MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University hits the road soon by bus and by car for its annual True Blue Tour student recruitment effort to meet future Blue Raiders and their parents where they are.

This year’s tour includes 10 stops, with nine in-state and one out-of-state visit to Huntsville, Ala. The kickoff is Monday, Sept. 14, when President Sidney A. McPhee leads the recruitment team to Franklin before the tour swings to the eastern part of the state for stops in Johnson City and Knoxville on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30, respectively.

On his final recruitment tour before retiring as president at the end of the year, McPhee will be joined by academic deans, admissions staff and academic advisors for 12:30 p.m. luncheons to engage invited high school and community college counselors in the area and 6 p.m. receptions for prospective students and their parents.

McPhee and university representatives award scholarships at each stop, with last year’s tour awarding more than $1 million to prospective students and counselors. All events are free and walkups are welcome, though admissions staff encourage people to RSVP in advance at https://mtsu.edu/rsvp.

“It’s been my great pleasure throughout all these years as president to travel around the state and region with our dedicated deans, administrators and staff to meet so many wonderful scholars and their families during this annual recruitment event,” McPhee said. “And perhaps the greatest satisfaction comes from seeing many of these young scholars become a part of our Blue Raider family. I believe it’s one of the best decisions they’ll ever make.”

Laurie Witherow, vice provost for enrollment management, encourages prospective students and their families to attend the stops in their areas to take advantage of the one-on-one interactions with academic deans, advisors and support staff to hear firsthand what opportunities await them as they continue their academic journeys.

“MTSU is coming to you!  The choice of where to pursue a college education is one of the most important a student and family will make,” Witherow said. “That’s why we want every student in the state to understand the opportunities and value MTSU presents. We’ll come see you so you can learn more, then invite you to come see the campus and envision yourself at MTSU.”

Prospective students are also welcome to attend Saturday True Blue Preview recruiting events, scheduled for Sept. 26, Nov. 14, and March 20, 2027. To register for the free events in advance, go to www.mtsu.edu/rsvp. MTSU also offers daily campus tours. For information, call 615-898-5670 or email [email protected].

MTSU and its 550-acre campus offer more than 300 undergraduate and graduate degree majors and concentrations, including nationally ranked programs.  Visit https://www.mtsu.edu/search-program/ to discover the opportunities.

The 2026 True Blue Tour schedule

• Sept. 14 — Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, 700 Cool Springs Blvd., Franklin

• Sept. 29 — Carnegie Hotel, 1216 W State of Franklin Road, Johnson City (6 p.m. Student Reception only)

• Sept. 30 — Bridgewater Hospitality Collective, 205 Bridgewater Road, Knoxville

• Oct. 14 — The Westin Huntsville, 6800 Governors W., Huntsville, Alabama

• Oct. 21 — FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms, 415 Great View Drive E. Ste 103, Memphis

• Oct. 22 — Jackson Country Club, 31 Jackson Country Club Drive, Jackson

• Oct. 26 – The Chattanoogan Hotel, 1201 Broad St., Chattanooga

• Oct. 29 — Blue Ribbon Circle Club, 1110 N Evans St., Shelbyville

• Nov. 2 — Gaylord Springs Golf Links, 18 Springhouse Lane, Nashville

• Nov. 5 — MTSU Student Union Ballroom, 1768 MTSU Blvd., Murfreesboro

— Jimmy Hart ([email protected])