Delta State football future and Northwest’s 37-0 run lead Mississippi sports rundown

Delta State is weighing where its football program will compete after the Gulf South Conference ends the sport, while Northwest Mississippi Community College has taken a 37-0 volleyball record into the Region 23 semifinals. Those developments lead a sports-heavy Mississippi rundown that also includes a late Jones College soccer winner, an Ole Miss football response to a road loss and the approach of basketball season. The reporting window closed at 4:45 p.m. Central on Thursday, October 29. The sports reports below come from sister site Sports Mississippi.

File photo: Delta State football players in an earlier game. Source: Delta State Athletics.

Mississippi News

No standalone MS News Group news report was originally published in this window. The site’s two news briefings were compilations, so this edition does not repeat them as separate stories.

Mississippi Sports

Delta State considers its football path after the GSC

Delta State is exploring scheduling alliances, affiliate membership and full conference membership as the Gulf South Conference prepares to stop sponsoring football after the 2026 season, according to Sports Mississippi’s report. The university says longer trips and the cost of sustaining a competitive schedule are central to its review. It has made no final choice.

Delta State, West Alabama and Valdosta State are the league’s only football-playing members this season, the school said. Without a new arrangement, the programs are expected to compete as independents in 2027. A recent university forum laid out those options for supporters and emphasized the program’s long-term financial sustainability.

Northwest volleyball stays perfect in postseason opener

No. 16 Northwest swept Meridian 25-9, 25-12 and 25-17 in the Region 23 quarterfinals, improving to 37-0. The match report describes an 8-0 opening run powered by four Adalyn Callahan aces; the Rangers later built an 18-1 lead in the first set. Ariana Woods led Northwest with 10 kills and four blocks.

The Rangers are scheduled to host Jones College in Saturday’s semifinal, with Pearl River and Itawamba meeting in the other semifinal. The championship is set for Sunday. The sweep keeps Northwest’s unbeaten season alive as postseason play becomes more consequential.

Ole Miss looks for faster starts before Auburn

Ole Miss coach Pete Golding says the Rebels must fix slow offensive starts and late-game breakdowns after a narrow road loss at Texas. In the Auburn preparation report, Golding also points to quarterback Byrum Brown’s ability to run and throw as a challenge for the Rebels’ defense.

Running back Kewan Lacy is unavailable, Golding said, leaving Makhi Frazier, Shakai Mills-Knight and JT Lindsey among those expected to contribute. Ole Miss returns to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for the Auburn game. Players interviewed by the site emphasized communication on an offensive line adjusting to injuries and rotation changes.

Holder’s late goal carries Jones past Hinds

No. 5 Jones College scored three second-half goals in a 3-2 women’s soccer win at Hinds. Graison Holder, who had opened the scoring after entering as a substitute, struck again in the 78th minute off Abby Duncan’s pass. The Jones-Hinds report says Hinds had equalized twice, including on a 73rd-minute penalty kick.

Jones finished the regular season 12-3-1 overall and 8-3 in conference play. Its next listed game is a Region 23/Gulf District quarterfinal at Mississippi Gulf Coast on Friday. The late winner gives the Bobcats momentum entering that postseason matchup.

Hubbard receives another preseason All-SEC honor

Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard was a consensus coaches’ selection to the Preseason All-SEC First Team for a second straight year, the Sports Mississippi account says. The Madison native enters the season with 1,947 career points, fourth on the Bulldogs’ all-time list, and a program-record 311 three-pointers.

Mississippi State is scheduled to open against Tennessee Tech on Monday, November 2, at Humphrey Coliseum. Hubbard’s recognition raises expectations for a team seeking another NCAA Tournament berth, though the preseason selection is an honor rather than a forecast of results.

Cooper lands on national women’s basketball watch list

Ole Miss senior Talaysia Cooper is on the 2026-27 Naismith Trophy Player of the Year watch list, her third preseason appearance, according to the report on the announcement. Cooper led Tennessee last season with 16.0 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game and was chosen for the preseason All-SEC first team by league coaches.

The Rebels’ first listed home game is November 5 against North Alabama. Cooper’s watch-list place adds a national marker to the start of Ole Miss’ season; the award itself will be decided later.

Ole Miss and Alcorn prepare for in-state opener

Ole Miss opens its men’s basketball season against Alcorn State on Monday, November 2, at SJB Pavilion in Oxford, with tipoff listed for 7:30 p.m. Central. The season-opening preview says the Rebels have won all six previous meetings, most recently 79-43 in December 2025.

Ole Miss’ roster includes several transfers and players with international experience. Four returning or incoming players averaged at least 10 points per game last season, the school says. The opener gives both Mississippi programs an immediate in-state test before their schedules widen.

Mississippi State volleyball visits Ole Miss

Mississippi State enters its scheduled Friday volleyball match at Ole Miss 15-5 overall and 5-4 in SEC play. The weekend preview lists a 6 p.m. start in Oxford before the Bulldogs travel to Alabama on Sunday. State led the conference in digs and attacks per set in the team notes cited by the site.

Ole Miss was on a seven-match losing streak entering the meeting, but Cameron Bradley led the SEC in digs per set. The in-state match will be the programs’ 109th, according to the preview. Those records frame the matchup without presuming its outcome.

Southern Miss releases a 54-game baseball slate

Southern Miss announced a 54-game schedule for 2027, including 27 games at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field. The schedule report lists home dates with Mississippi State on March 9 and Ole Miss on April 14, plus a season-opening series against North Dakota State on February 19-21.

Eight opponents reached last season’s NCAA Tournament, the school says. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 44-17 season, a Sun Belt regular-season and tournament double, and another NCAA appearance. The schedule gives fans an early view of how the program plans to test itself in 2027.

Alcorn rallies to finish three-set sweep

Alcorn beat Southern 25-18, 25-17 and 25-23 in Wednesday volleyball action. The match account says the Lady Braves recovered from a 4-0 deficit in the first set and trailed 22-18 late in the third before scoring five straight points. Rylan Jones ended the match with a kill after Southern briefly tied it at 23.

Alcorn’s next listed match is a home meeting with Prairie View A&M on Friday. The sweep, especially the closing rally, is the day’s other notable college volleyball result from the state.