By Brian Delaney

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University is celebrating its 2026 True Blue Give on Tuesday-Thursday, Feb. 10–12. This annual three-day effort invites the entire Blue Raider community to invest in the people and programs that define the spirit of MTSU.

Contributors can support any area of campus that’s meaningful to them, and can do so with a few clicks at www.tbg.mtsu.edu.  Many gifts during True Blue Give may even be matched, helping support go even further. 

Watch four stories of True Blue Give impact below:

Making a True Blue impact

Each year, True Blue Give raises critical funds for scholarships across all colleges and supports a wide array of campuswide initiatives that make a lasting impact, including MTSU Athletics, Band of Blue, James E. Walker Library, and Scholarships & Student Support Services.

“Every gift reminds us of the incredible generosity and pride within the MTSU family,” said Courtney Brown, director of Annual Giving. “When our community comes together to give, the results are transformative. Students are supported, programs are strengthened, and the Blue Raider pride is stronger than ever.”

New opportunities with matching gifts

As part of this year’s initiative, several special matching opportunities are available to help maximize the impact of donor support:

• Celebrate America: 250th Anniversary: Gifts designated to support civic learning and campuswide initiatives commemorating this historic milestone for the nation are eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $25,000.

• Band of Blue: Contributions to the Band of Blue will be matched up to $3,000, doubling support for the students who bring sound, spirit, and pride to MTSU events and traditions.

• Honors College: Matching funds of up to $5,000 are available to enhance support for high-achieving students and the transformative academic experiences that define the Honors College.

These highlighted opportunities represent just a portion of the available matching gifts. For a complete list of matching opportunities, visit www.tbg.mtsu.edu/pages/matching-gifts.

Building on record-breaking success

Thanks to the generosity of more than 1,300 donations from Blue Raider supporters, MTSU made history during True Blue Give 2025, surpassing its $800,000 goal and raising over $1 million, a record-breaking milestone.

Highlights from last year’s success include:

• $300,000+ raised for MTSU Athletics, fueling opportunities for student-athletes.
• A new record from the College of Liberal Arts, with over $275,000 in gifts.
• Exceptional support for the College of Education, exceeding $138,000 in donations.
• More than $133,000 directed to scholarships and vital student emergency needs, including the student food pantry and mental health counseling.

Join the movement

Launched in 2018, True Blue Give is a powerful crowdfunding movement that demonstrates what it means to be True Blue. Each February, supporters make gifts online or via text, creating immediate and lasting change for MTSU students and the campus community.

For more information, contact Courtney Brown at Courtney.Brown@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2709.

— Brian Delaney (bdelaney@mtsu.edu)