Long before kickoff at Floyd Stadium or tipoff at the Murphy Center, MTSU student athletes go through their daily routines in facilities that are the focus of renovations sweeping campus.
As the collegiate arms race, including name, image and likeness (NIL), continues to ramp up around the nation, how is MTSU responding?
The Build Blue campaign is a $100 million-plus investment that supports renovations to the Murphy Center, the construction of the Student-Athlete Performance Center and a multipurpose indoor practice facility.
“When you add it all together, the Build Blue campaign is going to completely transform this part of campus and impact all of our 350-plus student-athletes,” Deputy Athletic Director Lee De Leon said.
The three-phase campaign hinges on three major projects.
Phase 1
The first phase, which has finished, included the $66 million Student-Athlete Performance Center on the west side of Johnny Red Floyd Stadium and the $8 million Outdoor Tennis Complex located beside the Murphy Center.
“This facility is a testament to the wide-ranging success of our men’s and women’s athletic teams and to the remarkable community support we enjoy here at MTSU,” MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said at the SAPC ribbon cutting.
On July 30, 2025, officials opened the Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center, an 85,000-square-foot facility that is the central hub for Middle Tennessee football. The facility serves as a multi-functional building for all 17 athletic programs at MTSU, providing performance, preparation and recovery for student-athletes.
The SAPC also offers improvements to the game-day atmosphere in Floyd Stadium, including the SRM Concrete Club and a video board spanning the length of the stadium.
Alongside the SAPC, the Outdoor Tennis Complex opened on Feb. 2, 2025. The facility includes eight tennis courts, coaches’ offices, locker rooms and a spectator viewing area.
Phase 2
The second phase of the Build Blue campaign focuses on sweeping renovations to the historic Murphy Center and the surrounding area. The “Glass House” opened its doors on Dec. 11, 1972 — 54 years ago.
The renovation project carries a price tag of approximately $119 million, De Leon said. $78 million of the total sum by the state of Tennessee, and the remaining $41 million came from a combination of student fees and donations.
“Between donor pledges and student fees, we’ve got to cover that remaining $41 million balance,” De Leon said.
With a project of this magnitude, much of the remaining cost depends on continued donor support, including a $25 million fundraising goal. As of Apr. 11, 2026, the Build Blue campaign stands at $23,222,304.56.
At the center of the Murphy Center renovations is a complete reimagining of the game-day experience, from parking to grabbing a seat. The first of many steps includes revamping the Greenland parking lot with new asphalt and parking lines.
As fans walk from the parking lot, a redesigned plaza, including a paved walkway between the SAPC, Blue Raider Athletics Hall of Fame and the Murphy Center, will be installed. A new grand entrance to the arena, including elevators, escalators and a ticketing lobby, will be added onto the current main structure.
Inside the Murphy Center, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant railings and walkways will be installed, followed by a serious look at premium seating options to replace the current pull-out bleachers on the concourse.
“We’re looking at adding premium seating options because that’s the trend in sports right now — more intimate venues with better amenities,” De Leon said.
Students will see academic space upgrades that currently house multiple classes, including the College of Behavioral & Health Sciences. New offices, basketball locker rooms, practice courts and training facilities will fill out the reimagined bottom-level concourse.
Outside of the hardwood, the enhancements benefit rehabbing the venue to make it a more up-to-date concert venue that can attract larger talent. With the completion of Bridgestone Arena in 1998, the Murphy Center has lost most of its concert opportunities.
A new development, the “Lighting Zone,” is running in parallel with the Murphy Center renovations. A committee on the MTSU Board of Trustees leads the charge on retail expansion, the solidification of the on-site hotel and a potential pedestrian bridge over Middle Tennessee Blvd.
As construction begins in the coming months, phase two reshapes not only the Murphy Center but the entire surrounding athletic district.
Phase 3
Following the completion of the Murphy Center renovations, the final major project in the Build Blue playbook is a new outdoor training facility that will sit on the west-most field of the current football outdoor practice fields in between the Hall of Fame and the Dean A. Hayes Stadium.
The indoor facility will include a full indoor football field that any MTSU sports team can utilize in the case of inclement weather. The other outdoor practice field will remain in its current position.
Other items on the wish list include renovations to Reese Smith Jr. Field and the Blue Raider Softball complex. For Middle Tennessee baseball, the possibility of a full turf field instead of the current hybrid turf and grass field. At the Blue Raider Softball Field, a new softball clubhouse including a player lounge, new locker rooms and a coach’s office could be considered.
Other future developments include renovations to the seating at Floyd Stadium on the east side of the bleachers, where cracks in the seating have made the stands unsafe for spectators, De Leon said.
There are no guarantees in the current landscape of collegiate athletics. But with Build Blue in force, MTSU is putting all the cards on the table to invest in its future.
“Five years from now, this entire part of campus is going to look completely different,” De Leon said.
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