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| MTSU FANS CHEER FOR THE BLUE RAIDERS |
This summer we will look at several different fan bases from the Gang of 5 Schools and explore what makes each of them unique. Today we look at the third and final school, Middle Tennessee University.
"AN EXCITING TIME FOR ALL OF US"
On November 29th, 2012 MTSU President Sydney McPhee and MTSU Athletic Director Chris Massaro addressed an enthusiast MTSU crowd in the school's new, state of the art , Student Union Building. The pair, flanked by MTSU cheerleaders and the MTSU band, were at the Student Union to announce the inclusion of the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders into Conference USA.
The celebration inside the Student Union building represented a long and hard fought battle for MTSU athletics . A hard fought battle, that is, to place the Blue Raider program on a more prominent and lucrative stage. The MTSU announcement party was as much about celebrating the school's entry into Conference USA as it was about completing a victory lap for the Blue Raider program. MTSU it seemed ,with its 21,000 student population ( the largest in the state of Tennessee ) was on the cusp of rebranding itself and earning the respect it so desperately wanted in the state of Tennessee and beyond.
Finally, after a solid 12 year run in the Sun Belt, a run in which the Blue Raiders had earned an impressive 54 Championships and 8 All Sports Trophies, MTSU had been offered and accepted a full invite( all sports) into Conference USA. At the announcement party that day, AD Chris Massaro confidently told the Blue Raider faithful that entry into Conference USA constituted , " an exciting time for all of us".
Entry into Conference USA was touted as a triumph by MTSU fans, Massaro and Chancellor Sydney McPhee. Many long time supporters of the program envisioned Conference USA as the vehicle that would give the Blue Raider's the kick start its athletic program needed. More than anything however, MTSU fans and administrators believed MTSU's inclusion in the new conference would provide the Blue Raider fan base the momentum needed to carry the school into the next level of collegiate athletics, especially as it pertained to better attendance at MTSU football games and the recruitment of more talented athletes. Now 3 years later, some of the initial enthusiasm and hope from that November day has given way to a less satisfying reality. In particular, questions are now being asked that ponder whether or not inclusion in CUSA has given MTSU the boost it hoped it would receive when it joined the league.
NOT THE SAME CONFERENCE
When MTSU proudly announced their entry into Conference USA, the league was in the midst of a dramatic realignment process that was altering not only CUSA but College sports as well. Just two days before MTSU's CUSA announcement for example , ECU and TULANE made an announcement of their own telling reporters and supporters that they had accepted an invite to join the now defunct Big East. ECU and TULANE's departure announcement had completed a sweeping and league altering overhaul of CUSA. An overhaul that included the lose of some the conferences top schools and brands. Schools and brands that had no doubt made CUSA an attractive option for MTSU to join in the first place.
UCF, MEMPHIS( a potentially important partner for MTSU) SMU, HOUSTON AND TULSA ( along with ECU and Tulane) would no longer be in CUSA. Instead ,CUSA would now consist of some of MTSU's former Sun Belt rivals like NORTH TEXAS and WESTERN KENTUCKY, among other new schools. When the dust finally settled , CUSA looked much different than it had only one short year before MTSU had been invited to join the league. ( MTSU was invited to join CUSA precisely because of the departure of some the conference schools to the Big East)Did the new CUSA look as , "exciting" to MTSU now as it had when the school was first contacted by the CUSA membership team?
It is interesting to note however, that even before the departure of ECU and Tulane, MTSU struggled with football attendance in their inaugural CUSA season. No where was this more evident than when the Blue Raiders hosted ECU, arguably one of CUSA's most recognizable brands, during the 2013 Football Season. Here then was a perfect opportunity to show case the advantages of making the jump from the Sun Belt to CUSA. The MTSU-ECU game that day was broadcast on the FSN network to what amounted to most of Southeast region of the country. The announced attendance for the game was 23,103. While this marked a small improvement over typical home attendance numbers for MTSU( between 18000 and 20,000) the game did not show well on tv as there were large swaths of the stadium with no fans. Although one game does not encapsulate a school's entire athletic struggle, the Pirate home game certainly spoke volumes about the need for MTSU to increase its fan base participation and to create a narrative that fans and alumni can embrace.
GOING FORWARD
MTSU's issues are similar in nature to many schools that make up the Gang of 5 confederation. While MTSU is in much better shape than many G5 schools, especially FIU(one of the other fan bases that this blog has examinedFIU FAN BASE STRUGGLES LINK) there is still much work to be done. MTSU appears to be stuck in middle ground territory when it comes to fan participation and overall sports competitiveness. As the school with the largest undergraduate population in the state of Tennessee, MTSU can and should do better.
Here then are a couple questions that are worth examining if the Blue Raider program wants to move beyond its current position in college sports. In truth these are questions that every athletic department or school leadership should be wrestling with.
1. NAME THE MTSU STORY: What story is MTSU going to tell? What does the athletic program stand for? Do the Blue Raiders want to compete directly with UT or do they want to compete with the Western Kentucky's of College Sports? Either way name it and then do what it takes to make the story true.
2. WHAT DOES THE MTSU BRAND MEAN?: While the brand question is similar to finding the right story to tell, it is different in one important aspect, the brand represents what the entire school stands for, not just the athletic program. Is MTSU a challenger brand for example? Is it a rebel brand? It it a neutral brand? Is the brand happy to to just field a team? What does the MTSU brand say about how the school wants to compete in the field of athletics
3.WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM: Football drives the bus. Until basketball earns more money or garners more attention than football, the boys of Fall and Winter will keep paying the bills. What does MTSU want from its football team? If MTSU wants a champion then has the school committed itself to paying the kind of money and finding the coaching staff that can make this happen. A vision to win starts at the top( Chancellors office) and trickles down to every worker, coach , teacher and student.
FINALLY
MTSU shares much in common with the majority of G5 fan bases. Most of these fan bases, like MTSU, are looking for ways to increase fan( student, alumni and local population) participation and to compete against the better funded Power 5 schools. The good news for MTSU is that the Blue Raider program has a solid foundation to build from. MTSU finds itself in a position of opportunity rather than a position of crisis.
With its large student population and alumni base as well as its close proximity to Nashville( 35 miles) the Blue Raiders appear to be underachieving when it comes to fan participation and sports competitiveness, especially football. While there is no easy path that can guide MTSU to its full potential, the Blue Raider program has the ability to move beyond its current state of affairs with the right vision and leadership.
To do so however, MTSU will need a clearer direction and stronger story to tell to its supporters. Schools that are successful in sports have a clear vision that can be articulated by both fan and University president alike( see ECU FANS SERVE AS MODEL FOR G5 SCHOOLS)
The good news for MTSU is that the University seems to have many of the necessary ingredients to be a top G5 school. The Blue Raider athletic program however, now has to put these pieces together. In short, the Blue Raider program needs an intriguing story tell and a brand identity that most of its students and alumni want to be a part of and embrace. Stay tuned.
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