MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Blue Zoo Bash is back for the fall 2024 semester beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, in the Campus Recreation Center as MTSU students prepare for a weekend full of tailgating, live music and Blue Raider football rivalry against the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers.

“Blue Zoo Bash will be a great event to bring students and families together to kick off Family Weekend and to get us rowdy for our rivalry game on Saturday against WKU,” said Bretlyn Warner, president of the Blue Zoo student pep section. “We will have so many fun games, a DJ, and a performance from the Band of Blue and our dance and cheer squads.”

Originally set for the Rec Center parking lot, Blue Zoo Bash was moved inside due to forecasts for inclement weather on Friday. Activities available at the bash include carnival-style games, a DJ dance party, free food and other freebies. Blue Zoo Bash is free to students and guests.

MTSU (1-1) plays Conference USA rival WKU (1-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, in Floyd Stadium. To kick off the game, tailgating and live music will start at 3 p.m. in Walnut Grove for MTSU’s new edition to home football games this season, Party in the Grove.

Party in the Grove features a different live music artist each home tailgate, and this week’s artist is MTSU alumna HunterGirl, who as Hunter Wolkonowski graduated in 2020 from MTSU with a degree in music business.

She was the popular runner-up of Season 20 of “American Idol” in 2022, where she was championed by show judge Luke Bryan, who said she was his “favorite female Country voice.” Now signed with 19 Recordings/BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, she toured with Bryan over the summer. She was named an honorary professor of recording industry at MTSU in 2022.

In addition to the performance stage for bands, artists and DJs, the grove will also feature two food trucks and several new sponsor tents and activities will be added to the mix as well.

Raider Walk, the traditional arrival of the team two hours before kickoff, remains in place, as does family favorite features such as the Band of Blue, cheer and dance teams, bouncy houses and face painting. Space also remains for fraternities and sorority tents, as well as tailgating for alumni and others.

The party will wind down 45 minutes prior to kickoff with a “Follow Me to Floyd” parade, led by Student Government Association President Michai Mosby and Blue Zoo’s Warner, who will also be the event’s emcees.

Party in the Grove, located in the traditional campus gathering point in an open field between Peck Hall and the Cope Administration Building, is led by the Division of Student Affairs, the College of Media and Entertainment and Blue Raider Athletics.

Freshmen walk and Family Weekend are another part of this weekend’s festivities. Freshmen walk invites all incoming freshmen to the football field at halftime on Saturday, Sept. 14, to run across the field. Family weekend welcomes students’ family and friends to attend Party in the Grove and the football game to cheer on the Blue Raiders.

“I saw the potential student turnout at our home opener, and it was incredible — the best I’ve seen in years. Unfortunately, the bad weather won that battle that night,” Warner said. “But we have a chance to fill Floyd this Saturday and break attendance records that haven’t been seen in a while, but it starts with you all. And what a better game to do it than our very own rivalry game. Come out and bring your friends and family to support our Blue Raiders.”

Click here to purchase tickets to the MTSU-WKU rivalry game.

Click here for a special combo deal to purchase tickets to the MTSU-WKU game on Saturday, Sept. 14, and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix race on Sunday, Sept. 15, at Nashville Superspeedway.

— Maddy Williams (Maddy.Williams@mtsu.edu)