If you read this blog, you probably know by now that Shepard Smith is a graduate of Ole Miss. And while he prepares to anchor from his alma mater, which tonight becomes the center of the political universe, Smith will be making a return trip to Mississippi next week. He'll be inducted into the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame next Friday.

"The excitement at Ole Miss is hard to even put into words," Smith tells TVNewser. "Over the years Ole Miss has changed. America has changed. Ole Miss wants the world to see what a Great American Public University it is," he says.

Smith arrived late this morning at his old stomping grounds. He'll anchor his two FNC shows as well as the FOX broadcast network's coverage of the debate. And while his dozen years at Fox have taken him across the country and around the world, he says, "Oxford is my favorite place. It's culturally rich, a literary gem. It's politically and racially diverse. It's among the most welcoming places in America."

Smith just hopes viewers don't get too attached to his town.

"I hope the world gets to see what a wonderful place ours is...tucked away in the rolling clay hills of north Mississippi...and that the rest of the nation doesn't realize what we all know, move there...and mess it all up!"

• Related Features:
Broadcasting & Cable
The Hollywood Reporter
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal