Jamie Lynn Spears' Daughter Is Off To College: Here's What We Know

It seems like it was just yesterday when television viewers watched young Jamie Lynn Spears navigate adolescent life at the Pacific Coast Academy in "Zoey 101." Thus, it might make some fans feel old knowing Spears' daughter, Maddie Aldridge, is growing up fast and will be heading off to college soon. On November 25, 2024, Spears announced her daughter's college decision on Instagram, saying she chose to play softball. "All in my feels [because] my baby girl has committed to furthering her athletic & academic career at the University of Southern Miss!" she wrote. 

Considering her mother's Instagram is filled with photos showing her in her element while playing softball, the teen's decision makes complete sense. For example,  another of Spears' Instagram posts expressed her belief that her daughter could have a promising future playing the sport. "Future's bright, kiddos," she wrote in October 2024. In her own Instagram post sharing the news, Aldridge described the opportunity to play college softball as a dream come true. "I am so excited and blessed to announce my verbal commitment, for my academic and athletic career, to the University of Southern Mississippi!!!" she wrote. "I am so thankful to all the players, coaches, and family that have supported me and made it possible to get to the point I am today."

As if announcing that her teenage daughter is college-bound wasn't enough to remind fans that Jamie Lynn Spears has gotten older, the actor also pointed out that Maddie Aldridge is the same age she was when she became a mother."I can remember it like it was just yesterday, as the whole world watched and judged as I made the choice to have my baby at 16 years old," she wrote on Instagram. "Fast [forward] to today, and that same little baby girl is now 16 years old herself announcing that she will be going to play D1 ball for an amazing college."

Some might recall when Spears announced her pregnancy and brought Maddie into the world alongside her now-ex, Casey Aldridge, in 2008. The news prompted a flurry of backlash from the public, and Spears decided to leave everything behind to raise her daughter. However, her age and the circumstances surrounding Maddie's birth haven't stopped Spears from cheering her daughter on and supporting her as she follows her dream. "Nothing is more fulfilling [than] watching your child grow & learn not just as a player, but as a person all while doing something they love," she wrote on Instagram in July 2024.