Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium - Facilities - Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium

Officially named Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium/Horace Jones Field in 1968, Floyd Stadium will host its 90th season of Blue Raider football with the 2025 campaign. Set on the northwest end of campus, Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium has one of the top settings in the region and Conference USA.

On January 26, 2023, the Blue Raiders officially broke ground on a new $66-million Student-Athlete Performance Center that will be located in the north end zone of Floyd Stadium which debuts for the 2025 season.

The three-story, 85,500-square-foot performance center provides all MTSU student-athletes with new facilities for weight training, nutrition, and sports medicine. It is also the new home for Blue Raider Football, allowing MTSU to relocate its football operations from Murphy Center to Floyd Stadium. The project also included a new videoboard for the south end zone that fans enjoyed during the 2024 season.

During the summer of 2025, a new surface was installed to replace the turf that was installed in 2014. The surface is by Shaw Sports Turf featuring their revolutionary Game On innovation with enhanced graphics adn integrated line packages which not only increases the field integrity, performance, and durability but also allows a design no one else could provide.

The Blue Raiders are 301-140-14 all-time at Floyd Stadium.

The stadium opened its doors on October 14, 1933, with a scoreless tie against Jacksonville State.

Originally built as two sideline grandstands on either side of an outdoor track, it was enlarged in 1940, 1960, 1968, and most recently in 1998 to bring it to its current configuration as an octagonal bowl.

The move to NCAA Division I-A (FBS) football was the catalyst for the 1998 renovation to Floyd Stadium. On August 24, 1995, the University announced plans for a $25 million renovation, which was approved by the State Building Commission. After a lengthy bid process, ground was officially broken for the stadium in January of 1997 with Turner Construction handling the project.

Upon completion, the stadium featured 30,788 seats with only the east side grandstands remaining from the original structure. The old press box gave way to a five-story tower including luxury suites on the third level, a large press area and suites on the fourth level, and a camera deck on the fifth level. The renovation also included the addition of more chair-back seats as well as a club level.

The stadium is also equipped with 16 indoor suites and 26 outdoor boxes (reduced from 38 due to construction in 2023).

The first game in the renovated stadium took place on Sept. 5, 1998. The game, in which Middle Tennessee hosted local rival Tennessee State, drew a school record at the time 27,568 fans. The attendance helped push Middle Tennessee over the top for its I-A qualifying attendance of 17,000 per game.

The Blue Raiders set a new stadium attendance record with 30,502 seeing the home team face Georgia Tech on Sept. 10, 2011.

The following is a rundown of the other facelifts that have been added during the 89-year history of Floyd Stadium:

1948: Permanent concrete stands added to Horace Jones Field to bring capacity to 6,200.

1960: Horace Jones Field expanded to 10,000 seats and a press area was added.

1968: Facility officially becomes Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium/Horace Jones Field.

1968: Seating capacity expanded to 14,000. In addition, a larger press box was added.

1971: Artificial turf was installed and natural grass became a thing of the past. First game on the new turf was Oct. 2, 1971, against Chattanooga.

1979: On Nov. 3, stadium is officially dedicated and press box sign unveiled.

1998: $25 million renovation expands seating capacity to 30,788 and the old press box gave way to a five-story facility with a club level, suites, press floor, and a camera deck.

2006: A new synthetic surface was installed to give the Blue Raiders one of the top surfaces in the country.

2007: A new state-of-the-art video board with an 18’x32’ display was installed.

2011: A new fence was installed around the perimeter of the stadium.

2012: The Jeff Hendrix Stadium Club debuted on the west side of the stadium.

2014: New synthetic surface was installed, along with a new design.

2017: New ribbon video boards installed on east side

2019: Debut of the Blue Raider Beer Garden in the south end zone.

2021: Announced a new student-athlete performance center on the north end of the stadium that is expected to be ready for the 2025 season.

2024: A new state-of-the-art Daktronics video board with an 60’x33.6’ display was installed. The new board has a 10mm pixel pitch. A new capacity was also announced at 27,303
2025: New North End Zone facility opens and new turf debuts.

TOP CROWDS
1.   30,502    Georgia Tech           9/10/11
2.   28,105    Memphis                 9/12/09
3.   28,010    Troy                       10/5/10
4.   27,568    Tennessee State       9/5/98
5.   27,519    Southeast Missouri    9/28/02
6. 26,717 Vanderbilt 9/2/17
7. 25,908    Minnesota                9/2/10
8.   25,766    Florida Atlantic         9/30/08
9.   25,411    Vanderbilt                10/3/15
10.   24,911    WKU                       9/13/14

QUICK FACTS
Capacity   27,303
First Game               1933 vs Jacksonville St.
MT Record                301-140-14
Longest Win Streak    31 games

IMPORTANT DATES
1933: Horace Jones Field Opens
1956: 100th Game - Oct. 6
1975: 200th Game - Oct. 18
1994: 300th Game - Oct. 1
2000: First home game vs IA (La. Tech)
2001: First SBC home game (Idaho)
2003: First BCS foe at home (Temple)
2008: First home win vs BCS (Maryland)
2008: First National Broadcast (FAU)
2013: First Conference USA Game (ECU)
2013: 400^th Game – Nov. 9 vs FIU

DIRECTIONS
From Memphis, take I-40 to I-440, then I-24 east to Murfreesboro.

From Nashville, take I-24 east to Murfreesboro.

From the south or southwest (Columbia/Franklin/Birmingham, Ala.), travel I-65 to TN-840 then I-24 East to Murfreesboro.

From Chattanooga, travel I-24 West to Murfreesboro.

From Knoxville, take I-40 West to TN-840. Take Exit 53 and I-24 East to Murfreesboro.

Approaching Campus
From Nashville International Airport: Enter Briley Parkway continuing south to the Interstate 24 junction. Take I-24 East to Exit 76; turn left and follow Medical Center Parkway to Memorial Boulevard. Go left on Memorial to Clark Boulevard. Turn right on Clark Boulevard (at BP station). Follow Clark Blvd. (which becomes Middle Tennessee Boulevard) to intersection at Greenland Drive. Turn left on Greenland Drive. Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium are located just to the right.

From Nashville: From I-24 East, take Exit 76; turn left and follow Medical Center Parkway to Memorial Boulevard. Go left on Memorial to Clark Boulevard. Turn right on Clark Boulevard (at BP station). Follow Clark Blvd. (which becomes Middle Tennessee Boulevard) to intersection at Greenland Drive. Turn left on Greenland Drive. Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium are located just to the right.

From Chattanooga: Take I-24 West to Exit 81; follow U.S. Highway 231 North to Middle Tennessee Boulevard to intersection at Greenland Drive. Turn right onto Greenland Drive. The Greenland Drive parking lot is located to the right.

From Knoxville: Take I-40 West to Lebanon and exit onto U.S. Highway 231 South and follow approximately 25 miles to Clark Boulevard in Murfreesboro; turn left on Clark Boulevard. Follow Clark Blvd. (which becomes Middle Tennessee Boulevard) to intersection at Greenland Drive. Turn left on Greenland Drive. Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium are located just to the right.

From Birmingham, AL: Take I-65 North to the 840 exit. Follow Highway 96 East to Murfreesboro. Continue east on 96 until Clark Boulevard intersection; turn right on Clark Blvd. (which becomes Middle Tennessee Boulevard) to intersection at Greenland Drive. Turn left on Greenland Drive. Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium are located just to the right.