Small swatches of teal will brighten Blue Raider fans’ “Blackout” game attire this Saturday, Sept. 29, at MTSU’s annual football matchup.

Campus organizations are encouraging Blue Raider fans to wear teal awareness ribbons on the special “Blackout” T-shirts they’re wearing for this year’s Blue Raider “Blackout” football matchup, set Saturday, Sept. 29, at Floyd Stadium against Florida Atlantic University, to show their opposition to gender-based violence.

While fans are being encouraged to wear black at the Floyd Stadium clash with the Florida Atlantic University Owls, they’re also being urged to wear free teal-colored ribbons as a statement opposing violence against women.

Volunteers from MTSU Athletics and the Student Government Association will be at each gate of Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium from 4:30 p.m. until the scheduled 6 p.m. kickoff with ribbons and information about prevention and what to do in potentially violent situations.

“The mentality around consent, sexual assault, domestic violence, all starts with that person individually and making sure they know what healthy and unhealthy relationships are, so they can prevent gender-based violence on our campus,” said Barbara Scales, director of MTSU’s June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students.

Scales said a video featuring head football coach Rick Stockstill and MTSU athletes providing information about preventing violence against women will air on the stadium’s giant screens before the game and during halftime.

Barbara Scales

The Anderson Center, MTSU Athletics and the SGA are supporting the teal awareness ribbon handout with MTSU’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, the Campus Nonviolence Committee and the Tina Stewart Campus Nonviolence Fund.

MTSU’s annual “Blackout” football game is an opportunity to boost community support for the Blue Raiders as well as hold other special events, such as the 2018 Blue Raider Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the annual Family Weekend and more.

For more information about the MTSU teal ribbon project, contact Scales at 615-898-5812 or barbara.scales@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)