6:45 LRN Sportscast

Texas and Oklahoma officially join the Southeastern Conference today. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says the NCAA’s best conference just got better…
cut 12 (12) “…coming in”
This expansion gets rid of divisional play so say goodbye to what has been considered the most difficult division in all of football, the SEC West.

It’s Garrett Nussmeier’s time. The Lake Charles native has been at LSU since 2021 and he heads into the 2024 season as the Tigers starting quarterback. LSU is coming off back-to-back ten win seasons and Nussmeier says the team is determined to get in the twelve team playoff…
Cut 16 (13 “…as well.”
Nussmeier spoke at the Manning Passing Academy.

Texas A-and-M has named Michael Earley as the Aggies new baseball coach. He has been the hitting coach at College Station for the last three seasons. He’s hired former LSU pitching coach Jason Kelly as his pitching coach. Kelly is leaving Washington after two seasons as head coach.

Two former LSU baseball players have found new homes. Center fielder Paxton Kling is returning to his home state and will play for Penn State. Relief pitcher Aiden Moffett has committed Texas, left-hander Cam Johnson has officially said he’ll play at Oklahoma next season.

The Pelicans need to find a new starting center as Jonas Valanciunas has signed a three year deal for 30 million dollars with the Washington Wizards. In his three seasons in New Orleans, Valanciunas played in nearly every game and averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pelicans have also lost forward Naji Marshall in free agency. Marshall has reportedly agreed to a three-year, 27 million dollar contract to the Mavericks. He averaged eight points a game last season and shot a career best 39-percent from three point territory.

The Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese has become the first WNBA player to record ten consecutive double-doubles. Reese had 10 points and 16 rebounds yesterday in a 70 to 62 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.

6:30 LRN Newscast

It’s July first and there are two named storms. Beryl is a Category Three hurricane as it moves into the Caribbean. Beryl is expected to hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula by the end of the week and end up as a tropical storm in the southern Gulf of Mexico. There’s also Tropical Storm Chris which is producing heavy rainfall and flooding over portions of Eastern Mexico.

Several new laws go into effect today and the Fair Claims Processing bill is one of them. Colleen Crain has more.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Beginning August 1st both Medicaid and private insurers are required to cover for the care or treatment of menopause and perimenopause as a result of a new law approved by Louisiana lawmakers. New Orleans Democratic Representative Aimee Freeman says insurers opposed this new law…
cut 5 (10) “…along the way”
Freeman says there’s been more research on how to treat menopausal side effects and women deserve to have that coverage.

Today Southeastern Conference officially welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC making it a 16 league team. SEC Associate Commissioner Herb Vincent says Texas and O-U officially accepted invitations into the SEC in July of 2021, so the league has had plenty of time to prepare…
Cut 10 (08) “…teams.”

No more divisional play in football and baseball.