Pentagon Diverts $1 Billion from Army Barracks to Fund Border Mission

The Pentagon is reallocating $1 billion intended for maintaining and renovating Army barracks to fund its surge of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, a move that coincides with the service's gradual deprioritization of quality-of-life initiatives for soldiers.

Redirecting the barracks funding erodes much of the additional money the Army started pouring into living quarters during the previous administration. The funding could be partially replaced by a separate $1 billion in proposed barracks investments across all services in Congress' so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill,” but that legislation, designed to enact President Donald Trump's agenda, would still leave the Army with an enormous financial loss on maintaining living quarters for junior troops.

Gator's Falby & Erickson Repeat As 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winners

Falby and Erickson are just the second and third pair of repeat winners in the award's history.

OKLAHOMA CITY | For the second season in a row, Kendra Falby and Jocelyn Erickson were named recipients of the 2025 NCAA Division I Rawlings Gold Glove Award, presented by the NFCA, on Wednesday during a press conference at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Falby and Erickson are just the second and third pair of repeat winners in the award's history, earning the honor in centerfield and at catcher, respectively.

Since the award was established in 2022, three Gator student-athletes have been named winners five times, the most of any program in the nation.

Hannah Adams was the first Florida player to win the award in 2022 at second base.

Erickson, a junior, had another stellar season behind the plate for the Gators.

Runners have been wary to steal from her, throwing out eight who have attempted.

In two seasons in Gainesville, she has thrown out 21 runners stealing, just shy of the top 10 in program history.

Mississippi State's Sacco Consensus All-American, Earns First Team Honors From NFCA

STARKVILLE | Sierra Sacco is a consensus All-American after earning First Team recognition from the NFCA on Wednesday. She joins Bulldog legend Mia Davidson as the only players in school history to be recognized by three different outlets in the same season.

Sacco was also tabbed First Team by Softball America and Second Team by D1Softball. She is Mississippi State's eighth player to be recognized by the NFCA, and her selection is the program's 18th honor from the coaches' association. She has earned State's 13th First Team honor from the NFCA.

Mississippi State has had at least one All-American in three of the last four seasons, and Sacco is the first outfielder recognized since Iyhia McMichael was a First Team selection by the NFCA in 2004.

Texas Men's Track Advances Five at NCAA West Prelims

Five sprinters advance to Friday's quarterfinals in College Station

COLLEGE STATION, Texas | The No. 17 men's Texas track and field program advanced five sprinters to Friday's quarterfinals at the NCAA West Prelims on Wednesday.

Kendrick Smallwood won heat 1 of the men's 110-meter hurdle first round with his time of 13.38. It was the third-fastest time in the field of 48. Smallwood will compete in Friday's quarterfinals for a spot at the NCAA Championships.

Nabil Tezkratt also advanced to the 400-meter quarterfinal finishing third in Heat 2 with a time of 46.36 for the automatic spot.

The Longhorns later advanced two in the 400-meter hurdles after Kody Blackwood ran the fourth-fastest time of the night in 49.86 to win Heat 5. Chris Brinkley also advanced on time at 51.04 to compete on Friday.

Xavier Butler was the final Longhorn to advance after winning Heat 6 of the 200-meter with a time of 20.45. It was the third-fastest time of the day.

The No. 11 women will compete on the second day of the NCAA prelims.

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-- By John James

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