RELATED ARTICLE—The Man in the Middle: Retiring MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee reflects on a quarter century as the institution’s chief executive officer

Aug. 2001          Sidney A. McPhee becomes MTSU’s 10th president

March 2002      Construction initiated after $2 million match met for Martin Honors Building

Aug. 2002           Convocation started as new academic year tradition

Nov. 2002           First Ph.D. degrees approved in conversion from D.A. programs

Jan. 2003            Tennessee Miller Coliseum and Horse Science Center open

Aug. 2004           Federal funds secured for Middle Tennessee Boulevard gateway

Jan. 2005            Department of Art and Design and Gore Center move into renovated Todd Hall

June 2005          500-acre Guy James Farm purchased for agriculture programs

Jan. 2007            $5.5 million expansion of Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building completed

July 2007             University College creates pioneering adult degree program

Aug. 2008           $20 million expansion to Rec Center includes student health clinic

Aug. 2009           Ranked 57th and only Tennessee university in Forbes’ top 100 public institutions

Aug. 2010           College of Behavioral and Health Sciences created for service disciplines

Aug. 2011           “I am True Blue” pledge and core values initiated

Sept. 2011         $30 million College of Education Building opens

Sept. 11, 2011                 University celebrates century of service

May 2012            100,000th undergraduate degree awarded

Sept. 2012         $65 million, 211,000-square-foot Student Union opens

April 2013          Former hospital property purchased, including current Miller Education Center building

July 2013             MT Athletics joins Conference USA after winning 5th straight Sun Belt all-sports trophy

Oct. 2013           Quest for Student Success initiative launched, resulting in higher retention and graduation rates

March 2014      $16 million Student Services and Admissions Center opens

Aug. 2014           250,000-square-foot Science Building opens as centerpiece of $147 million in new and renovated science facilities

Nov. 2015           Veterans and Military Family Center opens (later named for Charlie and Hazel Daniels)

Feb. 2016           $105 million final tally for Centennial Campaign

March 2016      Blue Raiders upset No. 2 seed Michigan State in NCAA tourney

April 2017          MTSU Board of Trustees installed under new local governance

Dec. 2018          Regional Scholarship Program extended to 8 bordering states

Aug. 2019           Ranked in Princeton Review’s Best Colleges in U.S. for 1st time

March 2020      University shifts to remote learning to manage COVID-19 pandemic

Aug. 2020           $39.6 million Academic Classroom Building opens; MTSU resumes in-person operations

Jan. 2022            Elevated to Carnegie elite R2 status (high research activity)

Oct. 2022           $40.1 million Concrete and Construction Management Building opens

Nov. 2022           1st students from MTSU-Meharry early acceptance program reach medical school

Sept. 2023         $73.4 million Aerospace initial project announced for Shelbyville airport

Aug. 2024           First cohort graduates from Physician Assistant Studies master’s program

March 2025      M.S. in Legal Studies announced in partnership with Nashville School of Law

July–Aug. 2025                $74.8 million Applied Engineering Building and $66 million Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center open

Aug. 2025           Major financial gift leads to renaming as the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment

Nov. 2025           World-class center launched for Quantum Research, Interdisciplinary Science, and Education (QRISE)

July 2026             Renovations completed on two original buildings, Kirksey Old Main and Rutledge Hall