{"id":1909,"date":"2013-07-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/blogtest\/mtsu-paints-the-town-blue-for-c-usa\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T14:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:00:10","slug":"mtsu-paints-the-town-blue-for-c-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/president\/mtsu-paints-the-town-blue-for-c-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"MTSU Paints the Town Blue for C-USA"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Two hundred fourteen days since the initial announcement, it’s finally official: Middle Tennessee is a full-fledged member of Conference USA after 13 years in the Sun Belt Conference, and a citywide celebration, \u201cPaint the Town Blue,\u201d is underway today.<\/p>\n

MTSU head football coach Rick Stockstill, center, talks with media during a “Paint the Town Blue” event today at Sam’s All American Sports Grill to celebrate the Blue Raiders’ official move to Conference USA from the Sun Belt Conference. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)<\/p>\n

MTSU fans filled the Sam\u2019s All American Grill at the Stones River Mall to overflowing for the historic first-day event to celebrate the university\u2019s new membership in C-USA.<\/p>\n

Coaches and administrators were overjoyed at the turnout.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s phenomenal,\u201d football head coach Rick Stockstill said. \u201cThe support, the buzz, the excitement at Sam\u2019s has been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is exciting,\u201d added women\u2019s basketball coach Rick Insell. \u201cI\u2019m starting my ninth year here and I\u2019ve never seen this much excitement and enthusiasm. The students, faculty, the players \u2026 it\u2019s unbelievable. I could see this coming, and we\u2019re not through yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Director of Athletics Chris Massaro called it \u201ca historic day for the university and it\u2019s fun to share it with the fans. You can feel the excitement. I know our student-athletes and staff are excited. It\u2019s a chance to elevate the entire university.\u201d<\/p>\n

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said that the university and the surrounding community are collaborating in a great partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see the community come out and support the university and its athletic program, I\u2019m really excited to see this kind of response,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe university depends on this town and this town depends on the university. It\u2019s a mutual relationship that is beneficial to both. And it\u2019s great to see it working the way it is working.\u201d<\/p>\n

McPhee added that he had heard \u201creports of many of our fans wearing our (MTSU) shirts at the various businesses\u201d holding events throughout the day.<\/p>\n

Employees and owners of more than 50 businesses and restaurants wore specially designed T-shirts with the inaugural C-USA logo today throughout Murfreesboro.<\/p>\n

“I think it’s really going to help us build our brand better and help grow athletics at MTSU,” Jonathan Sisco, a fifth-year senior pitcher\/infielder from Murfreesboro who is currently recovering from shoulder surgery, said today at the Boulevard Bar and Grill across the street from the MTSU campus.<\/p>\n

“I\u00a0think the top-tier teams are definitely going to be a lot better competition for us.”<\/p>\n

Head baseball coach Jim McGuire\u00a0admitted that the travel in the new conference will be a bit tougher, but he noted that there will be two C-USA teams the Blue Raiders will not have to play each year they’re in the conference. Those teams will rotate and won’t be the same teams each season.<\/p>\n

“Conference USA is one of the top baseball conferences in the country,” McGuire added. “It’s always rated somewhere from fifth to seventh.”<\/p>\n

Football players distributed posters and schedule cards around town, and a handful were at Reeves-Sain Drug Store and at Chick-fil-A at the Murfreesboro Town Centre,\u00a0signing autographs and providing information on the move to Conference USA.<\/p>\n

On Sept. 21, the Blue Raiders will have their first competition against a Conference USA opponent when football travels to Florida Atlantic. Six days later, soccer hosts UAB, and volleyball travels to Rice. The first C-USA football game at home is Oct. 5 against East Carolina.<\/p>\n

The C-USA membership also includes the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Texas at San Antonio. The league office is located in Irving, Texas.<\/p>\n

As proud members of the Sun Belt Conference, the Blue Raiders dominated the conference by winning nine All-Sports trophies and 58 conference championships.<\/p>\n

MT, which joined the Sun Belt on July 1, 2000, leaves the SBC with a league-best 50 conference football wins while also ranking first in victories over automatic qualifying conferences. Other notable milestones in the MT-Sun Belt partnership include:<\/p>\n