Justin Morrison, Mark Owens, Drew Ruble, Carol Stuart
Contributing Writers
Chris Massaro, Justin Morrison, Mark Owens, Tony Stinnett, Bethany Boyles, Anthony Fiorella, Josh Vardaman, Chip Walters
Designer
David G. Lowry
Athletics Photographers
Brent Beerends, Tyler Lamb
Special Thanks to Zach Huston, Charlie Legeman, Daniel Stiles, Brad Tammen
University President
Sidney A. McPhee
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Andrew Oppmann
Address changes should be sent to Advancement Services, MTSU Box 109, Murfreesboro, TN 37132; alumni@mtsu.edu. Other correspondence should be sent to the Blue Raider Athletic Association, 1301 E. Main St, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. 1,035 copies printed at Falcon Press in Nashville, Tenn. 1118-6827 / Middle Tennessee State University does not discriminate against students, employees, or applicants for admission or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or any other legally protected class with respect to all employment, programs, and activities sponsored by MTSU. The Assistant to the President for Institutional Equity and Compliance has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and can be reached at Cope Administration Building 116, 1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132; Marian.Wilson@mtsu.edu; or 615-898-2185 The MTSU policy on non-discrimination can be found at www.mtsu.edu/iec.
Brent Stockstill has become one of Middle Tennessee’s greatest ambassadors during his career.
Page 6
The
The
New
Chris Massaro
From the Desk of the A.D.
Year after year Rick Insell has put a competitive squad on the court
Blue Raider women’s coach Rick Insell recently became Middle Tennessee’s all-time winningest basketball coach with his 333rd victory.
When I think about Coach Insell’s successes, what really stands out is the consistency he has demonstrated in his 14 seasons leading the Blue Raider program.
Just think about it. We have been fortunate to witness sustained greatness within our women’s basketball program at a very high level and against top-notch competition.
The players have changed throughout the years, but the results have not.
Year after year, player after player, and even through assistant coaching changes along the way, there is always a constant—Rick Insell will put a competitive squad on the court. You can count on a team that is going to play hard and compete.
As we approached, and then celebrated, Coach Insell’s recent milestone, I couldn’t help but to continue thinking about some truly mind-boggling numbers regarding those 333 wins.
Coach Insell accomplished this achievement in less than 14 full seasons, averaging right at 24 victories per season.
It’s not just the wins, either. It is also the quality of those wins. All of Coach Insell’s victories here have come against Division I competition.
We have been fortunate to witness sustained greatness within our women’s basketball program.
Another interesting fact is 73 percent of his losses have been to either Power 5 competition or conference opponents.
Coach Insell and his teams have been able to contribute to the overall greatness of a women’s basketball program that has enjoyed decades of success.
The Blue Raiders also recently notched the program’s 900th all-time victory, putting Middle Tennessee in elite company in women’s basketball. Only 32 Division I teams (out of 351) have achieved at least 900 wins. The Lady Raiders are the fourth team in Tennessee and the fourth in Conference USA to accomplish that number.
That number also suggests a history of greatness for women’s basketball at Middle Tennessee. We truly have been blessed to have great players and great coaches throughout the years, and that continues today as Coach Insell has led the Blue Raiders to more than one-third of those 900plus wins.
Sometimes we may become spoiled because of the consistent success of Coach Insell’s teams, but it is important to take time to appreciate and put accolades into perspective.
We certainly are blessed to have one of the best at his craft leading our women’s basketball program. RR
Chris Massaro Athletic Director
by Josh Vardaman
The end of the 2018 football season saw the conclusion to a brilliant career for one of Middle Tennessee’s finest student-athletes.
Brent Stockstill stepped onto the MTSU campus in 2013 as a hometown kid trying to make his mark and proceeded to put together one of the best careers on the gridiron the program has ever seen.
“It all hits you pretty quick [once it’s over] . . . and we accomplished some pretty special things,” he said. “We had a special group and a special coach . . . and I love them all to death.”
When Stockstill, a 2018 Siegel High School Hall of Fame inductee, finished his storied career under the Friday night lights, he turned his attention to the next chapter.
At first, he thought that chapter would be at the University of Cincinnati, where he originally signed a National Letter of Intent. That wouldn’t turn out to be the case, though.
Stockstill was granted a release from his NLI in May 2013 because he wanted to play for his hometown
Brent Stockstill has been one of Middle Tennessee’s greatest ambassadors during his career.
The father and son had talked about what it would be like to take the field together as head coach and quarterback, but they’d have to wait two years to realize that dream.
Brent was forced to take a “gray shirt” season as a freshman, paying his own way and delaying his college career, because there weren’t any scholarships left when he switched to Middle Tennessee in the summer of 2013. Then, he was redshirted his second year on campus.
In 2015, he went into the season locked in a position battle with returning starter Austin Grammer. Before the season opener against Jackson State, Rick Stockstill announced his son would be under center for his first career start.
The rest was history.
Brent Stockstill completed his four-year playing career as the Blue Raiders’ all-time leading passer, topping just about every career and single-season passing record. His 106 touchdowns and 12,495 yards rank 20th and 28th all-time in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history, respectively, and he’s in the top 10 all-time in seven career Conference USA passing stats.
More important than the statistical records, the southpaw went 26-18 overall and 19-6 in C-USA games in his career. He’s the only quarterback in program history to lead the team to four straight bowl appearances. He also took MT to its first C-USA
Blue Raiders, where his dad, Rick, has been the head coach since 2006.
L-R: Rick Stockstill (l–r), Emily Stockstill, Sara Stockstill, Brent Stockstill, and Jessica Howell
Championship Game—hosted by the Blue Raiders Dec. 1—and won the program’s first East Division title with a 7-1 league record in his last season.
“It was special. It was a great journey,” Brent Stockstill said. “We’ll look back on it one day and know it was a good ride.”
Brent Stockstill, who earned the C-USA Most Valuable Player award for 2018, also has been one of Middle Tennessee’s greatest ambassadors during his career. He’s set an example in the classroom by obtaining both a bachelor’s and master’s degree before his final season, and he was named to the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team in 2017 as a result of his outstanding community service work.
His career may have come to an end in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl this past December, but the legacy of
Doron Claiborne, Gary Taylor, Kim Eischeid, Jim LaVoie
615.893.5064
ClaiborneTaylor.com
“It’s been an incredible, incredible ride, journey, whatever you call it,” Coach Stockstill said. “What he’s done and what he’s meant to this program and to this team, words don’t do him justice. He’s a phenomenal human being, a fantastic player, and a fantastic leader. I’m very, very humbled to be his coach, and now I get to be his dad.” RR
Brent Stockstill not only rewrote the Middle Tennessee record book during his brilliant career, but he also made a mark in the all-time Conference USA rankings. Category MT Rank C-USA Rank Stat
Brent Stockstill will live on in Blue Raider history.
______ LAIBORNE AYLOR
Hall OF Fame
The 2018 class of the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raider Sports Hall of Fame featured seven stars from the past who delivered greatness in the athletic arena.
The 2018 honored class included Marty Carter (football), Taryn Durham (women's golf), Amber Holt (women's basketball), Daniel Klemetz (men's tennis), Ralph Massey (football) and David McNamara and Julius Robberts (men's tennis).
This class featured two national champions, a player who led the nation in scoring in women's basketball, the first women's golf inductee and two football players who earned acclaim in different eras.
Hall OF Fame
Induction ceremonies took place on the lawn of the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame Building
Saturday, Sept. 29, prior to the Blue Raiders’ come-from-behind win over FAU.
Middle Tennessee State University
Blue Raider Sports • 2018
Photos by Tyler Lamb
Leader Clubhouse
IN THE
by Josh Vardaman
New men’s golf coach
Mark McEntire keeps the program’s strong momentum going
Coaching changes can sometimes derail momentum gathered from a successful program.
That was the threat to the Middle Tennessee men’s golf team this summer with the departure of fourthyear coach Brennan Webb. The new head man of the Blue Raider golf team is no stranger to postseason play, though, and he’s ready to keep the positive momentum gained from recent success going.
Mark McEntire was named the eighth head coach in program history last July after a 13-year stint at the College of Charleston. He’s tasked with keeping MT at the top of Conference USA.
The Raiders won their first C-USA championship in 2018—their first league title since winning the Sun Belt in 2009—and qualified for an NCAA Regional for the second straight season.
Through his first fall in Murfreesboro, McEntire has liked what he’s seen out of his young team so far. They’ve had to battle injuries to two top returning players, but showed progress through every tournament.
The team is heading into this spring season in a good spot, and a reinforcement has arrived. McEntire announced in December that Vanderbilt transfer Cooper Sears was joining the squad, and he’ll start his Blue Raider career in the spring.
“I just wanted some momentum going into the spring,” he said. “Hopefully we can add some depth to the team and some internal competition that I think can make everyone better.”
The only problem in the fall was Mother Nature, an unfortunate circumstance for a team trying to gel with a new coach.
Rain forced MT’s first tournament in Cincinnati to be cancelled, then the second round of the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate in Louisiana was abandoned due to inclement weather as well.
“The weather kind of played havoc with us,” McEntire said. “I like the improvement I saw from the first tournament to the second, but with a young team without much experience, I was kind of hoping to have a few more rounds under our belt.”
When they were able to compete, the Blue Raiders showcased a bit of a revamped roster filled with young talent.
Two top returners, Marcus Byrd and Ilari Saulo, couldn’t play in the fall due
The youthful golfers would do well to follow their head coach’s every instruction.
to injury, opening an opportunity for freshmen Jake Marvelli, Josh Morris, and Palmer Sadlowski to join the lineup alongside junior Tanner Owens and seniors James Beckner and Graham Gosselin.
Owens and Beckner led the team in the fall with scoring averages of 73.2 and 73.8, respectively.
“I like the chemistry, and I like the way they believe in MTSU,” McEntire said. “We got such a late start on recruiting, then we had to redshirt Marcus and Ilari at the last minute because of injuries. So, it’s been a little frustrating at times, but I really like our freshman class that we brought in. I think they’ll keep developing and be really good players for us.”
The youthful golfers would do well to follow their head coach’s every instruction.
McEntire has shown an ability to consistently reach postseason play, leading Charleston to four straight Colonial Athletic Association titles and NCAA Regional appearances (2014–17).
He was brought to Middle Tennessee to continue that conference success, and if his young team can mesh and make a push at a high C-USA finish, the Blue Raiders will prove they haven’t skipped a beat. RR
by Anthony Fiorella
Getting a Hanley Long’s innate ability to improvise on the links proves valuable to a young Lady Raider golf squad Grip
Long blades of brown grass covered the rough of the final holes of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the course carved out of the mountainous landscape of upstate New York that played host to the 2018 U.S. Open. The current crop of pro golf heroes like Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Henrik Stenson skillfully navigated their way through sloping fairways surrounded by walls of trees in a battle of will and overcoming obstacles.
But before that battle ever ensued, a group of 25 college-aged kids—including MT women’s golfer Hanley Long—worked feverishly behind the scenes to get America’s annual golf tournament ready to roll. It was during a practice round that Long, a senior from Clarksville, was yanked aside by a tournament official.
“The port-o-potties (on the course) make too much noise when they shut, and it’s disturbing the players,” her then-boss Jimmy Gibson told her, inferring that she needed to figure it out.
Long would have to improvise. How are you supposed to quiet down a port-o-potty door?
Luckily, Long is no stranger to improvising on the golf course. In fact, you might say her situational skills in the game of golf are her calling card. She developed such a creative approach to the game by practicing unconventional situations. She credits her top-notch short game skill to working with her father, Joey.
When they were freshmen, Long’s longtime running mate at MTSU, fellow senior Jenna Burris, competed with her for the fifth and final spot before every tournament. The team was ranked in the top 50 nationally that season, but Long was only able to play in three tournaments that fall.
Here, too, she had to improvise.
But an injury to Burris has since left Long as the only returning upperclassman from last year’s team. Once again, she’s had to improvise.
“The leadership has been off the charts with Hanley,” Adams said. “I don’t think I could’ve drawn it up any better for her for the fall season of her senior year. With Jenna out, I think she probably felt a little more pressure, but I think she’s handled it very well.”
Long is no stranger to improvising on the golf course. In fact, you might say her situational skills in the game of golf are her calling card.
“Sitting at home and seeing my teammates were having fun and playing good golf pushed me to work harder,” Long said. “So that offseason I underwent a swing change and made a promise to myself that I was going to make that travel team to every single trip in the spring.”
She did, ear ning All-Conference USA Second Team honors along the way.
“I couldn’t have written the script any better for Hanley because she truly wants it as a team-first approach,” said MT women’s golf coach Chris Adams. “With our sport being an individual sport, the luxury of doing your job as an individual will help us as a team.”
Long, now a three-time all-conference selection, has helped the Lady Raiders to just as many Conference USA Championship appearances, including a conference title and a NCAA Regional bid in 2016. As she gears up for one last push toward a regional run, she has the strong support of an MT golf squad that last fall returned four players (including her) who had played in at least 20 rounds the previous season.
Pressure or not, Long appeared to be as cool as the crisp autumn air in the fall of 2018. She led a team of largely freshmen and sophomores to a pair of top 5 team finishes during the fall and boasted an impressive underpar stroke average at 71.8 strokes per round. Individually, Long also placed among the top 10 in four of the five tournaments she played. Her even-par 72 in the final round of the Magnolia Invitational marked the 27th round of par or better in her career—good for second in school history behind former teammate Avery George.
Long credits her time under the hot summer sun at Shinnecock Hills as a huge reason that she was able to lead the Lady Raiders during the fall.
“I think my internship is why I’ve been playing better,” Long said. “I’ve been playing for fun, and I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity to play, in part because now I know how hard people behind the scenes work in order to put on tournaments.”
So how exactly did the improvising Long quiet down the port-o-potty door? She held a piece of Styrofoam she found from an old box in one hand and doublesided tape in the other. She wedged the Styrofoam in-between the crevice of the door at the top, middle, and bottom of it and taped it down. As she pulled the handle, she experienced her moment of truth. No longer was the port-o-potty door making a disturbing noise. In its place, all she heard was the sweet sound of improvisation on the golf course. RR
Anthony Fiorella is a student writer for goblueraiders. com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
*Statistics for this story were accurate as of Oct. 18, 2018.
Order
O N THE Court
by Tony Stinnett
The Middle Tennessee men’s tennis team is coming off a record season from last year and is only looking to improve during the 2019 campaign. The Blue Raiders finished last spring with a 22-5 overall record and a 5-1 conference mark.
Expectations are high that the 2019 team can replicate and even improve upon last season’s success. And, with Murfreesboro set to host the Conference USA tournament at the end of the season, excitement surrounding the program is fever-pitched.
Coach Jimmy Borendame led the Blue Raiders to a top-50 finish in the nation last year at No. 43. It’s the highest ranking the team has ever achieved while Borendame has been in charge.
Borendame stressed that his goal this season is to keep it simple. “We are just going to take one match at a time, and we are just going to keep trying to get better,” he said.
While the team had a fairly dominant season last spring, there is always room to improve. Borendame believes the Blue Raiders have done just that. He successfully recruited a top-20 class for the 2019 season and added in a strong junior college transfer from Sydney, Australia, in Daniel Stormon to boot.
The newest Blue Raiders join a strong returning group set to make a big impact. Senior Gonzalo Morell Raschiatore made the 2018 All C-USA Second-Team Singles and All C-USA Second-Team Doubles.
“Obviously, I think the goal of the team this year is to again be top 40, maybe top 30,” Raschiatore said.
MT’s nationally ranked men’s tennis team prepares for a smashing 2019 season
Jimmy Borendame
Gonzalo
Morell Raschiatore
The Blue Raiders also boast a nationally ranked doubles team, returning junior Tom Moonen and sophomore Chris Edge, who finished 76th in the nation last season.
Despite how well the team shapes up for 2019, Borendame is nevertheless seeking constant improvement and has already seen some of that during the offseason.
“I was worried we were going to be a little weak at third doubles, but it’s been interesting to watch,” he said. “I think a number of guys have emerged, and I think third doubles may actually be one of our stronger spots.”
The 2019 season will culminate at the C-USA tournament at the Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro April 19–21. The Blue Raiders historically play quite well at home, and Borendame noted how great the crowd support is for his squad.
“We’ve got a pretty strong home win-loss record, which has been good, and we’ve been really fortunate to have great crowd support,” he said of his team’s 14-3 home record in 2018. “I’m hoping for that to continue.”
The new season opened Jan. 16 against Austin Peay at the Adams Tennis Complex. With a strong returning core and the addition of the talented freshman class, Blue Raider faithful can expect the team to come out swinging this season and make a big impact not just in the conference but in the nation as well. RR
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HOMECOMING MIDDLE
HOMECOMING TENNESSEE
Royal Blue
by Josh Vardaman
Legendary Rick Insell (’77) becomes all-time winningest basketball coach at his alma mater
With buzzers sounding and the clocks on the big blue scoreboards in Murphy Center reading 0.00, the Jan. 26 Lady Raiders’ victory over North Texas in some ways signaled the end of just another basketball game in the Glass House.
But the 61-46 win over the Conference USA foe represented far more than that for 14-year head coach Rick Insell. In fact, it was MT’s 333rd victory under the leadership of the man known to describe himself as “just a kid from Woodbury.”
“I’m happier for our young ladies who have won championships here, left here with rings on, and left here with diplomas.”
MT Winningest Basketball Coaches
*as of Jan. 26, 2019
Team W ins
Rick Insell* (2005–) W 333
Kermit Davis Jr. (2002–18) M 332
Lewis Bivens (1987–97) W 182
Jimmy Earle (1970–79) M 164
Larry Joe Inman (1978–86) W 161
Stephany Smith (1997–2005) W 153
Bruce Stewart (1985–91) M 141
And victory No. 333 placed Insell alone atop the all-time basketball wins list at his alma mater for either men’s or women’s programs.
“I’m very humbled about it, but I want everything in this program to be focused on our young ladies,” he said. “This program is bigger than one person, bigger than one player, bigger than one coach. I’m very happy to have 333 wins, but I’ll tell you right now, I’m happier for our young ladies who have won championships here, left here with rings on, and left here with diplomas.”
Tell that to his team. With the sounds of the buzzers dying out in the arena at the milestone game, the MT players launched into a celebration for their coach, screaming and throwing their hands in the air with smiles on their faces and laughs aplenty. Insellcoached squads are usually more reserved after a win; yet, this outburst was certainly understandable. On this night, the Lady Raiders not only earned another league victory, improving the team’s record to 16-5 overall and 7-1 in C-USA, but also played a pivotal role in helping their legendary coach reach a remarkable goal.
“I told him that we did it,” senior Alex Johnson said. “He always has our back. This win was everybody’s win, as well as his accomplishment.”
With his team enjoying a group hug at midcourt, Insell said the primary thought in his mind as he walked to meet them was his players, both past and present.
“I’m sure a lot of them were watching and looking at what’s going on,” he said. “They’re a bigger part of this than Rick Insell.”
Insell’s records, though, unmistakably point to his gifts and his leadership. He is a seven-time hall of fame member, including in the Blue Raiders Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2017. He has won more than 1,000 combined games at Shelbyville Central High School and Middle Tennessee, as well as three national championships on the AAU circuit. Insell has mentored six All-Americans, five conference players of the year, and 16 of the 31 players in MT’s 1,000-point club. He owned a 333-115 career record in the college ranks after his record-setting victory. Because of all of the success, MT has developed an incredible fan following under Insell, ranking in the top 30 nationally in attendance in 11 of his 13 seasons, while all of the top-25 single-game attendances in program history have occurred during his tenure.
But in Insell’s mind, it’s still those players who’ve made the biggest impact. They’ve helped the MT women’s program win a combined 14 championships and reach the postseason every year during his tenure, including nine times in the NCAA Tournament and four in the WNIT.
Insell also credits the overall leadership at MTSU with his success.
“Dr. Sidney McPhee, Chris Massaro, and Diane Turnham allow me to schedule and run our program to
the best of our ability . . . and I’m very fortunate to have them,” Insell said. “Women’s basketball at Middle Tennessee matters . . . and it’s because of them and our players.”
On the night of Jan. 26, as satisfied fans filed out of Murphy Center, the MT players finally ran off the court as Insell and his assistant coaches and staff walked toward the tunnel leading to the locker room. It was nothing Lady Raider fans haven’t seen plenty of times before, with Insell and his coaches fist-pumping to the school fight song and another victory in hand. On this particular night, though, it just meant more.
As a kid growing up in Woodbury in nearby Cannon County, and then as a student at MTSU, Insell frequented MT basketball games (and classes) at Alumni Memorial Gymnasium, now home of the Blue Raider volleyball team. It spurned his curiosity toward coaching, laying the roots for what was to come.
Now that kid from Woodbury has walked off the Murphy Center floor as his alma mater’s winningest basketball coach.
He calls it a dream come true.
“When I was in my teens, I would sit at my grandmother’s house and listen to (broadcaster) Monte Hale call the Blue Raiders games,” Insell said.
“Little did I know I would have an opportunity to coach here.”
The Blue Raider Athletic Association would like to extend our best wishes and congratulations to our athletic teams. The Blue Raiders had a very successful 2018, with three teams winning Conference USA championships (men’s golf, women’s indoor track, and softball), football capturing the C-USA Eastern Division crown, men’s basketball taking the regular-season Conference USA title, and seven teams advancing into the NCAA postseason (men’s golf, women’s and men’s indoor track, women’s and men’s outdoor track, softball, and football).
MTSU had the opportunity to host and compete in the Conference USA football championship game for the first time in school history. Though the Blue Raiders fell short in the title tilt, their success during the regular season placed the team in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. This marked the eighth bowl game in the Rick Stockstill era and a school-record fourth consecutive year of playing in a bowl. The men’s basketball team was ranked in the Top 25 in the Associated Press poll for the first time in school history in the spring and had the opportunity to play some of the best teams in the country at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas this past Thanksgiving. The women’s basketball team won the UNLV Lady Rebel Roundup tournament hosted
by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. The hard work and dedication put in on the fields and courts by these studentathletes was equally matched by their work in the classroom. A total of 42 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 during the Spring 2018 semester, and 38 student-athletes recorded a perfect 4.0 for Fall 2018. In the spring, 108 studentathletes earned the honor of making
The successes accomplished by our student-athletes over this past year can be directly contributed to the support of our donors.
the Dean’s List, which is a 3.5 GPA achievement. This past fall, 118 student-athletes achieved this honor. For Spring 2018, 185 of our 323 student-athletes had a 3.0 or higher, while Fall 2018 saw 187 of 341 studentathletes notch at least a 3.0.
MT Athletics made several new additions to coaching staffs in 2018. Women’s tennis hired a new head coach, Tayo Bailey-Duvall. Mark McEntire took over the men’s golf team as head coach and added professional golfer and former Blue Raider Kent Bulle as assistant coach. Baseball head coach Jim Toman and assistant coaches Blake Hunt, Kyle Bunn, and John Panchella joined the athletic staff as well. In last spring, our men’s basketball staff also was transformed, with Nick McDevitt brought in as head coach along with assistants Sean Dixon, Wes Long, and Andre Morgan. Women’s basketball also added assistant coach Matt Insell to its talented staff. Chelsea Hawkins is a new assistant coach for softball, and Steven Boo is an addition to the women’s golf staff. The weight room was made stronger with the additions of head football strength coach Matt Hickman and women’s strength coach Krysta Bradford. We are also excited to welcome Lynn Morgan to the compliance staff and David Blackburn to the BRAA staff.
To begin 2018, the men’s golf team put on a very successful fundraiser at Saddle Woods Farm that featured Vince Gill and other country music artists. The BRAA held several successful fundraising events starting with the True Blue Give last February. The inaugural True Blue Give was a two-day
event that saw the BRAA and athletic department raise over $100,000 during the University-wide campaign. We continued this campaign in 2019 with a three-day call for donations this Feb. 13–16 and exceeded our giving total from the previous year. In 2018, the BRAA also introduced a new location for the Donor Appreciation event at Cannonsburgh Village, and it was an enjoyable evening for all. The appreciation dinner honors True Blue-level BRAA donors and above. Overall, the successes accomplished by our student-athletes over this past year can be directly contributed to the support of our donors and the Murfreesboro community. The BRAA and MT Athletics look forward to the upcoming events in 2019 and the championships to come! RR
COMPLIANCE CORNER
Daryl Simpson Assistant AD/Compliance
permissable booster ACTIVITIES & ACTIONS
On a regular basis, boosters are told what they can’t do with MTSU student-athletes and recruits. However, let’s change it up a bit. I am going to tell you some of the activities and things you are allowed to do with current and future MTSU student-athletes. Keep in mind that all of these actions still must be approved by the Compliance Office each time, so make sure that you are following the proper channels before taking action.
1) Hosting an Occasional Meal for Student-Athletes
Boosters are allowed to open the doors to their homes and provide a homemade (or catered) meal to student-athletes. These meals must be on an occasional basis and may only be provided to current studentathletes and staff. No recruits may be in attendance, and the meal must be provided at the home of the booster. While this may prohibit boosters from taking the team to eat at a restaurant, they can still order the food from a restaurant and bring it back to a booster’s home, or to MTSU’s campus, to serve the meal. If you wish to provide a meal, also remember to fill out an Occasional Meal Request form, which can be found on the Compliance page on goblueraiders.com.
2) Attending Events
Regardless if it is a high school game or an MTSU contest, boosters are encouraged to attend and show their support for the teams. However, they must keep in mind the regulations for having face-to-face interaction with players. Boosters are allowed to speak and interact with current MTSU studentathletes, but not with recruits. So if you are attending a high school or junior college
event, be vocal during the game and show your support; however, avoid speaking with the recruits. Doing so would be an NCAA violation.
3) Employing MT Student-Athletes
Boosters are allowed to employ studentathletes to work for them. However, certain guidelines must be followed. First, studentathletes must be paid the typical, going rate for the position they hold. Student-athletes should not be given preferential treatment based on their status as an athlete. Second, compensation must be provided for work actually and already performed. Finally, boosters/employers cannot utilize the name, likeness, reputation, or fame of the studentathlete to promote their business. If you wish to employ a student-athlete, also remember to fill out an Employment Approval form, which can be found on the Compliance page on goblueraiders.com.
There you have it: a few activities that boosters may orchestrate. As you can see, while these activities are still allowed, there are some fine lines with NCAA regulations associated with each of them. If you have any questions, my advice would be to reach out to the MTSU Compliance Office to ensure that we protect our recruits and student-athletes’ remaining eligibility. As always, thank you for supporting Blue Raider athletics and being #TrueBlue. RR
Donor SPOTLIGHT
Matt and Brooke King
n Consecutive Years Giving to the BRAA: 2
n Currently Reside: Valdosta, Georgia
Q Alumni of MTSU? If so, what years and majors?
A Matt is an alumnus and former football player during 2004–09, with a dual major in Concrete Industry Management Engineering Technologies and Construction Management. Brooke is a 2009 MTSU graduate as well, with a degree in Early Childhood Education.
Q Occupations?
A
Matt currently runs his own development company, The Crown Group, which specializes in multi- and single-family homes in southern Georgia. Brooke manages the property management company.
Q Tell us about your family:
A We have three sons, Hudson (7), Palmer (5), and Oliver (3), who are all Blue Raider fans as well!
Q As a non-Murfreesboro resident, tell us the importance of backing the team from out of town.
A There are so many reasons why we back the Blue Raiders. One, it is very important to us and our children to be part of something that is so much bigger than us. We want to give them something tangible to believe in. The support for the Blue Raiders in our community of Valdosta, Georgia, is truly special. They wear their Blue Raider gear to every football get-together with their friends and
truly love defending their team from all the Georgia and Florida fans. All of their friends know who the Blue Raiders are. Our community joins us in being true Blue Raider Ambassadors, which is how we will grow our national brand.
Q Why do you give to MT’s Blue Raider Athletic Association?
A Matt: I give because we realize how much they did for me and my teammates behind the scenes. I want to be a part of that. The Blue Raider Athletic Association staff are the true soldiers in the trenches raising money for our student-athletes and programs. I respect that, admire that, and want to see our programs continue to rise.
Q What motivates you to stay involved?
A We believe MT is on the edge of truly becoming something great. We want to be able to say that we were a part of the growth on the front lines, where it all started.
Q What’s your favorite MT athletic memory?
A Matt: My favorite memory would be the football win against Maryland at home in 2008!
Q What do you hope our organization will achieve in the near future? In the long term?
A Simply winning in the near future. In the long term, we hope to see the Blue Raiders in a New Year’s Six bowl.
Q Who is the MT coach that you admire the most, and why?
A Matt: Coach (Rick) Stockstill. He truly shaped the way I approach life and business. The attitude I have toward difficult situations has come from his leadership. He taught me how to be accountable. He taught me how to show up early and go home late. I truly appreciate that.
Q Who is the MT studentathlete, current or former, that you admire the most, and why?
A Matt: I admire the hard work and dedication Joe Craddock has put into football while he was at MT and now that he is the offensive coordinator at Arkansas. I would really like to see him back at MT.
Q Why do you encourage others to join the BRAA?
A If we are going to succeed as an athletic department, we need involvement from the community, alums, and former players. We need the donations to take us to the next level.
Q Do you have a message to share?
A Give back to something bigger than yourself! RR
PRESSBOX VIEW FROM THE
The Voice of the Blue Raiders
Chip Walters
IS THE AND HOW
NEXT LEVEL DO WE GET THERE? WHAT
It’s one of the great lines of coachspeak ever . . . “the next level.”
I’m not sure who came up with it, but there may have never been a phrase used in college athletics that is more allencompassing, more vague, but also more exciting. Whoever it was, you have to give them credit.
“The next level” has many meanings, and most of them are situation-specific. I think back 20-plus years ago, and the phrase “next level” was being thrown in a lot around the MT universe. At that time, the meaning of “next level” was pretty clear. It meant the move from I-AA football to I-A (or, as currently named, the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision). It also meant a move at the time from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Sun Belt Conference.
The “how do we get there” was also pretty clear. Build a stadium that seated 30,000 fans and reach attendance goals. By the way, both of those NCAA requirements went away not long after Middle Tennessee chose to make the move. But the point is that the investment was made to build the stadium, and a lot of tickets were sold to meet the requirements.
We’ve seen it in nearly every sport . . . getting to the next level. New baseball stadium. New track and soccer stadium. Upgrades to the softball stadium. Golf facility upgrades. The Adams Tennis Complex.
We’ve seen it in nearly every sport . . . getting to the next level.
It’s time for the next round of getting to the next level. As BRAA members, our focus should be on two areas: the studentathlete experience and the fan experience. In that order.
The MT Athletics master plan for facilities addresses both in different ways. For student-athletes, the upgrade in facilities will take them to the next level in academic support, strength and conditioning, and student life. For fans, it will provide an overall facilities upgrade that will include numerous amenities when this master plan gets to the finish line.
It’s preaching to the choir, but the “how do we get there” is the easiest part. It starts with dollars. It’s making an investment into the next half-century of Blue Raider in athletics. It’s also more than simply writing a check. Coaches say their best recruiters are their own players. BRAA’s best recruiters should be our own members. The more new members you can bring to the table, the faster we see the goal of the facilities upgrade master plan come to fruition.
There’s also the personal responsibility of each fan to take the experience of every event to the next level. Purchase your tickets, show up early, and get involved in each athletic contest. Don’t sit back waiting to be entertained. Do what our studentathletes and coaches do: Roll up your sleeves and get to work . . . and together, we’ll all get to the next level. RR
UPCOMING EVENTS
2019 MIDDLE TENNESSEE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
MEN’S BASKETBALL
FEB 23 SAT 5:00 PM VS CHARLOTTE MURFREESBORO, TN
MAR 3 SUN 2:00 PM AT RICE HOUSTON, TX
MAR 6 WED 8:00 PM AT UTEP EL PASO, TX
MAR 9 SAT 5:00 PM VS UTEP MURFREESBORO, TN
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FEB 23 SAT 2:00 PM AT UAB BIRMINGHAM, AL
MAR 2 SAT 5:00 PM VS FLORIDA ATLANTIC MURFREESBORO, TN
MAR 7 THU 6:00 PM AT WKU BOWLING GREEN, KY CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP
