MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For Middle Tennessee State University students, participating in recreational activities is becoming less about what they can afford and more about what they want to try.

MTSU Campus Recreation has expanded its free programming this fall as part of a broader effort to remove barriers that can keep students from participating.

“Sometimes the decision is whether to pay $25 to go on a trip or to have groceries for a week. A $10 charge can be the decision between eating for two days or playing intramurals,” said Josh Stone, Campus Rec director. “We want to make sure that their dollars are spent wisely for themselves.”

“Free-99” is the best price

The changes follow about 18 months of rethinking how Campus Recreation serves students, including increasing facility hours by 15 hours a week and ensuring space is available for students.

The next step was addressing program costs.

Every Campus Rec program area now offers at least one free program for students.

“Starting with intramural sports, which actually has our highest engagement, participation is free from now until eternity — at least while I’m here,” Stone quipped. “And there’s no fee for any individual sport.”

Blue Raiders can play flag football, basketball, indoor and outdoor soccer, volleyball and take part in a variety of other activities without paying a sport-by-sport fee.

The department also is expanding drop-in and social activities, including pickleball tournaments, three-point competitions and “battleship,” a pool activity in which students use canoes and buckets to try to sink one another.

“We want to make sure that we’re appealing to all of our students and giving every student an opportunity to participate,” Stone said.

Fitness programs have expanded as well. Although group classes have been no cost to students for years, Campus Rec now offers free participation in MyFit, a three-session personal training program that builds a semester-long workout plan. Students can take free swimming lessons, too.

In addition to indoor activities and sports, Campus Recreation’s Outdoor Program has planned beginner-friendly trips this semester: a water festival at Old Fort Park, a rock-climbing trip and a full-moon hike at Barfield Crescent Park. Transportation, equipment and trip leaders are provided. Students only need to bring food. Registration is required.

A diverse place to play and gather

Stone said the goal is simple: “Meet students where they are.”

“We have 9,988 students using our facility, but that means about 8,000 don’t. We want to figure out how to get every single one of them in here,” Stone said.

That includes students who may feel intimidated by the large facility.

Campus Rec recently partnered with MTSU Campus Housing to pilot a small gym inside Cummings Hall, open to any student with an ID. The center also expanded lounge areas, added esports spaces and built a new accessibility webpage outlining sensory-friendly and adaptive options.

For Lenoir City native Tyler Lowe, the changes reflect what drew him to the center as a transfer student in 2022.

“When I got on campus, I didn’t know where to start,” said Lowe, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sport and leisure management before taking the helm as coordinator of sports programs. “Campus Rec is where I found the community I needed.”

Lowe said he found lifelong friends while working out and playing intramural sports at MTSU, and he encourages others to take part in activities, whether they visit to work out, climb the rock wall, join a fitness class, go on a trip or simply unwind.

“We’ve got a very diverse group, but we all have something in common — we all like to work out or play sports,” Lowe said. “It’s a place you can go to not worry about the stresses of life.”

As Campus Rec continues expanding free and low-cost options, Stone said the mission remains clear: build community, support wellness and help students succeed.

“When students participate, they engage with others and start building community,” Stone said. “If that contributes to them staying here and graduating, then absolutely — we want to be part of that.”

The main facility for Campus Rec, located at 1848 Blue Raider Drive, is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 12-9 p.m. Sunday.

Learn more about Campus Recreation activities and department operations by visiting mtsu.edu/camprec. You can also follow @mtsucampusrec on Instagram and download the MTSU Campus Rec app.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])