MTSU’s Build Blue Campaign Surpasses Fundraising Goal, Ground Set To Break This Winter

Renderings of MTSU’s Student Athlete Performance Center.

Middle Tennessee State University’s Build Blue campaign has surpassed its initial fundraising goal and reached overall funding milestones that will allow construction to begin for the $66-million Student Athlete Performance Center this winter.

As part of the announcement, additional renderings of the current state of the project were released by the athletics department. MTSU Athletics also announced Wednesday (Sept. 21) that the Build Blue Campaign fundraising goal has been increased from $15 million to $20 million.

“We are pleased and proud of the donor support that allowed us to quickly reach these major milestones in the Build Blue campaign,” says MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “This is truly a transformative effort, not only for our 17 sport programs, but also as a gateway and destination on our beautiful campus.”

The three-story, 87,000-square-foot performance center will provide all MTSU student-athletes with new facilities for weight training, nutrition, and sports medicine. It will also be the new home for Blue Raider Football, allowing MTSU to relocate student-athlete locker rooms and offices from Murphy Center to Floyd Stadium. The Student Athlete Performance Center is scheduled to break ground early this winter and to open in the north end zone of Floyd Stadium by the start of the 2024 football season.

Renderings of MTSU’s Student Athlete Performance Center.

The news comes less than a week after breaking ground for another Build Blue project, the $7.1-million, on-campus Outdoor Tennis Complex for the Men’s and Women’s programs.

Athletics Director Chris Massaro said reaching these milestones, “is a major statement for each of our sport programs that we are serious about positioning ourselves for a successful future within the changing landscape of college athletics.

“Reaching, and now increasing, our goal for the Build Blue Campaign is a reflection of the excitement around Blue Raider Athletics and a reflection of the generosity of donors and the hard work of our volunteer fundraisers led by Build Blue co-chairs Andy Womack and Drew Shea.”

In all, the Build Blue campaign has secured over $16 million in donor cash, donor pledges and additional funds towards the over $100 million in transformational changes to the athletics facilities landscape in Murfreesboro.

Over 220 individuals and families have contributed to the Build Blue campaign so far.

Steven Boero