MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University Athletics and NVRDUL Events announced Tuesday, Sept. 8, the launch of Live in the Boro, a public-private partnership that plans to bring some of music’s biggest names and must-see live entertainment to the MTSU campus.

Live in the Boro will make its debut during MTSU’s Homecoming week, when multi-platinum country hitmaker Bailey Zimmerman headlines the inaugural show at the historic Murphy Center. Taking place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, with doors opening at 6 p.m., the one-night event will also feature hip-hop heavyweight Waka Flocka Flame, rising country act Miller Holler, and genre-blurring DJ/producer Dee Jay Silver.

“We are pleased to take this next step in our goal of making Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium entertainment destinations that will benefit not only MTSU, but Murfreesboro and Rutherford County,” said President Sidney A. McPhee. “Our planned renovations to Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium, made possible through state and private funding, will make these venues even more attractive for such events.”

NVRDUL Events, a leading independent concert-promotion and live-entertainment company based in Nashville, aims take over Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium for multiple concerts and special events throughout the academic year, said Chris Massaro, director of athletics. He said the partnership’s goal is to establish the campus as a major new live-entertainment destination for fans throughout Middle Tennessee and beyond.

“Live in the Boro is an exciting opportunity to bring premier live entertainment to our campus while creating a new source of support for MTSU Athletics,” Massaro said. “We’re proud to partner with NVRDUL Events to launch this series and thrilled to kick things off with one of country music’s biggest stars in Bailey Zimmerman during Homecoming Weekend.”

Live in the Boro, he said, “will generate new commercial activity around our athletic venues and provide vibrancy to our campus, Murfreesboro, and Middle Tennessee.”

The planned Murphy Center renovations, set to begin in 2027, will transform the 53-year-old structure into a premier concert venue, giving fans “a unique opportunity to experience some of music’s biggest stars in an intimate arena setting,” McPhee said.

Since emerging onto the country music scene in 2022, Zimmerman has become as one of the genre’s most formidable new stars, amassing billions of streams, sending multiple singles to No. 1, and selling out marquee venues across the U.S., said Carri Hyde, founder and CEO of NVRDUL Events.

“Known for an exhilarating live show packed with massive hits like the eight-time platinum smash “Rock and a Hard Place,” he’s primed to bring high-octane energy to Murphy Center and ignite a new era of live music at MTSU,” she said. 

Hyde said NVRDUL Events is “looking for opportunities to create meaningful experiences that connect artists, communities, and great institutions.”

She added, “When MTSU approached us about creating something unique that could both entertain and support Blue Raider Athletics, we knew it was a special opportunity. Launching Live in the Boro with an artist of Bailey Zimmerman’s stature is an incredible way to begin what we believe will become a signature event series for Middle Tennessee.”

A longtime centerpiece of the MTSU campus, Murphy Center hosted numerous landmark concerts, special events and sporting events during its 53-year history. The university will begin major renovations to the facility in 2027, which will give fans  “a unique opportunity to experience some of music’s biggest stars in an intimate arena setting,” McPhee said.

“With the arrival of Live in the Boro, the storied arena will expand on its rich legacy as a go-to concert venue, pairing superstar talent with an intimate arena experience,” Massaro said.

With additional concerts and live events to be announced soon, Hyde said Zimmerman’s Homecoming Week show is just the start of a long-term partnership between MTSU Athletics and NVRDUL Events. “Together, the partners aim to build Live in the Boro into a fixture of Middle Tennessee’s live-entertainment scene, bringing top-tier acts to Murfreesboro,” she said.

Pre-sale tickets for the Zimmerman concert begin at noon Wednesday, Sept. 9, for current 2026-27 Blue Raider Athletic Association members and season ticket holders (2026 Football and 2025-26 Men’s/Women’s Basketball, Baseball, and Softball). Tickets go on sale for current MTSU students at noon Thursday, Sept. 10, and the general public at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11.

For updates and more information, visit GoBlueRaiders.com/live-in-the-boro-concert and follow MTSU Athletics on social media.