MTSU Breaks Ground On $66 Million Student-Athlete Performance Center

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Members of the MTSU athletic and administration at the ground-breaking ceremony. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Cole/MT Athletic Communications

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) broke ground on the Athletic Department’s new $66 million Student-Athlete Performance Center on Thursday (Jan. 26), just outside of Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium.

The three-story, 85,500-square-foot building connected to the north end of Floyd Stadium will serve as the new home of Blue Raider football, as well as contain a variety of facilities vital for the continued support of all MTSU student-athletes, including new athletic training, weightlifting and nutrition areas.

“Once completed, this new facility, along with an enhanced Murphy Center, will be part of a new gateway into our campus and will stand as a visible reminder of our commitment to athletic success,” notes President Sidney A. McPhee. “Today’s groundbreaking publicly reaffirms our commitment to maintaining a nationally competitive athletic program.”

MTSU student-athlete performance center rendering

McPhee was joined by Board of Trustees Chair Stephen B. Smith, Director of Athletics Chris Massaro, Head Football Coach Rick Stockstill, Women’s Golf Coach Chris Adams, student-athletes, supporters and fans from around the MTSU community for the groundbreaking, which was held prior to that night’s women’s basketball game against Florida Atlantic in Murphy Center.

“Today marks the latest milestone in a project that countless Blue Raiders have worked on and dreamed of for many years,” shares Massaro. “The Student-Athlete Performance Center is transformational for our department, the University, and for our community. We will be able to better develop our players, attract top-notch recruits, and make our student-athlete experience second to none.”

Fresh off the football program’s first ever back-to-back bowl win, Stockstill expressed appreciation for the continued support of Blue Raider fans that is helping take MTSU football to the next level with the start of construction later this winter.

MTSU President Sydney A. McPhee. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Cole/MT Athletic Communications

When completed, the SAPC will feature three floors of amenities, starting on the first floor, where the Tommy and Judy Smith Entry Lobby will greet visitors to the building. Also housed on the first floor will be state-of-the-art facilities, including a nutrition station, a strength and conditioning room and an athletic training room equipped with hydrotherapy pools. The first floor will also be the new home for the Blue Raider football team, as it will house the new football locker room and player’s lounge, in addition to the new equipment room.

The second floor will house the offices of the Blue Raider football coaching staff with a plethora of meeting areas, including the team meeting room, position rooms and coaches meeting rooms.

MTSU Athletic Director Chris Massaro. Photo: Courtesy of Emily Cole/MT Athletic Communications

The third floor will also feature a large dining venue for student-athletes. On game day, this space will be dedicated to premium opportunities for fans.

The SAPC project, made possible through the support of Blue Raider fans in the BuildBlue campaign, will also provide updates to the south end zone video board in Floyd Stadium, as well as the video boards inside of Murphy Center. A control room, giving MTSU the ability to produce their own live television broadcasts at the industry standard, will also be constructed within Murphy Center.

Goodwyn Mills Cawood Inc. (GMC) and HOK, a team that helped build similar projects at Vanderbilt, Auburn, Georgia and other universities, is overseeing the design of the project. General contracting for the construction of the SAPC will be done by The Parent Company Inc. out of Brentwood, Tennessee.

Steven Boero
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