MTSU athletics and Murfreesboro City Schools’ Education Day partnership continues to soar — and keeps MTSU No. 1 in the nation for Education Day women’s basketball game attendance.
The announced crowd of 11,415 people attending the Wednesday, Dec. 4, Lady Raiders game in Murphy Center included 7,345 students and established a national Education Day single-game record. MTSU has the top-five single-game attendance totals and seven of the top-10 nationally.
Murfreesboro City Schools’ Discovery School students get fired up Wednesday, Dec. 4, during the eighth annual Education Day game in Murphy Center. The crowd of 11,415 fans is a nation-leading single-game attendance record and MTSU also ranks No. 1 nationally in Education Day average attendance. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)
MTSU also leads the nation in Education Day average attendance, 11,013 fans (almost 1,000 more than second-place Virginia), since Murfreesboro City Schools began partnering to attend Lady Raiders games during the 2012-13 season.
Dr. Linda Gilbert
The field trip allows the children the opportunity to visit the athletic side of the MTSU campus — and have fun as they approach the Christmas break.
“Education Day is the day when some of our children see their first basketball game or first step onto a university campus,” said City Schools’ Director Linda Gilbert. “It’s the day when teachers can link academics to the real world through statistics, history, science and more.”
Gilbert, an MTSU alumna, added that “it’s also the day when the extraordinary partnership between MTSU and Murfreesboro City Schools is on full display. I am very grateful to Dr. (Sidney) McPhee (MTSU president) for his leadership that enables our partnership … and to the City Council and School Board for supporting the partnership.”
With arms raised, excited Mitchell-Neilson Elementary School students got into the spirit of things Wednesday, Dec. 4, during the eighth annual Education Day game in Murphy Center. A record crowd of 11,415 fans established a national single-game attendance mark. MTSU also ranks No. 1 nationally in Education Day average attendance. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)
Gilbert, an MTSU alumna, added that “it’s also the day when the extraordinary partnership between MTSU and Murfreesboro City Schools is on full display. I am very grateful to Dr. (Sidney) McPhee (MTSU president) for his leadership that enables our partnership … and to the City Council and School Board for supporting the partnership.”
“I sincerely appreciate every member of the Murfreesboro City Schools’ family and the Murfreesboro Police Department for the work they do before, during, and after the event so our children can have this unique experience,” Gilbert said.
Nearly 465 regular classroom and enrichment area teachers and more than 80 school-based administrators and central office staff joined the nearly 7,350 students, said Lisa Trail, City Schools’ director of communications, making Murphy Center one loud building.
It took a combined 61 City Schools’ and Rutherford County Schools’ buses to bring the students and teachers to the MTSU campus. There were 97 trips to the arena, 97 back to school and 194 total bus trips altogether, Trail said.
Murfreesboro City Schools’ students participate in the “Mummy Wrap” contest during the annual Education Day basketball game at Murphy Center. The MT Lady Raiders beat visiting Lipscomb University 64-42. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)
And the Lady Raiders didn’t disappoint the young visitors.
A strong defensive effort limited the Lady Bisons to 34 percent shooting from the field in the 70-49 victory. MTSU sophomore Taylor Sutton led the offense with 20 points — a perfect 7-for-7 from the field (including four 3-pointers) and 2 of 2 from the free throw line. Anastasia Hayes added 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Lady Raiders, 6-3 on the season, visit Belmont in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 14.
Education Day Single Game Attendance*
- MT Dec. 4, 2019 (11,415)
- MT Dec. 17, 2015 (11,310)
- MT Dec. 3, 2014 (11,307)
- MT Dec. 5, 2017 (11,305)
- MT Nov. 30, 2016 (11,222)
- Iowa State 10,684
- Dayton 10,159
- MT Dec. 4, 2012 (10,107)
- Virginia 10,048
- MT Dec. 12, 2013 (10,028)
Education Day Average Attendance*
- MT 11,013
- Virginia 10,048
- Tennessee 10,007
- Iowa State 9,145
- Dayton 7,972
- Texas A&M 8,004
- Old Dominion 7,103
- Montana 6,944
- Wake Forest 6,847
- Texas 6,835
* — Source: MT Athletic Communications
— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)
The 2019 Education Day basketball for Murfreesboro City Schools brought a large crowd to Murphy Center. The students and fans cheered the MT Lady Raiders to victory as they defeated visiting Lipscomb University, 64-42.
Students from Scales Elementary School had fun making faces and cheering on the MTSU Lady Raiders during their 63-42 Education Day victory against visiting Lipscomb University in Murphy Center Wednesday, Dec. 4. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)
Singers from the Murfreesboro City Schools’ Music Team provided the national anthem before the start of the MTSU-Lipscomb women’s basketball game Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Murphy Center. It marked the 2019 Education Day game for thousands of City Schools’ students. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)
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