Blue Raiders
2010-11 Murphy Center
The building is named for Charles M. (Bubber) Murphy, who coached Blue Raider football from 1947 through 1968, and was the University’s athletic director for an even longer time. The main playing arena is named in memory of the late Monte Hale Sr., long-time radio personality and executive who delivered play-by-play of Middle Tennessee basketball and football games for many years as “The Voice of the Blue Raiders.” Murphy Center has hosted a wide variety of events over the years, including NCAA Regional and Ohio Valley Conference basketball tournaments, University convocations and commencements and innumerable concerts featuring the best known personalities of the entertainment world such as Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Bruce Springsteen, U2, the Judds, Garth Brooks, Lady Antebellum and a host of others. This outstanding facility has also been chosen on numerous occasions as host for Tennessee high school basketball, the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association’s (TSSAA) Boys and Girls State Tournaments, held annually in mid-March. In 1998, Murphy Center played host to the Steamboat Classic, which annually showcases the nation’s top prep hoop stars. In 2006, the Murphy Center played host to the Sun Belt men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
Top-10 crowds in the last five seasons: 11,802 10,010 7,858 6,968 5,505 5,411 5,307 5,228 5,017 4,962
vs. Tennessee vs. Maryland vs. LSU vs. Western Kentucky vs. Florida Atlantic vs. ULM vs. Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana vs. Alabama vs. North Texas
11/25/09 11/10/06 12/28/07 2/17/08 2/24/07 1/31/09 3/1/09 1/28/07 12/14/08 2/15/09
Middle Tennessee Women’s Basketball Keep Dreaming...Keep Believing...Keep Achieving
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