It’s TSSAA high school basketball tournament time again in Middle Tennessee, and MTSU once again is making a few temporary parking and traffic changes to accommodate its guests and neighbors.

The TSSAA Division I High School Basketball Tournaments are adding a Tuesday to their schedules this year. The state tourneys are now set March 8-12 for the girls and March 15-19 for the boys inside Murphy Center’s Hale/Earle Arena on the northwest side of the MTSU campus.

As a result, all motorists traveling around and on campus should be aware of factors affecting MTSU roads and parking.

• MTSU’s East Main Street and Rutherford Boulevard entrance will be the most convenient campus entry points during the tournaments, university officials said. The arm gate on the east side of the Cope Administration Building will be raised during both events to give motorists access to Old Main Circle and the Midgett Lot.

• The Greenland Drive parking lot will be reserved for TSSAA ticket holders during both tournaments with a $5 per vehicle charge. Students and faculty who use the Greenland Drive lot should prepare now to find alternative parking on campus, including the Tennessee Livestock Pavilion lot off Greenland Drive and the Rutherford Boulevard and MTSU parking lots.

• Faulkinberry Drive and Normal Way will be closed during both tournaments to accommodate TSSAA team buses. No parking or street access will be available.

University officials are encouraging motorists to allow extra time to reach their destinations while passing by or traveling to campus because of tournament traffic congestion. Campus motorists also should use the university’s perimeter parking lots and the Raider Xpress shuttle service during the tournaments.

MTSU mascot Lightning strides across East Main Street in this file photo. Lightning and the rest of the university will be welcoming the 2022 TSSAA Division I high school basketball tournaments to campus March 8-12 and March 15-19. Each tournament is adding Tuesday to its schedule this year. (MTSU file photo by Kimi Conro/photo illustration by News and Media Relations)

MTSU will be on spring break March 7-12, during the first TSSAA tournament. No classes will be held, but university offices will be open regular hours.

The Raider Xpress shuttle service will not run while the university is on spring break; it will return to its normal schedule March 14.

During the second TSSAA tournament March 13-16, the shuttles’ “Green Route” will not serve the Greenland Drive parking lot. To accommodate riders affected by this temporary change, an extra bus will serve the “Red Route” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 15-17.

All other events scheduled on campus during the tournaments will be allowed first-come, first-served parking in any of MTSU’s free lots, based on availability. Visitors will need parking passes on class days.

A searchable campus map is available here.

For more information about MTSU traffic, parking and road closures, visit the MTSU Parking and Transportation Services Office website at www.mtsu.edu/parking or call 615-898-2850. For more information about the TSSAA state tournaments, visit www.tssaa.org or call 615-889-6740.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)