Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
BRAA a critical avenue in support of athletics
6/24/2020 5:00:00 PM | General, BRAA
Fiscal year ends June 30
MURFREESBORO - Behind every great collegiate athletic program is a strong fan base made up of alumni and donors that help student-athletes achieve their goals both on and off the field. It's the support of that fan base that drives academic success, touchdowns, slam dunks, home runs and hole-in-ones. In these uncertain times, the men and women who make up the Blue Raider Athletic Association are crucial to helping keep these athletes' dreams and goals alive.
Since 1987, the BRAA has committed itself to providing financial help to student-athletes to help them excel both athletically and academically. Today, the BRAA has over 2,000 members worldwide and with their help, they provide scholarship funding for all 17 varsity sports at MTSU.
Donations go toward everything from books to meal plans and other things needed as student-athletes pursue their degree. While donations go to all 17 varsity sports, they are especially critical to supporting some of the non-ticket revenue sports such as tennis and volleyball.
"We're so fortunate at Middle Tennessee to have a large donor base that genuinely cares about the student-athletes in those sports," said Senior Associate Athletic Director David Blackburn. "Their support is critical for those sports as well because it funds their education and takes care of operational support needs as well. We're fortunate to have a strong support base for both our revenue and Olympic sports."
With the craziness that this year has brought us, Blackburn and his BRAA staff are extremely thankful for the abundance of support they've received so that they may continue making a difference in the lives of some of Middle Tennessee's biggest assets: its student-athletes. Keeping fans and alumni connected to sports at MTSU through the BRAA is a mission that has become challenging as social distancing and the question of how and when sports will be played this season has arisen. It's one that Blackburn and his staff are meeting head on thanks to generous donations from BRAA members.
"All of us throughout the world have been hit hard by this pandemic and it's affected the health and economic well-being of us all," Blackburn said. "It's also affected the student-athletes and their families, as well. It's critical that we continue to have the support of our donors to continue to provide for these student-athletes. We're so grateful for our donors during these hard times. It's much appreciated because we know it's a hard time for them as well.
"With everything that's happened the past few weeks, it shows that athletics is such a great arena for students of all walks of life to come together. It teaches so much about learning to love one another and competing together. It's great to see them do that, and they have the ability to do that through our donors."
If you'd like more information on learning how you can make a difference in the lives of some of your favorite Blue Raiders, you can visit the BRAA website at goblueraiders.com/sports/braa. By following the link, you can see different donation options, and can make a donation on-line.
You can also find the BRAA on both Twitter and Instagram at the handle:
@MT_BRAA; and also on Facebook with the search: MTBRAA. You can also donate by texting the word BRAA to 91999. It only costs $100 to join and different membership tiers get you different perks to go along with your gift. These can be located on the BRAA website. The deadline for donations for the current fiscal year is June 30 at 12:00 p.m.
Anthony Fiorella is a writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
Since 1987, the BRAA has committed itself to providing financial help to student-athletes to help them excel both athletically and academically. Today, the BRAA has over 2,000 members worldwide and with their help, they provide scholarship funding for all 17 varsity sports at MTSU.
Donations go toward everything from books to meal plans and other things needed as student-athletes pursue their degree. While donations go to all 17 varsity sports, they are especially critical to supporting some of the non-ticket revenue sports such as tennis and volleyball.
"We're so fortunate at Middle Tennessee to have a large donor base that genuinely cares about the student-athletes in those sports," said Senior Associate Athletic Director David Blackburn. "Their support is critical for those sports as well because it funds their education and takes care of operational support needs as well. We're fortunate to have a strong support base for both our revenue and Olympic sports."
With the craziness that this year has brought us, Blackburn and his BRAA staff are extremely thankful for the abundance of support they've received so that they may continue making a difference in the lives of some of Middle Tennessee's biggest assets: its student-athletes. Keeping fans and alumni connected to sports at MTSU through the BRAA is a mission that has become challenging as social distancing and the question of how and when sports will be played this season has arisen. It's one that Blackburn and his staff are meeting head on thanks to generous donations from BRAA members.
"All of us throughout the world have been hit hard by this pandemic and it's affected the health and economic well-being of us all," Blackburn said. "It's also affected the student-athletes and their families, as well. It's critical that we continue to have the support of our donors to continue to provide for these student-athletes. We're so grateful for our donors during these hard times. It's much appreciated because we know it's a hard time for them as well.
"With everything that's happened the past few weeks, it shows that athletics is such a great arena for students of all walks of life to come together. It teaches so much about learning to love one another and competing together. It's great to see them do that, and they have the ability to do that through our donors."
If you'd like more information on learning how you can make a difference in the lives of some of your favorite Blue Raiders, you can visit the BRAA website at goblueraiders.com/sports/braa. By following the link, you can see different donation options, and can make a donation on-line.
You can also find the BRAA on both Twitter and Instagram at the handle:
@MT_BRAA; and also on Facebook with the search: MTBRAA. You can also donate by texting the word BRAA to 91999. It only costs $100 to join and different membership tiers get you different perks to go along with your gift. These can be located on the BRAA website. The deadline for donations for the current fiscal year is June 30 at 12:00 p.m.
Anthony Fiorella is a writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
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