Malco Theatres Inc., a Memphis-based Mid South movie theatre chain, plans to double the size of the former Amp, which was a 10-screen movie theatre, for the new accommodations. Malco purchased property adjacent to the old movie theatre from Kenlan Development Co. in order to expand the building.

The new family entertainment center is located on Sisk Avenue off Highway 7 in the Oxford Commons development. The development, a 480-acre area zoned for mixed commercial and residential communities, is home to two hotels, Della Davidson Elementary School and the future Oxford High School. After remaining dormant due to the economy, prosperity is looking up for the Oxford Commons development. It plans to accommodate a residential community that will add 1,000 new homes.

Along with regular film showings, Malco has big plans for movie goers.

“The additional screens in the market will allow Malco to offer a wide range of independent, foreign and smaller films that it was not previously able to show in Oxford,” said Karen Scott, Malco’s director of marketing.

Senior psychology major Sam Lyons is excited for the addition of foreign and independent films.

“I think it will be great to have more variety in Oxford,” Lyons said. “I only get to see independent films on Netflix. The showings will definitely add to the movie watching experience.”

The new movie theatre plans to open on Labor Day, but the rest of the entertainment center will not open until next year.

The addition of the bowling alley will return an old form of entertainment to Oxford. After decades of having a bowling alley in Oxford, the bowling alley off of West Jackson Avenue was destroyed in a fire in September of 2010.

“I was extremely upset when I learned that the bowling alley had burned down in 2010 because it was such a fun activity to do with your friends,” said junior accountancy major Jessica McKenzie. “I’m excited that a new one is being developed because it will be so much more convenient than having to drive to Memphis just to bowl.”

Malco, who currently runs an eight-screen movie theatre on West Jackson Avenue, intends to keep its location in spite of its new expansion.

“We are very excited about the second location and look forward to both theatres being an integral part of the Oxford community,” Scott said.

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The event will take place in the multipurpose room at the Jackson Avenue Center. The event, titled “Minority Business Expo: Making the University Connection,” starts at 1 p.m., but a complementary lunch will be served before at 12:30 p.m. The expo is being co-hosted by The University of Missisippi and Mississippi State University, and is sponsored by the offices of the Vice Chancellor for Procurement Services and Administration and Finance.

James R. Windham, director of procurement services, said that they are hoping to have 60 to 65 minority businesses present.

“This is a diversity fair,” Windham said. “It is the first one that the university has ever held and we’re looking for good things to come of it.”

After the lunch is served guest speaker Kathy Times is going to demonstrate a new website, Wheretogo411.com, which has been endorsed by the college board in Jackson.

Kathy Times has received much recognition for her work as a journalist, receiving Emmys and an Edward R. Murrow Award. She also works as an entrepreneur and currently serves as the president of Yellow Brick Media concepts, LLC as well as the Immediate Past President of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Windham said that Times is actually the person who asked the universities to host this expo and was instrumental to setting it up.

After Times’ demonstration, there will be networking one-on-one.

“We’re going to have well over 15 university departments, seated behind tables, and several people from Mississippi State, and the vendors that we’re hoping will show up will be able to network one-on-one, and maybe we can match some business to university departments and they can generate a relationship and hopefully it will be beneficial to both sides,” Windham said.

Donald Cole, assistant provost and assistant to the chancellor for multicultural affairs and associate professor of mathematics, said this fair will hopefully be the beginning of a series of events promoting diversity in the university vendors’ bank.

“In the process we recognize that you can’t just take the ‘we’ll build and they’ll come’ attitude,” Cole said. “We have to be a little more proactive as an institution. Not only do we have to build it, but we have to do some recruiting.  We have to say, ‘Okay, it’s built, and it’s been built for you.’ This can’t be a one-time thing.”

In addition to making connections, Cole hopes these businesses will leave with a better understanding of the process of procurement services.

“It’s not always an easy process to navigate, the rules and regulations along the way, so we’d like to share all of this with them,” Cole said. “We’d like to get them in a pipeline. There might be some where it will be easy for them to take advantage of our services and others might have to be rendered to another level for them to take advantage of it, but we’re hoping that the financial incentives are there and that will bring them (the vendors) out.”

The post Minority vendors’ fair strives to network and foster diversity appeared first on The Daily Mississippian.

But is Henderson capable of making it to the NBA? That is his goal.

“I’m trying to get paid here soon because I’m tired of doing all this stuff for free,” Henderson said before the NCAA Tournament started. “And this is where you make your money, the NCAA tournament.”

He’s too small. He’s too selfish. He shoots, and misses, too much. He’s too flamboyant. NBA players wouldn’t let Henderson do so much taunting. These are the most-heard reasons as to why Henderson won’t make it in the NBA.

However, he is getting some help in his quest and it comes from the San Antonio Spurs’ Danny Green and the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry.

Through five games in the NBA Finals, Green is getting serious consideration for MVP due to his hot 3-point shooting. Green is shooting an absurd 66 percent from beyond the arc in the finals, averaging five made 3-pointers per game. He has already set the record for the most 3-pointers made in the NBA Finals.

Curry helped propel the Warriors to a series win over the Denver Nuggets and scared the Spurs in this season’s playoffs. Curry shot 40 percent from beyond the arc in the playoffs, making 3.5 per game while launching up 8.8 threes per game. Henderson made 3.8 while shooting 10.9 threes per game this year for Ole Miss.

Both Green and Curry are proving that shooters are needed in the NBA. Teams love to have a sharp shooter to kick the ball to and get three points. There will be a spot in the NBA for someone who can drain the three ball.

J.J. Redick and Kyle Korver have become mainstays in the NBA due to their shooting. Redick made $6 million last season while Korver made $5 million and that is the money Henderson is aiming for.

Curry is used as the number one option for the Warriors offense as Henderson is for the Ole Miss offense. Henderson certainly won’t walk into the NBA and be a number one offensive option, but he can be an effective role player as a shooter, a role that Green has taken to extreme heights.

Green falls way down the Spurs list of offensive options, but he has been able to hang out on the 3-point line while Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Dunan draw the defense’s attention. That is a role Henderson could step in and play.

Henderson is 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, and his size could be an issue as the physical demand of playing defense in the NBA increases. Green is 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, but Curry is just 6-foot-3 185 pounds. The small size isn’t an insurmountable issue.

Where Henderson may lack the size to play physical defense consistently, he has the smarts to make defensive plays. Henderson did a tremendous job of reading passes and playing passing lanes in order to get steals. His 48 steals ranked him 13th in the SEC this past season.

Henderson can find a spot in the NBA and get paid, but he has to be able to knock down threes. NBA teams need shooters to space the floor and fill up the bucket, and Henderson has that potential.

The post Is Henderson NBA material? appeared first on The Daily Mississippian.

Wallace should be close to, if not already, 100 percent when practice begins. The 6-foot-4, 204-pound junior started a throwing program in May to begin strengthening his arm.

The Pulaski, Tenn., native won’t have to worry about winning the starting job this year after throwing for 2,994 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. However, he needs to work on reading the defense to cut down on his 17 interceptions from 2012. A healthy shoulder will make that number go down.

Although Wallace, if healthy, will have head coach Hugh Freeze somewhat at ease with the play at quarterback, plenty of drama still remains for the backup spot.

Last season’s backup Barry Brunetti will be a candidate for the job, but unlike last year, there are other options as well. Sophomore Maikhail Miller should take a step forward in the mental side of things, and freshmen Devante Kincade and Ryan Buchanan will be coming in fighting for a spot.

Brunetti will enter fall camp with a leg up due to experience, as he saw action in 12 games last season, throwing for 196 yards, rushing for 277 yards and totaling four touchdowns. The 6-foot, 212-pound senior also played in five games his sophomore season.

Miller has always had the arm to make all the throws, but learning the system and making the right reads has held him back. Year two in Freeze’s offense should mean Miller will be more consistent, but he’ll have to prove it on the practice field. His progression will go a long way into shaping the depth chart for this season.

Kincade is considered the top quarterback in the incoming freshman class after being one of 25 finalists in the national Elite 11 camp in 2012. The Dallas native threw for 2,856 yards, 38 touchdowns and had eight interceptions in his senior campaign for Skyline High School. He also totaled 861 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground and was a Texas 5A All-State honorable mention pick. He was named second team All-State as a junior.

Buchanan is another solid quarterback that will compete for a backup spot right away. The Jackson Prep product was rated the No. 15 pocket passer in the country by ESPN.com after throwing for 1,468 yards and 22 touchdowns to lead Jackson Prep to the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools-AAA Division I state championship. He was named first team All-State by MAIS and second team by The Clarion Ledger his senior year.

Analysis

Wallace should be geared up and ready for fall camp, and the time spent on the sidelines during spring practice could prove beneficial if it allowed Wallace to take a step forward in the film room.

As for the backup spot, I expect both Kincade and Buchanan to get plenty of reps to see what they have, but both of them will likely redshirt.

I see Miller taking the much-needed step forward, which will provide Freeze with some options on what to do with Brunetti. If Miller does show signs of being a consistent backup, look for Brunetti to change positions to better use his skill set.

That decision will also be impacted on how well Kincade and Buchanan look in fall camp. Although I see both redshirting in 2013, it will make it easier on Freeze to move Brunetti if he has confidence in one of the freshmen. If Miller still lacks consistency, look for Brunetti to remain at quarterback and be used in special packages like he was last season.

In a perfect world for Freeze, Wallace will progress and have a good junior year, while Miller provides steady play as the primary backup. This will allow for the two freshmen to have a year to progress with one of them taking over as the backup during Wallace’s senior year before taking over the starting job in 2015.

Nevertheless, Freeze is well on his way to building the adequate depth at quarterback he wants for his offense. It’s not where it needs to be now, but if either freshmen surprise some people, the depth won’t be an issue.

For continuing coverage of Ole Miss football, follow @DavidLCollier and @thedm_sports on Twitter.

The post Position Breakdown: Quarterbacks appeared first on The Daily Mississippian.

Located on the Square, Ajax Diner is one of Oxford’s most popular restaurants. Serving Southern favorites, such as macaroni and cheese and cornbread, Ajax caters to the college students and Oxford natives who want a good home-cooked meal.

According to The Local Voice, Ajax was voted “Oxford’s Favorite Burger,” “Oxford’s Favorite Soul Food” and “Oxford’s Favorite Restaurant.” Most University of Mississippi students seem to agree with the awards.

“Ajax is an Oxford restaurant that has the perfect Southern cooking that rivals any mom’s mac and cheese,” said Mary Margaret Sanders, sophomore psychology major. “Their soul food brings the warmth and comfort of home to every student.”

And while the battle of the best burger in Oxford will continue on, many have found their champion in the Ajax burger.

When asked how much he loves Ajax’s burgers, junior bio-chemistry major, Ta’Boris Osbourne answered, “A lot!”

“Best burgers in Oxford,” Osbourne said. “The size fits the price and they’re always fresh. I have nothing negative to say about them.”

Much of the Ajax menu is familiar Southern comfort food, but the diner provides several home-style twists in their dishes.

Matty’s Mom’s Meatloaf is stuffed with jack cheese, egg rolls are stuffed with red beans and quesadillas are made with pimento cheese at Ajax Diner. Another original idea, the Ajax Hot Tamale Pie is made with spicy cheese grits and pork, with Creole-mustard vinaigrette. The restaurant also serves Hot Jerk Pork Steak, courtesy of the cook’s Jamaican heritage.

The atmosphere of Ajax also draws attention. Po-boys and The Big Easy, a sandwich layered with country fried steak and mash potatoes and named after the Manning’s home city of New Orleans, come with toothpicks. Diners shoot the toothpicks into the ceiling, giving the restaurant a colorful look and a laid-back flare.

Ajax owner, Randy Yates, established the restaurant over 15 years ago and has watched the diner grow into an Oxford staple. Ajax hopes to be “upscale, down-home” for visitors and locals alike.

Michele Brasher, a resident of coastal Mississippi and the mother of an incoming freshman, was visiting Oxford for her daughter’s orientation and took the time for a stop at Ajax Diner.

“The food is great, but the atmosphere is so welcoming and comfortable,” Brasher said. “It is nice to take a break from the busy orientation schedule and just enjoy a nice lunch with my daughter.”

Even visitors from other countries have strong feelings toward Ajax.

“Growing up in Chile, my family never experienced Southern home cooking, so eating at Ajax is a great way to try the traditional food of the South,” said Ellie Harbaugh, a junior communication sciences and disorders and Spanish double major. “Their food is delicious and they have quality service. I really enjoy their chicken and dumplings and would highly recommend it to anyone!”

Oxford is known for great food, friendly people and a cheerful setting. When looking for these, Ajax Diner might be just the place to get all three.

The post Oxford Originals: Ajax Diner appeared first on The Daily Mississippian.

Students and locals pour into his store by the numbers with dropped cell phones, frozen or damaged computers or even questions about certain software programs. McGrevey has seen it all.

“I can tell exactly what someone has spilled on their computer, I have fixed so many,” McGrevey said. “I can smell if it’s Natty (referring to the Natural Light beer). Surprisingly, I have had to fix three different computers that were covered in throw up.”

McGrevey, an entrepreneur from Fort Worth, Texas, found his passion at a very young age.

“When I was little I was always playing with technology,” McGrevey said.

Realizing his passion, he decided to make a future out of it. After high school, McGrevey chose to come to Oxford to attend The University of Mississippi.

“A bunch of my friends were going to Ole Miss, and I heard they had a good honors program,” McGrevey said.

Arriving in Oxford, McGrevey chose electrical engineering as his major. On the side, he found a job at Weir Hall, the university’s IT department, working as a technician. It was there he quickly found out it was more than just a side job. Students immediately realized he was the real deal after a few short weeks, and there was almost nothing McGrevey couldn’t fix.

“I had a line of students waiting for me to repair their stuff,” Kyle said.

After a few months, it seemed like the whole campus had heard about McGrevey and his amazing skill set. Every day, new people were coming to Kyle for help. His knowledge of computers was a gold mine for the student body as well as for himself.

McGrevey created his own business card and began charging for his work. Students were bringing their shut down hard drives and broken screens to his apartment for repair. As this new job kept developing, school work was becoming McGrevey’s second priority.

“I had no idea this many people had problems with their computers and phones,” McGrevey said.

Setting up appointments left and right, it seemed McGrevey didn’t even need the degree he came to seek. According to McGrevey, school is where people come in order to make money, and he was making plenty of it without the degree.

In his senior year at Ole Miss in 2005, the students’ need for help was only growing with advancing technology. McGrevey decided to rent out a spot in downtown Oxford to turn his passion for technology into his career. With only seven hours of classes left to receive his electrical engineering degree, McGrevey dropped out of college and committed all of his time to IT.

McGrevey’s decision to drop out wasn’t easy on his parents, but he decided to go with his gut and continue his passion.

McGrevey opened his company in a big white building on the Square, naming it Express Computer Services. For two years he was doing great, helping the people of Oxford who had technology issues, which seemed to be everyone.

It wasn’t until 2007 that McGrevey ran into a bit of trouble. His landlord strolled in one day telling McGrevey he needed to relocate because he was planning on knocking down the wall and building a stage in order to have a music venue.

McGrevey didn’t argue, simply packing up his stuff and finding a spot almost immediately on Jackson Avenue. The building eventually turned into what is now known as the Lyric, a venue for many different events.

“When they kicked me out I told myself I would never attend a concert at that place, but now they host big time musicians and I find myself going,” McGrevey said.

McGrevey’s business started as a one man operation but has grown, now employing five people. His business has had more success since relocating, repairing more than 20,000 computers since opening and being rated Oxford’s No. 1 computer shop five years in a row.

Averaging about 20-40 people daily, not including in-home repairs, McGrevey is always busy. Taking calls and making appointments all while dissecting a hard drive and recovering lost school work. McGrevey is one heck of a multi-tasker, something customers have taken notice of.

“He never stops working when I take my iPhone there,” said Chip Callahan, a student at Northwest Community College. “I think he is going to forget something but somehow he doesn’t.”

According to Ole Miss student Amanda Martin, Mcgrevey is always able to repair her computer and he never takes more than two days.

When talking to McGrevey, he seems calm but never steers away from his work. He is personable and reasonable, always assisting his customers with respect.

He took calls, fixed a broken screen and talked to a customer all at the same time. Maybe that’s why he has lasted so long in Oxford.

IT repair stores tend to “spring up” all around Oxford, according to McGrevey, though he doesn’t pay much attention. They don’t stay long because of his long-lasting relationship with the community.

McGrevey assists hundreds of various companies around town when they have technical problems or questions, including the Lyric and the University. McGrevey will also assist people at their homes.

Without McGrevey it seems like the whole town would be in technological pandemonium. McGrevey never stops taking apart computers, replacing screens, cleaning devices and much more, working in a cool, collected manner without a drop of sweat.

“Two years ago my computer crashed and I lost a bunch of assignments,” said Ole Miss student Jordan Cavanaugh. “I freaked out, but thank god for that guy. He recovered everything.”

When speaking to Cavanaugh, he talked about how he considers McGrevey a lifesaver.

“The stress of school is enough; I don’t want to have to worry about my computer crashing also,” Cavanaugh said.

Express Computer Service is also a huge hit in Oxford because of the convenience and in-stock items that no one else in Oxford carries. According to McGrevey, his is the only store in town (including the recently built AT&T store just down the road from ECS) that carries Apple AC adaptors as well as iPhone 4 and 4S screens, which are in high demand in a college town. Customers would otherwise have to drive to Memphis to buy the items he carries.

McGrevey’s business has been such a success the past eight years, and he doesn’t have any plans to change. According to McGrevey, he plans on staying in Oxford and running his business as long as possible.

When asked if he would ever return to Ole Miss to finish the last seven hours and claim his degree, he replied smiling: “I see myself in 20 years chilling on campus as an old man finishing my degree.”

McGrevey has made a name for himself in Oxford, and it seems almost everybody knows the “Express Computer Guy.”

The post Kyle ‘the computer guy’ McGrevey: Oxford’s very own technician appeared first on The Daily Mississippian.

It was at that moment that four guys all realized we had a mutual obsession with “Pretty Little Liars,” and every single one of us admitted it was our favorite guilty pleasure.

It got me thinking about that term: “guilty pleasure.” We usually use it to describe something that we are embarrassed to admit we really enjoy. I’m going to take this moment now and say that my two favorite guilty pleasures are “Gossip Girl” and Nicki Minaj.

Once you admit such things, you realize you are never alone. One of my guy friend’s favorite moment of television is Chuck and Blair’s wedding from the series finale of “Gossip Girl,” but he will never admit it in public — until he is drunk, when it becomes the only thing he wants to talk about.

I propose that everyone stop being so ashamed of what you like and be bold. Marshall Henderson recently tweeted, “move over Lebron, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS SEASON 4 PREMIERE TONIGHT!!!! #AYEEEE,” along with retweeting its replies. If a star basketball player is willing to admit to something that most guys never would, what reason do you have to hide?

It normally has to do with gender roles: guys are scared to admit they like “Desperate Housewives” or some equally feminine show for fear it makes them less masculine. I didn’t intend to talk about noncomformity to gender roles and what not, but this is one area where people are backwards. Admitting that you listen to Natasha Bedingfield on a regular basis does not make you any more feminine then listening to Three 6 Mafia. If anything, it makes you more masculine for not being embarrassed about trivial things.

Guilty pleasures are not just for men, though. Most girls I know have a wedding board on their Pinterest, regardless of their relationship status.

A female friend of mine, an English major, freaks out when each new Nichlolas Sparks novel is realeased, as well as with every one of the movie adaptations, even though she doesn’t consider the novel literature.

What is even worse than hiding your guilty pleasures, though, is when someone says something is a guilty pleasure when in actuallity it is not. Working out is not a guilty pleasure, eating a gallon of ice cream and crying during your fiftieth rewatch of “The Notebook” is, and you should not be embarrased about that.

I am not ashamed of stating that Britney Spears is still hot and talented. I cried during “Pay It Forward.” I have had Fall Out Boy’s new album on repeat for two weeks. My “guilty pleasures” are now out, but I never had anything to be guilty about. Why can’t we just start to admit what we like without worrying about it?

Although if you like Nickelback you should probably keep that to yourself.

Casey Holliday is a senior English and Journalism major from Horn Lake. Follow him on Twitter @Casey_Holliday.

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These days, beauty is only one category in which we compete against one another. We also feel the pressure to be smarter and more ambitious than our peers. The prevalence of sites such as Pinterest and the popularity of blogs where people can highlight their clothes, their Martha Stewart craftiness, their inner-Julia Child in the kitchen or all their amazing world travels can leave us with a laundry list of categories in which to compete.

When I was a little girl and came to my mom complaining that my dress wasn’t from Limited Too like the other girls’ on the playground, my mom would make me read the Dr. Suess story of Gertrude McFuzz and Lolla-lee Loo. Gertrude only had one little feather, and Lolla-lee Loo, well, she had two. After going through trials and tribulations to acquire more feathers in order to compete with Lolla-lee Loo, Gertrude realized that “she had just the right amount of feathers for her kind of bird.”

Like Gertrude, we run ourselves ragged trying to compete with the Lolla-lee Loos of the world. Some people are blessed with beauty, or brains or both. Others have impeccable style and the finances to fill their closet with designer threads. Some can whip up a delicious, from-scratch meal and with the right instagram filter make it look like the cover of a cookbook.

And then, there are the rest of us. Gertrudes with just one little feather. If we think of the world as a pageant stage we may never feel adequate with this feather. Luckily, the world is not, and it is filled with all sorts of birds with different feathers, beaks and colors. When we stop competing and start loving ourselves just as we are and appreciate what we do have, that is when we truly win.

Anna Rush is a law student from Hattiesburg. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 2011. Follow her on Twitter @annakrush.

The post Learning to love your own feathers appeared first on The Daily Mississippian.

In addition to Gillom, the other members of the 2013 Hall of Fame class were Gary Blair (coach); Jim Foster (coach); Jen Rizzotti (player); Annette Smith-Knight (player) and Sue Wicks (player).

Gillom became the second person in her family to enter the Hall of Fame. Her sister Jennifer, who also starred for the Rebels, was inducted in 2009. Jennifer Gillom now works as an assistant coach with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, who had a game Friday night, but she made it to Knoxville in time for her sister’s induction.

“She got up so early to be here and her flight was canceled,” Peggie said. “I didn’t think she was going to make it, but thank God, she made it.”

A four-year starting forward at Ole Miss and two-time All-American, Peggie Gillom is the Rebels’ all-time leading scorer (2,486 points) and rebounder (1,271). She is one of two players at Ole Miss to ever score more than 2,000 points and grab more than 1,000 rebounds.

Gillom was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996, into the Mississippi Sport Hall of Fame in 1997 and was a finalist for the 1980 Wade Trophy. In addition, Gillom served as an assistant/associate coach at Ole Miss for over 20 years and won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games as an assistant coach with Team USA.

Along with the Gillom sisters, former Rebel coach Van Chancellor was inducted into the WBHOF in 2001.

From staff and wire reports.

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Entering his 12th season at the helm, Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin said he likes the mixtures of teams and playing styles his Rebels will face in 2013, and he’s excited to get started on the year.

“Overall, it’s a very challenging schedule for us, but I like the way it sets up with the type of teams we’re playing in the preseason,” Getzin said. “It gives us a lot of good competition that will prepare us for a tough SEC schedule. We have an SEC schedule where we will get to see the best and we’re excited about that. There will be a difficult test in there for us with being on the road for a stretch at the beginning of November, but championship teams have to be able to perform on the road as well. We’re looking forward to that challenge.”

Ole miss will open its season in the nation’s capital Friday, Aug. 30, against UMBC in the Colonel Classic hosted by George Washington. The Rebels will then play a doubleheader Aug. 31 against Maryland and the tournament host Colonels.

Ole Miss will come home to the Gillom Sports Center to play the first of its two home tournaments, the Magnolia Invitational, the following weekend. The Rebels open the invitational with a doubleheader Sept. 6 against Kennesaw State and Georgia Southern. Ole Miss will close out the tournament Sept. 7 against Arkansas State.

“Playing two tournaments at the Gillom Center gives us an opportunity to play in front of our fans a little bit more,” Getzin said. “The SEC cut down its schedule, so it opened up a weekend for us. We’re always excited to be playing at home in front of our fans.”

The following weekend, Ole Miss will play in its largest tournament of the season, the TCU Tournament, where it will play a pair of doubleheaders Sept. 13 and Sept. 14. Ole Miss will open the tournament Sept. 13 in Fort Worth, Texas, against Grambling State and Stephen F. Austin. The Rebels will then face Houston on Sept. 14, followed by their final match of the tournament against tournament host TCU.

Ole Miss closes out the nonconference portion of its schedule Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 with the Rebel Classic, where it will play host to Southern Miss, Chattanooga and Louisiana. After facing Southern Miss on Sept. 20, Ole Miss will play a doubleheader Sept. 21 against Chattanooga and Louisiana.

“There will be a mixture of teams that play different styles at our two home tournaments,” Getzin said. “That prepares us more for the SEC, and with us being a young team to start, that will be a good schedule for them. In our preseason, we should be able to compete with everyone on our schedule. That’s what I’m looking for to get out of the gate.”

The Rebels will open SEC action with a pair of home matches against Arkansas on Friday, Sept. 27, and the defending conference champion Florida Gators on Sunday, Sept. 29.

Ole Miss’ first road weekend of the SEC season will come the next week when it heads north to Lexington, Ky., to face Kentucky on Oct. 4, followed by a road match at Georgia on Oct. 6.

Ole Miss will split a weekend on the road and at home the following week when it travels to LSU (Oct. 11), followed by a home match against Auburn (Oct. 13).

The Rebels will stay in Oxford for another home weekend Oct. 18 and Oct. 20 against Tennessee and South Carolina, respectively, before getting a week off from matches.

Following its off-week, Ole Miss will play four straight matches on the road, beginning with matches at Missouri (Nov. 1) and Arkansas (Nov. 3).

Ole Miss will face Mississippi State in a midweek match on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in Starkville, followed by another road match Friday, Nov. 8 at Tennessee. The Rebels will close out the week with a home match against Texas A&M, the 2012 SEC Western Division Champions, on Nov. 10.

“There are things you can control and there are things you can’t control,” Getzin said. “The SEC schedule is a difficult schedule — it always is — but it’s not something we can control. We will do everything we can to take care of our business. Like any other schedule, you have to win at home and try to get some wins on the road where it’s much tougher in the SEC to win. Our team is a group that’s up to it and we’re looking forward to those challenges.”

Ole Miss will complete its season series against Georgia and Kentucky on Nov. 15 and Nov. 17, respectively, before playing its final two road matches of the regular season against Alabama and Auburn on Nov. 22 and Nov. 24.

The final match of the regular season will be Wednesday, Nov. 27, against LSU at 7 p.m. CT where the Rebels will honor their two seniors, Kellie Goss and Kara Morgan.

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