If it’s March and the daffodils are in bloom, it’s TSSAA high school basketball tournament time again in Middle Tennessee, and that means a few parking and traffic changes in and around the MTSU campus.

The TSSAA Division I High School Basketball Tournaments are adding Tuesday to their schedules again this year. The state tourneys are now set March 7-11 for the girls and March 14-18 for the boys inside Murphy Center’s Hale/Earle Arena on the northwest side of the university.

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 will be on spring break March 6-11, 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 13.

During the second TSSAA tournament March 14-18, the shuttles’ “Green Route” will not serve the Greenland Drive parking lot.

All other events scheduled on campus during the tournaments will allow 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, call the MTSU Parking and Transportation Services Office at 615-898-2850 or visit www.mtsu.edu/parking. For more information about the TSSAA state tournaments, visit www.tssaa.org or call 615-889-6740.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)