Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
30 Greatest Murphy Center Moments
1/4/2003 5:00:00 AM | General
Murphy Center has great memories for all Blue Raider fans as well as those who may have just passed through as a student or visitor to the university. The following thirty great moments were nominated by fans through the GoBlueRaiders.com website. These moments will be immortalized in a poster given away at today's game.
Opening Night (12/11/72) - The Blue Raiders opened the magnificent new structure against Vanderbilt and the vaunted F-Troop. The Commodores claimed a 69-57 win over the scrappy Blue Raiders.
Indoor Track (1972-Present) - Coach Dean Hayes has always fielded great track and field programs. During his tenure at MT, the Blue Raiders have had 64 All-America selections run on the Murphy Center Track.
MT hosts Tarheels (11/30/98) - The highest-rated team to visit Middle Tennessee, the fourth-ranked Tarheels of North Carolina defeated the Blue Raiders in front of over 10,000 fans.
Elvis Presley (1974 & 1975) - The King of Rock-n-Roll played five shows over a two-year period to sell-out crowds.
4 OT's vs. Tech (2/12/2000) - The Blue Raiders and long-time rival matched up in the longest game in Murphy Center history. The Blue Raiders outlasted the Golden Eagles, 108-104.
Thanks for the Memories (4/5/73) - In its inaugural year, Murphy Center hosted a show by legendary comic Bob Hope.
NIT win over Vols (3/18/88) - In a much anticipated matchup, Middle Tennessee hosted Tennessee in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. The Blue Raiders led most of the way and claimed the win, 85-80. Chris Rainey led five Blue Raiders in double figures with 20 points.
Dogs feel the Bite (3/22/88) - Riding high from the Tennessee win, the Blue Raiders were awarded a second home game against Georgia. Tyrus Baynham scored 24 points to lead the Raiders to their second win over an SEC squad in less than a week. Georgia's team featured Willie Anderson and Alec Kessler. Final score: MT 69, Georgia 59.
Raiders host Jayhawks (12/5/99) - For the second straight season, MT hosted one of the top college basketball programs in the country. Kansas claimed a 97-77 win.
Indoor Track - Middle Tennessee originated the "Last Chance Meet" to give tracksters from around the country one last chance to make qualifying times or scores to make the NCAA Indoor Championships. The meet became one of the most popular and influential in the country.
Volunteer Jam II (9/12/75) - After originating the all-star jam in Nashville, the Charlie Daniels Band hosted the second Volunteer Jam at the Murphy Center. The eight-hour show became a staple for music lovers for years to come.
TSSAA Championships - 90 girls and 69 boys state basketball champions have been crowned on the Murphy Center floor since the championships came to Murfreesboro. The boys tournament left for seven years before returning.
Timeout Jimmerson! (1/26/74) - Middle Tennessee trailed by ten with just over 1:00 to play in regulation. A furious Raider rally tied the game before MT defeated Austin Peay and Fly Williams in overtime, 90-87. This game is regarded as the greatest late-game comeback in Blue Raider history.
1979 NCAA Mideast Regional - This event put the Murphy Center on a national stage hosting tourney qualifiers, Michigan State, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Lamar, and Eastern Kentucky. The Spartans and Magic Johnson began their run toward the national championship with two wins in Murfreesboro.
Garth Brooks (3/2-3/5/94) - Four straight sellouts at Murphy Center combined with one other Brooks concert made this superstar the ticket-sales leader for entertainment acts at Murphy Center. The 1994 concerts sold over 48,000 tickets in less than two hours.
Impossible Dream Come True (3/1/75) - Middle Tennessee closed out the 1974-75 basketball season hosting Western Kentucky with the regular season crown on the line. The Blue Raiders won the game, 89-86, and claimed their first-ever OVC regular season title.
Lady Raider Basketball - Since women's basketball became a varsity sport during the 1975-76 school year, the Lady Raiders have captured four Ohio Valley Conference tournament titles on their home floor.
The Judds Farewell Concert (12/4/91) - Wynona and Naomi Judd threw a farewell party for themselves and a national pay-per-view audience. It was to be their final concert together. Since then, they have performed limited engagements together while Wynona continues her music career as a solo artist.
Raiders Sway Fly, Govs (1/27/75) - In a game that featured Austin Peay standout Fly Williams, a fan in a giant Raid can, and a packed house, The Blue Raiders started fast and never looked back in handing the Governors a 101-70 thrashing. The game featured a slam dunk by Blue Raider George Sorrell. What made that unique was the fact that it was during the era when dunking was not allowed by the NCAA. However, it proved to be the perfect exclamation point in the Blue Raider victory.
Kenny & Dolly (11/01/86) - Superstar Kenny Rogers performed several times at the Murphy Center, but none of the shows generated the buzz that his "Islands in the Stream" show with Dolly Parton did. Rogers had another solo performance and one show with country diva Dottie West.
MT wins OVC Tourney Title (3/2/86) - Seeded fourth, Middle Tennessee marched through the 1986 OVC Tournament with a win over top-seed Tennessee Tech in the semi-finals and a championship win over Youngstown State in the finals. The Raiders got an opportunity for the win when the Penguins called a fateful extra timeout in the final seconds of the game.
Alma Mater, Middle Tennessee - Since the Murphy Center doors have opened, 41,450 individuals have walked the graduation stage to receive their Middle Tennessee degrees. The first graduation at Murphy Center happened on December 22, 1972.
Back to the USSR - Bruce Stewart's Blue Raiders were the only college team in the country to defeat the vaunted Soviet National team in exhibition play at Murphy Center.
Home Sweet Home - Lady Raider basketball has always had a great homecourt advantage and picked up many of the program's 500+ wins on the Murphy Center floor. Along the way, the Lady Raiders have captured 10 Ohio Valley Conference regular season championships while playing at Murphy Center.
Raiders sink Vandy (2/1/95) - Middle Tennessee and Vanderbilt hooked up for an extremely entertaining game at Murphy Center. After the Commodores hit a three-point basket to force overtime, the Blue Raiders prevailed over the local rival, 93-90.
Women of Country (10/6/92) - A "made-for-television" concert featuring the top female talent in the country music industry was hosted at Murphy Center and broadcast nationwide on the CBS television netwok. Some of the artists in the show included Kathy Mattea, Pam Tillis, and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Indoor Track - While Middle Tennessee has had many great stars to gain national and international fame, they've had their fair share of top opponents as well. Some of the great names to run against the Blue Raiders were Georgia tailback Herschel Walker, Auburn running back Bo Jackson, and Auburn world-class sprinter Harvey Glance.
Purple Aces Remembered (12/14/77) - Instead of the schedule game between Middle Tennessee and Evansville, Blue Raider fans gathered to mourn the loss of Purple Aces. The entire traveling party was killed in a plane crash the day before while taking off from Evansville on their way to Murfreesboro. It is regarded as one of the greatest tragedies in college basketball history.
Hail to the Chief - Since it's opening, Murphy Center has hosted the inauguration of three university presidents. They include Dr. Sam Ingram, Dr. James Walker, and Dr. Sidney McPhee.
