the Alabama legislature in a softball game. I’ll have the story tonight on @WLBT pic.twitter.com/yDy7YBtweP
— Patrick Johnstone (@PJohnstone_) June 22, 2024
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“It’s great for the two states to come around and play together, it’s going to be an annual thing,” Smith said.

The state representatives were happy to take a day to have fun with their statesmen and neighbors to the east.

“You can see on the bench, we’re all one team, [we have] camaraderie,” said Mississippi District 1 Representative Lester Carpenter. “We work in the House together, we play ball together, so it’s a wonderful thing.”

“We have a job, we discuss laws, we get a lot of criticism on things we do, a lot of gratitude too,” Smith said. “To come out and mix it with other people who have got the same job, use the same stories, it’s fun.”

While it’s been a minute since some of the state reps took reps on the field, they were able to get back into the swing of things.

“It takes us a while to get used to this,” said Alabama House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen. “We’ve been stretching and trying to run, but we’ve got to knock the dust off us a little bit.”

“We’ve got one in their 20s, one in their 30s, the rest 40 and above. A lot of us ain’t been on a ballfield in 20-30 years, but it feels good,” Smith said.

The best part of the whole event: revenue generated from the game went to benefit the Mississippi Children’s Hospital.

“The kids are the real winners, right?” Stadthagen said. “Hopefully we raise a lot of money for it, and hopefully it benefits a lot of kids.”

Saturday’s game did not disappoint. The showdown at Trustmark Park went into the 10th inning, and Alabama won 7-5.

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Mississippi

Highest-rated beer in Mississippi

Published

9 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

If you drink beer—any beer—you’re probably familiar with the craft beer explosion that began in the late 2010s, and you likely fall into one of two camps: IPA warrior or lager loyalist. The great thing about a beer-related revolution is that there is no wrong side. Whatever your preference, cheers to you.

The brewery business is indeed a revolution by many counts. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the United States grew by 567% from 2003 to 2023—all while beer consumption, on average, was declining. For the first time since 1999, beer shipments fell below 200 million barrels in 2023, making it the lowest amount of beer consumed in the U.S. in a generation.

Like all revolutions, this began as a desire for change—as an overthrow of the old and the monopolistic. When combined, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 72% of total beer sales in the U.S. around 2013. A decade later, that share dropped to 65.7% in 2023, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share.

With a taste of the innovations and variety coming out of craft breweries, consumers are demanding a higher-quality product—and are willing to pay more for it. Over the last decade, between May 2014 and May 2024, beer prices have risen 21% overall.

But how can you determine the best craft beers in an increasingly crowded market? If you’re curious about the most popular beers in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated beers in Mississippi using ratings from BeerAdvocate. A maximum of five beers per brewery were included.

Read on to plan your next local beer tour!

Note: Photos of each beer are included where available from BeerAdvocate; otherwise, stock images are shown.

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#15. Vanilla Pecan

– Rating: 3.58 (13 ratings)
– Type: English Brown Ale
– ABV: 4.50%
– Brewery: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#14. Coffee Shoppe

– Rating: 3.67 (12 ratings)
– Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
– ABV: 6.00%
– Brewery: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#13. Gulf Sour Series – Blueberry Crumble

– Rating: 3.74 (11 ratings)
– Type: Berliner Weisse
– ABV: 5.70%
– Brewery: Chandeleur Island Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#12. Good Bug

– Rating: 3.79 (11 ratings)
– Type: American Blonde Ale
– ABV: 4.50%
– Brewery: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#11. Lil’ Miss Sour

– Rating: 3.82 (27 ratings)
– Type: Wild Ale
– ABV: 5.50%
– Brewery: Chandeleur Island Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

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#10. Ole Buddy

– Rating: 3.96 (10 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.20%
– Brewery: Chandeleur Island Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. Timber Beast

– Rating: 3.94 (519 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 9.00%
– Brewery: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. Gulf Sour Series – Lovebug

– Rating: 3.99 (21 ratings)
– Type: Fruited Kettle Sour
– ABV: 6.00%
– Brewery: Chandeleur Island Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. Gulf Sour Series – Guava Jelly

– Rating: 4.02 (17 ratings)
– Type: Fruited Kettle Sour
– ABV: 6.00%
– Brewery: Chandeleur Island Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Altered Beast

– Rating: 4.01 (23 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.10%
– Brewery: Southern Prohibition Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

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#5. Soul Glo

– Rating: 4.05 (32 ratings)
– Type: Saison
– ABV: 8.40%
– Brewery: Southern Prohibition Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Cream Stout

– Rating: 4.13 (12 ratings)
– Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
– ABV: 5.40%
– Brewery: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Space To Face

– Rating: 4.22 (21 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 5.90%
– Brewery: Southern Prohibition Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. Crowd Control

– Rating: 4.22 (203 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Southern Prohibition Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. Paradise Lost

– Rating: 4.27 (74 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.10%
– Brewery: Southern Prohibition Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C.

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Mississippi

Fishermen rescue 38 hunting dogs from drowning in Mississippi lake

Published

16 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

Fishermen rescue 38 hunting dogs from drowning in Mississippi lake

***Learn about swimming safety in the video above.***

(WJW) – A small group of fishermen are being hailed heroes after making an unexpected catch that day — more than three dozen hunting dogs treading water in a Mississippi lake.

It all started when Bob Gist, a 61-year-old State Farm agent from Arkansas, went on a fishing trip to Lake Grenada with his friend Brad Carlisle, a State Farm agent from Tennessee, as reported by Fox News.

Gist told Fox News they were out on the lake with a fishing guide, Jordan Chrestman, when they suddenly heard dogs barking.

“Pretty soon we saw some dogs on the horizon in the water,” Gist told the news outlet.

The friends noticed the group of dogs, which were part of an annual fox run, were trying to catch a deer in the water, according to reports.

The group went on fishing for another 10 to 15 minutes when the guide said he wanted to check back on the dogs.

“We’re just flabbergasted because it’s dogs everywhere,” Gist told Fox News. “They’re all going in different directions because they can no longer see the bank on either side.”

The fishermen then sprung into action, bringing as many hunting dogs as they could onto their bass fishing boat.

Courtesy of Robert Gist

Reports say the rescuers returned about 25 to 27 dogs to shore when their owners came running over, pleading for help.

With help from a man on shore with a GPS tracker, they were able to rescue the remaining dogs that, according to Gist, “were on the verge of drowning,” Fox News reported.

Gist posted photos from the rescue on his professional Facebook page, with the caption reading, “Like a Good Neighbor Bob Gist was there!”

The fishermen have received plenty of praise since the rescue, with one commenter saying, “All of you guys are true HEROES! Love this story!’

“Our family have dogs of our own and I know how much this means to those owners! Thank you!” another said.

Gist said he’s grateful they were in the right place at the right time, but he’s giving the most credit to their fishing guide.

“Jordan realized there might be a problem and said we needed to go check. He was so correct,” Gist said on Facebook. “We all pulled dogs from the water and Jordan managed (the) recovery like he had done it before. He is the hero here for sure.”

He told Fox News that the dog owners tried to pay Chrestman for rescuing the pups, but the fishing guide refused to take the money.

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