Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Football reports for Fall Camp tomorrow!
7/31/2023 5:35:00 PM | Football, General
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The most exciting day of the summer in the MTSU Football office is nearly upon us, as over 100 Blue Raiders are scheduled to report for fall camp, with the first official team meeting of the 2023 campaign scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, with the first practice of the fall scheduled for the very next morning.
It's not quite like it used to be back in the day with a huge move-in, as nearly everyone in that group of returning lettermen, transfers and incoming freshmen are already checked in and on campus in Murfreesboro well ahead of the official start date. But that doesn't diminish the excitement Rick Stockstill has for this step every season.
"This is what we live for, it's what we coach, it's what we play for," Stockstill said. "I'm fired up about it. I like where we're at. We've had a good summer. And this will begin the fourth phase of defining the identity of our team."
Stockstill expects to see around 25 players practice as Blue Raiders for the first time outside of a summer workout session, as the program's incoming freshmen, walk-ons and two of their transfer receivers (Kalani Norris and Justin Olson) will get the chance to show what they can do on the practice field.
With the construction of the Student-Athlete Performance Center underway, team meetings are being held throughout the press box of Floyd Stadium this year, but Stockstill is more excited about being able to hit the field with his team and see the progress they've made.
"Being around the guys and watching them," Stockstill said of what he was most looking forward to about the start of practice on Wednesday. "To see the improvements that they've made from the last day of spring practice until now, how their bodies have changed. Coach Hickmann, he and his staff did a fantastic job this summer from that standpoint."
In anticipation of the start of camp, several returning Blue Raiders will have new numbers this fall at Floyd Stadium. The players changing digits in 2023 are as follows:
QB DJ Riles 12 → 5
RB Frank Peasant 36 → 24
WR Jeremy Tate 86 → 6
WR Elijah Metcalf 84 → 9
WR Jacob Coleman 15 → 88
DL Jorden Starling 49 → 2
DL Jordan Branch 99 → 5
LB Drew Francis 40 → 10
LB Jalen Davis 35 → 12
LB Parker Hughes 91 → 21
Soccer Blue-White Scrimmage Set for Sunday
With the start of August also comes the official start of the sports calendar for the 2023-24 season here at MTSU, as you can watch the Blue Raiders this week at Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium, where MTSU Soccer will host their annual Blue White Scrimmage on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Look, it's a "What's Happening in the Boro!"
It was a busy day in the soccer program this Monday, as the annual media day for the team featuring plenty of pictures took place around the Athletics side of campus this afternoon. The players also got a chance to get a look at their fresh uniforms for the upcoming season, always an exciting day in the course of a season for all of our programs here in Murfreesboro.
Head Coach Aston Rhoden was an excellent guest early on during our summer Coaches Check-In Podcast series. You can check out his episode (Episode 2) under the "Podcasts" link under "Multimedia" tab above, where he goes in-depth on his program's preseason routine.
Blue Raider Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Revealed this week!
The Blue Raider Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is set to be revealed this week, when six Blue Raiders will be revealed ahead of their induction later this fall on September 23, ahead of Football's home game against Colorado State.
The first member of the Class of 2023 is Anne Marie (Lanning) Brentz, who joins the Hall of Fame after her sharpshooting career with the Lady Raiders!
Stay tuned for more videos of the rest of the Class of 2023 through Saturday.
ICYMI: Demolition underway for Student-Athlete Performance Center
With the focus on CUSA Kickoff in last week's notebook, the progress made on construction of the Student-Athlete Performance Center as part of #BuildBlue might've been missed. But folks who've had a reason to visit the Greenland lot this past week have certainly had a lot to witness, as demolition of the old Football Game Day building progressed at a rapid place entering August.
I enjoyed seeing all of the celebrations from Blue Raider fans across the country in addition to the folks I work with in the athletic department on this major milestone. Countless Blue Raiders have made this project possible for countless future Blue Raiders to enjoy the benefits of. Stay tuned for more in the months to come!
First Blue Raider Family Fun Night set for August 3!
Local MTSU fans will not want to miss this summer kickoff event put on by our marketing staff this week, as Blue Raiders will be welcomed to Murfreesboro Strike & Spare on August 3 from 5:30-8 p.m. for Blue Raider Family Fun Night.
Strike & Spare offers an exclusive discount to Blue Raider Fans with half of the proceeds from the evening going to support the BRAA and its mission of supporting Blue Raider student-athletes.
Check out more details on the rest of the summer's events below!
ESPN+: The Home of the Blue Raiders
As part of the CUSA's new media rights deal, MTSU will be broadcasting every single home game for every sport that's not scheduled for a national TV network on ESPN+ in 2023-23. Blue Raider fans are encouraged to subscribe to service to make sure they don't miss a second of the action on the gridiron, on the court, on the diamond or on the pitch this season.
Plans for ESPN+ start as low as $9.99 a month, though there are bundles available with Hulu and Disney Plus included for just a few bucks a month more. Make sure to subscribe ahead of the start of competition this fall! More details on ESPN+ can be found here: https://plus.espn.com/#:~:text=You%20can%20get%20an%20ESPN%2B,mo.%20or%20%2499.99%2Fyr.
Social Media clip of the week: Basketball Prepares for Trip to Italy
Middle Tennessee men's basketball will depart for their Summer Trip to Italy in the coming months, and we in the Athletic Communications office thought it'd be good to help the Blue Raiders brush up on the local language ahead of the experience.
All things considered (particularly given we started with a very tricky word), I was impressed with the guys' ability to think on their feet! Make sure to follow @MT_MBB on both X (the website formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram to see the trip through the players' eyes later this month!
It's not quite like it used to be back in the day with a huge move-in, as nearly everyone in that group of returning lettermen, transfers and incoming freshmen are already checked in and on campus in Murfreesboro well ahead of the official start date. But that doesn't diminish the excitement Rick Stockstill has for this step every season.
"This is what we live for, it's what we coach, it's what we play for," Stockstill said. "I'm fired up about it. I like where we're at. We've had a good summer. And this will begin the fourth phase of defining the identity of our team."
Stockstill expects to see around 25 players practice as Blue Raiders for the first time outside of a summer workout session, as the program's incoming freshmen, walk-ons and two of their transfer receivers (Kalani Norris and Justin Olson) will get the chance to show what they can do on the practice field.
With the construction of the Student-Athlete Performance Center underway, team meetings are being held throughout the press box of Floyd Stadium this year, but Stockstill is more excited about being able to hit the field with his team and see the progress they've made.
"Being around the guys and watching them," Stockstill said of what he was most looking forward to about the start of practice on Wednesday. "To see the improvements that they've made from the last day of spring practice until now, how their bodies have changed. Coach Hickmann, he and his staff did a fantastic job this summer from that standpoint."
In anticipation of the start of camp, several returning Blue Raiders will have new numbers this fall at Floyd Stadium. The players changing digits in 2023 are as follows:
QB DJ Riles 12 → 5
RB Frank Peasant 36 → 24
WR Jeremy Tate 86 → 6
WR Elijah Metcalf 84 → 9
WR Jacob Coleman 15 → 88
DL Jorden Starling 49 → 2
DL Jordan Branch 99 → 5
LB Drew Francis 40 → 10
LB Jalen Davis 35 → 12
LB Parker Hughes 91 → 21
Soccer Blue-White Scrimmage Set for Sunday
With the start of August also comes the official start of the sports calendar for the 2023-24 season here at MTSU, as you can watch the Blue Raiders this week at Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium, where MTSU Soccer will host their annual Blue White Scrimmage on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Look, it's a "What's Happening in the Boro!"
What's Happening in the 'Boro – presented by Ole South
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) July 31, 2023
It's the first home event of the year! @MT_Soccer's Blue and White Game is this Sunday at 4:30 PM at Hayes Stadium!
⚽️🎟 FREE#BLUEnited pic.twitter.com/urslYCc4Vo
It was a busy day in the soccer program this Monday, as the annual media day for the team featuring plenty of pictures took place around the Athletics side of campus this afternoon. The players also got a chance to get a look at their fresh uniforms for the upcoming season, always an exciting day in the course of a season for all of our programs here in Murfreesboro.
Nothing but 🔥#BLUEnited pic.twitter.com/JL68xuEBUz
— Middle Tennessee Soccer (@MT_Soccer) July 31, 2023
Head Coach Aston Rhoden was an excellent guest early on during our summer Coaches Check-In Podcast series. You can check out his episode (Episode 2) under the "Podcasts" link under "Multimedia" tab above, where he goes in-depth on his program's preseason routine.
Blue Raider Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Revealed this week!
The Blue Raider Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is set to be revealed this week, when six Blue Raiders will be revealed ahead of their induction later this fall on September 23, ahead of Football's home game against Colorado State.
The first member of the Class of 2023 is Anne Marie (Lanning) Brentz, who joins the Hall of Fame after her sharpshooting career with the Lady Raiders!
Anne Marie (Lanning) Brentz is a Blue Raider Sports Hall of Famer!
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) July 31, 2023
A member of the 1,000-point club and one of the program's all-time best 3-point shooters, she led @MT_WBB to 3 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
She'll be inducted as part of the Class of 2023 on Sept. 22. pic.twitter.com/pC4366MGtK
Stay tuned for more videos of the rest of the Class of 2023 through Saturday.
We unveil the Blue Raider Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 this week! 👀 pic.twitter.com/OnuIWyTyOh
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) July 30, 2023
ICYMI: Demolition underway for Student-Athlete Performance Center
With the focus on CUSA Kickoff in last week's notebook, the progress made on construction of the Student-Athlete Performance Center as part of #BuildBlue might've been missed. But folks who've had a reason to visit the Greenland lot this past week have certainly had a lot to witness, as demolition of the old Football Game Day building progressed at a rapid place entering August.
Clearing the path for the future! 🚧#BuildBlue pic.twitter.com/2C2jewF0tb
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) July 26, 2023
Exciting things are happening just north of Floyd Stadium! #BuildBlue pic.twitter.com/p6gBHOu5c3
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) July 26, 2023
I enjoyed seeing all of the celebrations from Blue Raider fans across the country in addition to the folks I work with in the athletic department on this major milestone. Countless Blue Raiders have made this project possible for countless future Blue Raiders to enjoy the benefits of. Stay tuned for more in the months to come!
Progress pic.twitter.com/MGJ9ODBGwt
— Chris Massaro (@ChrisMassaroAD) July 26, 2023
It's happening!!! Demolition has officially begun for our new $66 million Student-Athlete Performance Center! #BuildBlue pic.twitter.com/CYEUS6Q5dD
— Lee De Leon (@ldeleon5) July 26, 2023
First Blue Raider Family Fun Night set for August 3!
Local MTSU fans will not want to miss this summer kickoff event put on by our marketing staff this week, as Blue Raiders will be welcomed to Murfreesboro Strike & Spare on August 3 from 5:30-8 p.m. for Blue Raider Family Fun Night.
Strike & Spare offers an exclusive discount to Blue Raider Fans with half of the proceeds from the evening going to support the BRAA and its mission of supporting Blue Raider student-athletes.
Check out more details on the rest of the summer's events below!
An exciting month of August kicks off this Thursday at Strike & Spare as we host the 3rd Annual Blue Raider Family Fun Night!
— Middle Tennessee Athletics (@MTAthletics) July 31, 2023
And don't forget to join us next Friday in Smyrna for more family fun!
📰 Details ⤵️https://t.co/aDll9g3Hww
ESPN+: The Home of the Blue Raiders
As part of the CUSA's new media rights deal, MTSU will be broadcasting every single home game for every sport that's not scheduled for a national TV network on ESPN+ in 2023-23. Blue Raider fans are encouraged to subscribe to service to make sure they don't miss a second of the action on the gridiron, on the court, on the diamond or on the pitch this season.
Plans for ESPN+ start as low as $9.99 a month, though there are bundles available with Hulu and Disney Plus included for just a few bucks a month more. Make sure to subscribe ahead of the start of competition this fall! More details on ESPN+ can be found here: https://plus.espn.com/#:~:text=You%20can%20get%20an%20ESPN%2B,mo.%20or%20%2499.99%2Fyr.
Social Media clip of the week: Basketball Prepares for Trip to Italy
Middle Tennessee men's basketball will depart for their Summer Trip to Italy in the coming months, and we in the Athletic Communications office thought it'd be good to help the Blue Raiders brush up on the local language ahead of the experience.
We may need to brush up on our Italian before our trip…#BlueRaiders pic.twitter.com/WyCTPtHhUt
— Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball (@MT_MBB) July 28, 2023
All things considered (particularly given we started with a very tricky word), I was impressed with the guys' ability to think on their feet! Make sure to follow @MT_MBB on both X (the website formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram to see the trip through the players' eyes later this month!
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